Chapter I: Front Matter

THE LIVING FAIRY-FAITH

CHAPTER I

ENVIRONMENT 1-16

Psychical Interpretation--The Mysticism of Erin and
Armorica--In Ireland--In Scotland--In the Isle of Man--In
Wales--In Cornwall--In Brittany.

CHAPTER II

THE TAKING OF EVIDENCE 17-225

Method of Presentation--The Logical Verdict--Trustworthiness
of Legends--The Fairy-Faith held by the highly educated Celt
as well as by the Celtic Peasant--The Evidence is complete
and adequate--Its Analysis--The Fairy Tribes dealt with--
Witnesses and their Testimony: from Ireland, with
Introduction by Dr. Douglas Hyde; from Scotland, with
Introduction by Dr. Alexander Carmichael; from the Isle of
Man, with Introduction by Miss Sophia Morrison; from Wales,
with Introduction by the Right Hon. Sir John Rhys; from
Cornwall, with Introduction by Mr. Henry Jenner; and from
Brittany, with Introduction by Professor Anatole Le Braz.

CHAPTER III

AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE EVIDENCE 226-82

The Celtic Fairy-Faith as Part of a World-wide Animism--
Shaping Influence of Social Psychology--Smallness of Elvish
Spirits and Fairies, according to Ethnology, Animism, and
Occult Sciences--The Changeling, Belief and its Explanation
according to the Kidnap, Human-Sacrifice, Soul-Wandering,
and Demon-Possession Theory--Ancient and Modern Magic and
Witchcraft shown to be based on definite psychological
laws--Exorcisms--Taboos, of Name, Food, Iron, Place--Taboos
among Ancient Celts--Food-Sacrifice--Legend of the Dead--
Conclusion: the Background of the Modern Belief in Fairies
is Animistic.

SECTION II

THE RECORDED FAIRY-FAITH

CHAPTER IV

THE PEOPLE OF THE GODDESS DANA OR THE _SIDHE_ 283-307

The Goddess Dana and the Modern Cult of St. Brigit--The
Tuatha De Danann or _Sidhe_ conquered by the Sons of Mil--
But Irish Seers still see the _Sidhe_--Old Irish Manuscripts
faithfully represent the Tuatha De Danann--The _Sidhe_ as a
Spirit Race--_Sidhe_ Palaces--The 'Taking' of Mortals--Hill
Visions of _Sidhe_ Women--_Sidhe_ Minstrels and Musicians--
Social Organization and Warfare among the _Sidhe_--The
_Sidhe_ War-Goddesses, the _Badb_--The _Sidhe_ at the Battle
of Clontarf, A. D. 1014--Conclusion.

CHAPTER V

BRYTHONIC DIVINITIES AND THE BRYTHONIC FAIRY-FAITH 308-31

The God Arthur and the Hero Arthur--Sevenfold Evidence to
show Arthur as an Incarnate Fairy King--Lancelot the
Foster-son of a Fairy Woman--Galahad, the Offspring of
Lancelot and the Fairy Woman Elayne--Arthur as a Fairy King
in _Kulhwch and Olwen_--Gwynn ab Nudd--Arthur like Dagda,
and like Osiris--Brythonic Fairy Romances: their Evolution
and Antiquity--Arthur in Nennius, Geoffrey, Wace, and in
Layamon--Cambrensis' Otherworld Tale--Norman-French writers
of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries--_Romans d'Aventure_
and _Romans Bretons_--Origins of the 'Matter of Britain'--
Fairy Romance Episodes in Welsh Literature--Brythonic
Origins.

CHAPTER VI

THE CELTIC OTHERWORLD 332-57

General Ideas of the Otherworld; its Location; its
Subjectivity; its Names; its Extent; Tethra one of its
kings--The Silver Branch and the Golden Bough; and
Initiations--The Otherworld the Heaven-World of all
Religions--Voyage of Bran--Cormac in the Land of Promise--
Magic Wands--Cuchulainn's Sick-Bed--Ossian's Return from
Fairyland--Lanval's going to Avalon--Voyage of Mael-Duin--
Voyage of Teigue--Adventures of Art--Cuchulainn's and
Arthur's Otherworld Quests--Literary Evolution of idea of
Happy Otherworld.

CHAPTER VII

THE CELTIC DOCTRINE OF RE-BIRTH 358-96

Re-birth and Otherworld--As a Christian Doctrine--General
Historical Survey--According to the Barddas MSS.; according
to Ancient and Modern Authorities--Re-incarnation of the
Tuatha De Danann--King Mongan's Re-birth--Etain's Birth--
Dermot's Pre-existence--Tuan's Re-birth--Re-birth among
Brythons--Arthur as a Re-incarnate Hero--Non-Celtic
Parallels--Re-birth among Modern Celts: in Ireland; in
Scotland; in the Isle of Man; in Wales; in Cornwall; in
Brittany--Origin and Evolution of Celtic Re-birth Doctrine.

SECTION III

THE CULT OF GODS, SPIRITS, FAIRIES, AND THE DEAD

CHAPTER VIII

THE TESTIMONY OF ARCHAEOLOGY 397-426

Inadequacy of Pygmy Theory--According to the Theories
concerning Divine Images and Fetishes, Gods, Daemons, and
Ancestral Spirits haunt Megaliths--Megaliths are religious
and funereal, as shown chiefly by _Cenn Cruaich_,
Stonehenge, Guernsey menhirs, Monuments in Brittany, by the
Circular Fairy-Dance as an Ancient Initiatory Sun-Dance, by
Breton Earthworks, Archaeological Excavations generally, and
by present-day Worship at Indian Dolmens--New Grange and
Celtic Mysteries: Evidence of manuscripts; Evidence of
Tradition--The Aengus Cult--New Grange compared with Great
Pyramid: both have Astronomical Arrangement and same
Internal Plan--Why they open to the Sunrise--Initiations in
both--Great Pyramid as Model for Celtic Tumuli--Gavrinis and
New Grange as Spirit Temples.

CHAPTER IX

THE TESTIMONY OF PAGANISM 427-41

Edicts against Pagan Cults--Cult of Sacred Waters and its
Absorption by Christianity--Celtic Water Divinities--Druidic
Influence on Fairy-Faith--Cult of Sacred Trees--Cult of
Fairies, Spirits, and the Dead--Feasts of the Dead--
Conclusion.

CHAPTER X

THE TESTIMONY OF CHRISTIANITY 442-55

Lough Derg a Sacred Lake originally--Purgatorial Rites as
Christianized Survivals of Ancient Celtic Rites--Purgatory
as Fairyland--Purgatorial Rites parallel to Pagan Initiation
Ceremonies--The Death and Resurrection Rite--Breton Pardons
compared--Relation to Aengus Cult and Celtic Cave-Temples--
Origin of Purgatorial Doctrine pre-Christian--Celtic and
Roman Feasts of dead shaped Christian ones--Fundamental
Unity of Mythologies, Religions, and the Fairy-Faith.

SECTION IV

MODERN SCIENCE AND THE FAIRY-FAITH; AND CONCLUSIONS

CHAPTER XI

SCIENCE AND FAIRIES 456-91

Method of Examination: Exoteric and Esoteric aspects--The
X-quantity--Scientific attitudes toward the Animistic
Hypothesis: Materialistic Theory; Pathological Theory;
Delusion and Imposture Theory; Problems of Consciousness:
Dreams; Supernormal Lapse of Time--Psychical Research and
Fairies: Myers's researches--Present Position of Psychical
Research--Psychical Research and Anthropology in Relation to
the Fairy-Faith, according to a special contribution from
Mr. Andrew Lang--Final Testing of the X-quantity--Conclusion:
the Celtic Belief in Fairies and in Fairyland is scientific.

CHAPTER XII

THE CELTIC DOCTRINE OF RE-BIRTH AND OTHERWORLD
SCIENTIFICALLY EXAMINED 492-515

The Extension of the Terms Fairy and Fairyland--The Real
Man as an Invisible Force acting through a Body-Conductor--
A Psychical Organ essential for Memory--Pre-existence a
Scientific Necessity--The Vitalistic View of Evolution--Old
Theory of Heredity disproved--Embryology supports Re-birth
Doctrine--Psycho-physical Evolution--Memory of previous
Existences in Subconsciousness--Examples--Dream Psychology
furnishes clearest Illustrations--No Post-existence without
Pre-existence--Resurrection as Re-birth--The Circle of
Life--The Mystical Corollary--Conclusion: the Celtic
Doctrine of Re-birth and Otherworld is essentially
scientific.

INDEX 516-24