La Grande Encyclopédie des fées (full title: La Grande Encyclopédie des fées et autres petites créatures) is the second and best-known of Pierre Dubois's encyclopedic works about little people. Following on from La Grande Encyclopédie des lutins, it is devoted, as its title indicates, to fairies, and contains descriptions of over 100 fairy creatures in the form of stories from folklore, with presentation sheets and illustrations by Claudine and .
Published in 1996 by and selling 80,000 to 90,000 copies in France, La Grande Encyclopédie des fées has been reprinted several times (in hardcover and paperback), and translated into English and Japanese. It was well received by critics, who praised its author's erudition and humor. At the time of its publication, it was the first French-language work on the subject.
Content The cover, illustrated as for the book's interior by Claudine and Roland Sabatier, features dozens of colorful fairies intermingled with one another. The title (La Grande Encyclopédie des fées), its subtitle (et autres petites créatures) and the presentation of the author and publisher (Secrets révélés par Pierre Dubois, illustrée par Claudine et Roland Sabatier et portés à la connaissance du public par Hoëbeke éditeur, rue du Dragon, Paris [Secrets revealed by Pierre Dubois, illustrated by Claudine and Roland Sabatier and published by Hoëbeke, rue du Dragon, Paris]) are a deliberate nod to early scholarly works.
La Grande Encyclopédie des fées presents a hundred or so fairies from popular folklore from all over the world (mainly France and the British Isles), with a storytelling text and a card summarizing each fairy's activities or favorite food. These presentations are divided into six chapters, each with an often poetic title and a particular theme. The first presents fairies who influence the climate, the second those of the hearth, the third those of Other Worlds, the fourth those of water, the fifth those of vegetation, and the last those of dreams and air. +NamePagesNamePagesNamePagesTempestarii16-17Genies and gods of storm, rain, snow, and wind18-19Perchta20-21The Valkyries Valkyrja22-23Frau Holle24-25Babushka26-27Befana and the Christmas Aunties2829Snegurochka292929Koliada292930-31Lorialets32-33Saint Lucy, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty34-35Bogie beasts38-39Ole Ferme-l’œil40-41La garderie des Bogies42-43Les larves44-45The dark sisters (Lamashtu, etc.)46-47Maja, Meija, 48-49Les Gianes50-51The Laumės, the daughters of Laumé52-53Guivre54-55Mélusine56-57Codrilles and country dragons58-59Teugghia, Fausserolles and other fallen fairies60-61Marten, Peïlettes and Trouilles-de-Nouille62-63Matagots64-65Fairy godmothers68-69Banshee70-71Spinners and stone maidens72-73Night spinners74-75Midnight Washerwomen76-77Ielles78-79White ladies80-83Black ladies, red ladies84-85Gray Ladies and Ladies of the Well86-87blue ladies, fairies of the mountains88-89Apsarâ90-91Fairy-men and fairy-folk92-93Morgens96-97Mermaids98-99Selkie100-101102-103Nekker104Lange Wapper105Nāga106-107Groac'h108-109Vila110-111Fenettes, Gwragedd annwn...112-113The Swan Maidens114-115Nixie, Lorelei116-117Arbres-fays120-121And others...122-123Dryads and hamadryads124-125Old ShutEye126-127Pillywiggins128-129Herbal teas130-131Florales132-133Green ladies134-135Nymphs136-137Muses138-139White stag140-141Margot the fairy144-145Enfants de désir146-147Streghes148-149Cailleac Bheur150-151Nang-faa152-153Wilis154-155Encantada156-157Enchanteresses158-159Viviane160-161Morgan le Fay162-163Maeve, Medb, Mab164-165Hadas, Xanas, etc.166-167Folletto del vento168-169
Editions La Grande Encyclopédie des fées has been reissued several times in French, and the cover illustration has changed between the first and subsequent editions. It has also been available in hardcover and softcover editions since 2008. It is translated into English by the British publisher Pavilion Books, and by Simon & Schuster in the United States. It is also available in Japanese.
Reception The book was very well received, with reviewers praising the fieldwork involved in cataloguing fairy information, the attention to detail, and the illustrations.
La Grande Encyclopédie des fées sold 80,000 to 90,000 copies in French.
See also
Pierre Dubois Fairy Encyclopedia
References
Bibliography