266 WHO WERE THE FAIRIES ? 



if this were a review of the book in question. But 

 over and above all this, Mr. Wentz's book is of 

 interest because he took the trouble to visit the 

 chief centres of fairy-lore and to interrogate those 

 from whom he believed that he might get infor- 

 mation. The unkind might remark that he got 

 what he went out ^o get and what he might have 

 expected to get -out let that pass. He returned 

 from his inquiries with a firm faith in the fairies 

 and, if we are to credit our eyesight, also with a 

 sincere desire, shared, so he states, by some at 

 least in Ireland, for " the relighting of the Fires 

 and the restoration of the old Druidic Mysteries," 

 as to which it may parenthetically be added, we 

 know very little, yet from what very little we do 

 know can scarcely imagine any persons desirous 

 of their restoration. However, without accepting 

 Mr. Wentz's easy way, we may at least, admit that 

 he has been successful in once more awakening an 

 interest in the problem stated at the head of this 

 article. 



Now, in approaching all questions of myth like 

 that of the Fairies or of the Tuatha de Danaan, 

 let us say, hastening to add that we not for a moment 

 indicate that the two cycles of tales have any 

 relationship with one another, there are two ways 

 of looking at the matter. 



We may take the view that the whole thing is 

 ab initio a myth and arose in the minds of men 

 without any substantial foundation in fact, or we 

 may take the view that there is an underlying fact 

 or an underlying man or woman obscured almost or 

 quite from recognition by the cairn of accretions 



