Peter and the Piskies: Cornish Folk and Fairy Tales
Encyclopedia
Peter and the Piskies: Cornish Folk and Fairy Tales is a 1966 anthology of 34 fairy tales from Cornwall
that have been collected and retold by Ruth Manning-Sanders
. It was the first in a long series of such anthologies by Manning-Sanders.
In an author's note, Manning-Sanders says of the passing down of the tales: "A widow woman lived in a cottage by the sea. ... It was the piskies who told the old widow woman the stories in this book, and she told them to me, and now I am telling them to you."
Of the tales themselves, the book's dust jacket
says: "The folk-tales of Cornwall are peopled with giants and saints and wicked demons; with the thieving, spiteful spriggans, the mischievous piskies who are always laughing, and the little bearded knockers who work industriously in the mines, and who, they say, are growing smaller with every year they live so that there will come a day when they are no size at all."
This book was first published in the United Kingdom
in 1958, by Oxford University Press
. It was not published in the United States
until eight years later, by Roy Publishers. The information for this entry is taken from the U.S. version.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
that have been collected and retold by Ruth Manning-Sanders
Ruth Manning-Sanders
Ruth Manning-Sanders was a prolific British poet and author who was perhaps best known for her series of children's books in which she collected and retold fairy tales from all over the world. All told, she published more than 90 books during her lifetime. The dust jacket for A Book of Giants...
. It was the first in a long series of such anthologies by Manning-Sanders.
In an author's note, Manning-Sanders says of the passing down of the tales: "A widow woman lived in a cottage by the sea. ... It was the piskies who told the old widow woman the stories in this book, and she told them to me, and now I am telling them to you."
Of the tales themselves, the book's dust jacket
Dust jacket
The dust jacket of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book covers...
says: "The folk-tales of Cornwall are peopled with giants and saints and wicked demons; with the thieving, spiteful spriggans, the mischievous piskies who are always laughing, and the little bearded knockers who work industriously in the mines, and who, they say, are growing smaller with every year they live so that there will come a day when they are no size at all."
This book was first published in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1958, by Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
. It was not published in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
until eight years later, by Roy Publishers. The information for this entry is taken from the U.S. version.
Table of contents
- 1. Peter and the Piskies
- 2. Skillywidden
- 3. Lutey and the Mermaid
- 4. Betty Stogs' Baby
- 5. The Cock-Crow Stone
- 6. Lyonesse
- 7. The Boy and the Bull
- 8. Saint Margery Daw
- 9. From the Head Downward
- 10. Tregeagle
- 11. The Piskie Thresher
- 12. Saint Neot
- 13. The Knockers of Ballowal
- 14. The Witch of Fraddam
- 15. The Giant of the Mount
- 16. The Spriggans' Treasure
- 17. Cherry
- 18. Bucca Dhu and Bucca Gwidden
- 19. Fairies on the Gump
- 20. Tom and Giant Blunderbus
- 21. The Crowza Stones
- 22. The Giant Holiburn
- 23. Parson Wood and the Devil (1. The Demon Wrestler, 2. The Feathered Fiend)
- 24. Madgy Figgey and the Sow
- 25. The Tinner, the Dog, the Jew, and the Cake
- 26. The Small People's Cow
- 27. The Wish-hound
- 28. The Demon Mason
- 29. The Mermaid in Church
- 30. Mr Noy
- 31. Barker's Knee
- 32. Peepan Pee
- 33. Duffy and the Devil
- 34. The Two Sillies
See also
- Pixie (folklore)
- PiskyPiskyPisky is a village in Ukraine.The name in Ukrainian can be interpreted literally as "the Sands". The village is famous for being the location where one of the most influential Ukrainian poets of the 1920s, Pavlo Tychyna, was born.-External links:...
- Knocker (folklore)