Welcome to the library they don’t want you to find.
You step into a room carved from story—wood-paneled walls whispering secrets, shelves groaning under the weight of half-forgotten legends, sunlight pooling in dusty corners.
The air is thick with magic and memory.
Books are everywhere. Stacked neatly on shelves, piled into towers on the floor, perching precariously on desks.
You reach for a soft blue book. Silver-gilt letters shimmer across the cover:
Fairylore.
You open the pages—and something opens in you.
The shelves are waiting, and we've been expecting you...
Introducing The Carterhaugh Fairylore Library — a living, growing archive of everything you wish you’d learned about fairies, from people who actually know what the hell they’re talking about.
This isn’t a vibes-only aesthetic.
It’s a curated, scholarly, delightfully irreverent collection of stories, lectures, resources, and lore from all over the world — designed for the deeply curious and the enchantment-hungry.
You’ll find:
- The terrifying truth about Irish fairies (yes, we start with the scary ones)
- The perils of goblin fruit and Victorian poetry
- A breakdown of why Dorian Gray is actually (secretly) about fairies
- Fairy ballads, grimoire pages, and your very own customizable library card
And hours of lectures you’ll actually want to take notes on.
This is the kind of deep nerdy joy that makes your inner lit major cry sparkly tears.
And the best part?
The library is alive. It’s only going to grow—more videos, more insights, more doors into the realm. And if you join now, you get lifetime access to everything we add!
We’ve been asked to teach a fairylore course for years — and we never said yes.
Not because we didn’t want to. But because trying to cram centuries of global folklore into a single course? We’d rather get trapped in a fairy ring forever.
Fairylore isn’t linear. It’s labyrinthine.
It’s not something you learn in perfect chronological order. It’s folklore you wander through.
That’s why we built a library instead of a course.
A place to:
- Browse
- Discover
- Obsess
- Revisit
- And go way too deep into what fairies would wear to a ball on a random Wednesday night
This is how the fae would want it—no straight lines. Just invitation, exploration, and delight.
What's In The Library Right Now?
The moment you enter the library, you'll find all kinds of enchantments waiting for you, including -
- Your Carterhaugh Fairylore Library Card (which you can print and write your name on - but careful who you show it to!)
- Fairylore 101 - a video lecture about how folklore and fairylore became a thing in the UK, the Cottingley fairies, changeling lore, and more
- Fairy Legend in Oscar Wilde's Gothic Novel The Picture of Dorian Gray - research pulled right from Brittany’s dissertation
- 'Spooky Action at a Distance': Fairylore's Intrusion on Vampiric Tradition in Only Lovers Left Alive - our pet theory on what fairylore is doing in our favorite vampire film (presented for the first time at the American Folklore Society)
-
SO MUCH MORE - you can read the full list if you keep scrolling
What's New This Round?
"Whispers and Warnings: The Secret Journey to Faerie They Don't Want You To Know About"
A video lecture all about the MANY different ways people have understood what fairyland is, how to get there, and how to survive once you do (including a list of folklorist-approved tips!)
This lecture will be recorded LIVE and available to everyone who registers at this link for free until July 31st at midnight. After that, it will only be accessible as part of The Fairylore Library!
"Japanese Fairylore 101"
Did you know that Japan is positively bursting with yokai - supernatural beings that haunt riverbeds, lurk unseen in city streets, and might even (temporarily) take on a human shape to woo you? Come explore some of our favorite Japanese folklore, from stories of the beautiful kitsune (fox maidens) to the utterly mysterious kamikiri (who love to cut off long, luxurious hair when you're not looking!) to the kappa that inspire your sushi and Mario Kart to this day.
This video lecture will be recorded LIVE with the Fairylore Library community on August 13th at 7PM ET!
"Gossamer Threads & Blood-Soaked Bonnets: A Journey Through Fairy Fashion"
Step into the uncanny realm of fairy fashion, from the delicate gossamer dresses of Seelie court ladies to the blood-soaked bonnets of the infamous Redcaps. Whether you're a folklore enthusiast, fashion historian, or just here for the killer shoes, this lecture is for you.
This video lecture will be recorded LIVE with the Fairylore Library community on August 27th at 7PM ET!
Want the full list?
Check out all the contents (so far!) below!
Full Library Contents
- Fairylore 101 Lecture [1:07:06] (67:06)
- The Terrors of Irish Fairylore Lecture [53:17] (53:16)
- The British Ballad of Tam Lin Lecture [14:43] (14:43)
- Rossetti's Poem "Goblin Market" Lecture [13:19] (13:18)
- Fairies in Shakespeare Lecture [2:11:21] (131:21)
- Fairy Legend in Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray Lecture [11:37] (11:36)
- Fairylore's Intrusion on Vampiric Tradition in OLLA Lecture [7:17] (7:17)
- Whispers and Warnings: The Secret Trip Into Faerie They Don’t Want You To Know About Lecture [1:36:17] (96:17)
- Japanese Fairylore 101 - LIVE on 8/13 at 7PM ET!
- Gossamer Threads & Blood-Soaked Bonnets: A Journey Through Fairy Fashion - LIVE on 8/27 at 7PM ET!
Wait... Who Are You Guys Anyway?
Hi! We're Dr. Sara Cleto and Dr. Brittany Warman. We're award-winning folklorists, teachers, writers, and BFFs with a combined 26 years in higher education and over 150 publications (yes, really!) Together, we founded The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic, where we teach creative souls how to re-enchant their lives through folklore and fairy tales.
We've delivered sold-out lectures at venues like the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, the Profs & Pints series, the Maryland Renaissance Festival, the Contemporary American Theater Festival, and FaerieCon and - in 2019 - Carterhaugh won the Dorothy Howard Award for Folklore and Education from the American Folklore Society!
Oh... and our first book, Fairylore, is forthcoming from Hachette in 2026!!
And a Few Testimonials...
You'll Love This If...
- You’ve always dreamed of a folklore degree but with more glitter and fewer deadlines
- You permanently dog-eared your copy of The Last Unicorn
- You want real knowledge and to cackle about the proto-Goth fashion of Irish death fae
- You’re a writer, artist, or nerd with an altar to Holly Black or Oscar Wilde
- You crave scholarship with sparkles—and substance
This Isn't For You If...
- You’re looking for spiritual instruction (you won't find that here)
- You want yes-or-no answers on fairy belief
- You can't abide a little humor with your haunting
If you’ve read this far, something about the library is calling you. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]
As W.B. Yeats once wrote, we hope you “come away” with us…
