A Dictionary of English Folklore

A Dictionary of English Folklore brings together more than 1,250 alphabetically arranged entries on England’s traditional beliefs, customs, stories and seasonal observances. Compiled by Jacqueline Simpson with Stephen Roud, it covers subjects ranging from fairies, changelings and hobgoblins to witchcraft, the vanishing hitchhiker and the Tooth Fairy.

The scope extends beyond supernatural traditions. Entries examine May Day, Morris dancing, cheese rolling and rushbearing, alongside superstitions about wishbones and crossing fingers, folk cures for nosebleeds and warts, and beliefs attached to animals, flowers, colours, numbers and household objects. Calendar customs, oral performances, legendary figures and contemporary urban legends sit together in a reference work that shows how folklore can shape both public celebrations and everyday habits.