A Dictionary of British Folk-Tales in the English Language

A Dictionary of British Folk-Tales in the English Language gathers traditional narratives from across Great Britain, presenting them as a substantial reference work rather than a single themed anthology. Katharine Briggs incorporates the F. J. Norton Collection and arranges the material across folk narratives and jocular tales, preserving stories that range from wonder tales and legends to humorous traditional anecdotes.

The set is supported by indexes of tale types, migratory legends and story titles, making it useful for tracing recurring plots and related versions. Bibliographies accompany the entries, while the broad British scope places local storytelling within a wider tradition of oral narrative, including the kinds of tales that later shaped popular ideas about folklore, fairies and ghosts.