Fians, Fairies and Picts

"Fians, Fairies and Picts" by David MacRitchie is a study that questions the divide between myth and reality by looking at the stories of the Fians, Fairies, and Picts and arguing that they might all be connected to the same historical group of people. The book uses folklore, old stories, archaeological finds, and historical writings to show how the magical world of fairies could be linked to the real lives of ancient people in Scotland. It starts by looking at what other thinkers, like J.F. Campbell, have said about how folklore can hold historical truths. MacRitchie suggests the Picts might have been a small people who lived underground, which is why they're often thought of as fairies. MacRitchie introduces the reader to the idea of how beliefs change over time. He wants to show how these old stories can help us understand the lives of the very first people who lived in the British Isles.