From: Raymond E. Feist
Date: 25 May 1998
All the references to Irish and German stuff are from sources, though some, like The Fool, were pretty obscure. Wayland Smith, the White Horse, the Wild Hunt, etc. are all drawn from Irish mists, as the Wisenfrau were from German.
The rest was my storytelling.
Best, R.E.F.
From: Raymond E. Feist
Date: 12 August 2005
A lot of Faerie Tale is bits and pieces of Celtic, Scottish, and Irish folklore mixed and matched. For instance, there was only one reference in a pile of stuff to The Fool, but I liked it so I turned it into a major plot point. So those two questions of yours are not mutual exclusive. Anyway, the thing about Irish folklore is that a lot of it was written down by bored Victorian English housewives who decided to set down the stories told them by their Irish nannies, and as a result there's a huge amount of variation. Remember, in Ireland for a long time it was forbidden to speak or write Gaelic. Much of the ancient lore was forgotten or changed along the way.
The good news is it gives you a huge resource that you can pick over and take what you need.
Best, R.E.F.
edited
FAQ answers attributed to Raymond E. Feist are copyright by Raymond E. Feist.
It should also be born in mind that the answer given was only applicable on the date written, and to a specific question. You may find further, similar questions, in the FAQ.
