The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies is Robert Kirk's own 1691 text, the earliest sustained written account of Scottish Highland second sight and belief in a hidden fairy commonwealth, compiled by a Presbyterian minister who collected local testimony from his own parish. As the earliest primary source it is the correct ground for what was actually believed and reported in the late seventeenth century Highlands, in terms close to the original informants' own. Its limit is that it is one minister's compilation of local testimony, filtered through his own scholarly and theological interests, not a systematic ethnographic survey, so a claim about the belief's wider distribution or later development needs a source beyond this single text.
Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier2
Robert Kirk's own 1691 primary text, the earliest sustained written account of its subject, compiled by one minister from his own parish testimony rather than a systematic survey, with no modern publisher of record, hence the middle tier. NotesEarliest sustained written account of Scottish Highland second sight, by a minister who collected local testimony.
Citation
AuthorRobert Kirk
Publication Year1691
Source Typeprimary-text
Claims Backed By This Source (23 claims)
This source backs 23 claims across the atlas. As facts: 16 well-attested, 1 open question. As cited relationships: 4 connected. Plus 2 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Open Questions, 12 claims: 7 well-attested, 4 connected, 1 general references.
- Sources, 6 claims: 6 well-attested.
- Psi Phenomena, 3 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 open question, 1 general references.
- Articles, 2 claims: 2 well-attested.
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