The Fairy Mythology is a great collection of folk tales about fairies from all over the world. The book looks at fairy traditions from various countries and nations; Scandinavia, the British Isles, Germany, with folklore tales and the histories behind myths and legends of such mythical creatures as the Kobolds or Korrigans. The author took a thorough approach to the study of myth and folklore, and explored the parallels between the myth of a nation to the religions and mythology of other regions.

Thomas Keightley was an Irish writer known for his works on mythology and folklore, particularly Fairy Mythology. Keightley was as an important pioneer in the study of Folklore by modern scholars in the field. He was a "comparativist" folklore collector, drawing parallels between tales and traditions across cultures. A circumspect scholar, he did not automatically assume similar tales indicated transmission, allowing for that similar tales to arise independently.