Thomas Crofton Croker and Merrows

Thomas Crofton Croker is well known for being the first to collect Irish folklore. His initial compilation of folktales is entitled Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland, which appeared in 1923. The book includes stories of changelings, banshees, merrows, and more. The merrow is a type of water fairy that is allegedly common in Ireland. Croker uses the traditional description of merrows in his tales, although he bypasses the negative Irish opinion of them and focuses only on good aspects. Croker also ties in a common theme of religion in his stories, playing off of the concept that merrows, because they are fairies, are not allowed to enter the church. Three prominent Croker tales are The Lady of Gollerus, The Wonderful Tune, and The Soul Cages, all of which occur in Ireland and are based on the idea of the merrow. The last of these stories is rare because it discusses the less common male merrow.
Female merrows are said to be beautiful and very wealthy, whe...