James MacRitchie

David MacRitchie (1851–1925) was a Scottish antiquarian and folklorist who developed a prominent theory about the origins of fairy folklore. He proposed that stories of fairies were not supernatural beings but rather folk memories of a historical, short-statured aboriginal race that inhabited the British Isles before the arrival of Celtic and other peoples. MacRitchie's work, particularly "The Testimony of Tradition" and "Fians, Fairies and Picts," popularized this euhemeristic perspective, often termed the "ethnological or pygmy theory."

His research connected these supposed ancient inhabitants to various groups, including the Picts, Lapps, Eskimos, and Ainu, based on interpretations of ancient texts and comparative mythology. While his theories gained traction among some anthropologists and folklorists of his time, they also faced significant criticism, particularly regarding the lack of archaeological evidence and the racialist underpinnings prevalent in his era. MacRitchie's ideas, though influential in certain circles, were largely rejected by mainstream historians and later scientific consensus.

David MacRitchie dedicated much of his career to the study of folklore and antiquities. He founded the Gypsy Lore Society in 1888 and was involved with various other scholarly organizations, including the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, where he served as vice-president. MacRitchie's most significant contribution to folklore studies was his advocacy for the euhemeristic origin of fairies. This theory posits that fairy tales are distorted memories of a real, historical group of people. MacRitchie specifically argued that fairies in British folklore represented a "small-statured pre-Celtic race" that once lived in the British Isles. This perspective, which he termed the "ethnological or pygmy theory," sought a rational, historical explanation for widespread fairy traditions.

While MacRitchie is widely associated with the euhemerist theory of fairies, the concept itself has earlier roots. Scholars like John Francis Campbell and Walter Scott had previously explored similar ideas. However, MacRitchie significantly advanced and popularized the theory through his extensive writings. He drew connections between the supposed aboriginal race and various ancient peoples, including the Picts, whom he linked to descriptions of short stature in historical accounts. His research also involved comparative mythology, linking British fairies to figures like the Finfolk, Trows, Fianna, and Norse Trolls, suggesting a common ancestral memory across different European traditions.

MacRitchie's theories were deeply influenced by the racialist ideas prevalent in the late 19th century. He attempted to identify the aboriginal race with groups such as "Pygmies," "Eskimos," "Lapps," and the Ainu of East Asia, attributing specific physical and cultural traits to them. This racialist approach, treating distinct ethnic groups as separate biological races with inherent characteristics, is now considered obsolete and problematic. His assertion that the Picts were a short-statured race was particularly contentious and widely rejected by historians who pointed to a lack of archaeological evidence. Critics, such as Walter Evans-Wentz, also challenged his interpretations of mythological figures like the Fianna, who were sometimes described as giants, not dwarfs. MacRitchie attempted to reconcile these discrepancies by suggesting figurative language in myths, but his explanations were not broadly accepted.

“one seems to see the type of a race that was even more like the Ainu than the Lapp, or the Eskimo, although closely connected in various ways with all of these”

“In regarding the Fians as a race of dwarfs, I do not overlook the fact that they are also spoken of as "giants." But to assume them to have been of gigantic stature is both totally at variance with the bulk of the evidence regarding them, and at variance with the fact that the word "giant" has very frequently been used to denote a savage, or a cave−dweller.”