February 1, 2026
Once upon a map…
Anciente map of Fairyland. Places from nursery rhymes, fairy tales etc.
1917 Fairyland map is back: lore nerds debate Elfland while everyone giggles at “Water Babies”
TLDR: A 1917 Fairyland map by Bernard Sleigh is now viewable online, sparking nostalgia and nitpicks. Commenters debated its lack of Dunsany’s Elfland, joked about labels like “The Water Babies,” shared better zoom links, and asked where to buy prints—turning a whimsical artifact into a lively fandom moment.
A century-old treasure just resurfaced: Bernard Sleigh’s 1917 map of Fairyland, a sweeping collage of nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and legends now browsable via the Boston Public Library’s permalink. The crowd swarmed so fast one wag warned of a “YNews hug of death,” translation: brace for site meltdown.
The hottest take? Fantasy purists clutch pearls over timing: “It missed Lord Dunsany’s Elfland!” cried lore nerds, linking to Dunsany’s novel The King of Elfland’s Daughter, then spinning numerology about seven years of fate and magic. Meanwhile art history fans swooned, comparing it to the sea-monster-packed Carta marina, with one commenter admitting they snorted at the corner labeled “The Water Babies.”
The practical crowd kicked off a mini shopping frenzy: “Where can I buy a high-quality print?” Cue a hero dropping a better zoomable view via Public Domain Review. Between nostalgia, meme-y giggles, and collector energy, the thread split into camps: accuracy vs. vibes. Context flexers noted it was originally nursery decor and later turned into fabric by Rosebank Fabrics, which absolutely tracks with how delightfully maximalist this map is. Verdict: Fairyland is real—at least in our collective imagination—and the comments are having a fairy-tale brawl over it.
Key Points
- •The 1917 map “An anciente mappe of Fairyland,” designed by Bernard Sleigh, depicts places from nursery rhymes, fairy tales, Arthurian legends, and global folktales.
- •Published in London by Sidgwick & Jackson, the map was intended to decorate nurseries and includes a 16-page guide.
- •Sleigh originally sketched the map for his children; after his 1937 retirement, Rosebank Fabrics adapted it into decorative fabric and commissioned further designs.
- •The item is held at the Boston Public Library’s Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center and was exhibited in 2015 and 2016–2017.
- •The map is a color view (39 x 147 cm) on a larger sheet (46 x 152 cm), not drawn to scale, in English, with no known copyright restrictions.