Victorian encyclopedism, folklore, and mythology

E. Cobham Brewer

1810 – 1897

Ebenezer Cobham Brewer was a British clergyman and lexicographer whose Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (first published 1870) became an indispensable Victorian reference work, cataloguing thousands of mythological figures, legendary tales, folk beliefs, proverbs, and occult terms from across world cultures and literature. His wide-ranging compilation systematized a vast wealth of European folklore and esoteric lore in a single accessible volume, making it a foundational quick-reference for researchers of mythology, legend, and popular belief. The dictionary went through numerous editions and continues to be revised, attesting to its enduring usefulness as a gateway to symbolic and mythological vocabulary.