Thomas Keightley (1789–1872) was an Irish writer best known for his works on mythology and folklore. Fairy Mythology published in 1928 gained the world popularity and was reprinted as The World Guide to Gnomes, Fairies, Elves, and Other Little People. Regarded as a pioneer in the study of Folklore by modern scholars in the field, he was one of the early collectors of folklore.

This Irish fairy-tales was collected and retold by Thomas Keightley and it goes around a farmer who loved to pray before a cross of stone. One morning while doing that he noticed a little insect that was running to and fro. It seemed like some creature from the dark side. So the farmer tried to catch it and the insect turned out to be a little black dwarf.