Andrew Lang

Andrew Lang

Andrew Lang
1844 -1912

Andrew Lang Biography

Andrew Lang (31 March 1844 – 20 July 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and anthropologist, best known for his collections of folk and fairy tales. Born in Selkirk, Scotland, he was the eldest of eight children. Lang was educated at Selkirk Grammar School, Edinburgh Academy, the University of St Andrews, and Balliol College, Oxford, where he achieved a first-class degree in classics in 1868.

In 1875, Lang married Leonora Blanche Alleyne, who played a significant role in his fairy tale collections, often translating and transcribing stories. Lang's "Fairy Books," beginning with The Blue Fairy Book in 1889, became renowned for bringing a wide range of fairy tales to English-speaking audiences, each volume distinguished by a different color.

Beyond his fairy tale collections, Lang was a prolific writer and critic, contributing to anthropology, history, and classical scholarship. He translated works such as Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, and wrote extensively on Scottish history and folklore. Lang passed away on 20 July 1912 in Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, leaving behind a rich legacy in literature and folklore studies.

Trivia About Andrew Lang

  • Lang's "Fairy Books" series includes twelve collections, each named after a different color, such as The Red Fairy Book and The Green Fairy Book.
  • He was a founding member of the Society for Psychical Research, reflecting his interest in the paranormal.
  • The University of St Andrews honors him with the "Andrew Lang Lecture" series, attracting notable speakers in the field of literature.
  • Lang was an advocate for the study of folklore as an academic discipline, contributing significantly to its development.

Famous Quotes by Andrew Lang

  • "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination."
  • "You can cover a great deal of country in books."
  • "Life is a comedy for those who think... and a tragedy for those who feel."

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who was Andrew Lang?

Andrew Lang was a Scottish writer, poet, and literary critic, renowned for his collections of folk and fairy tales, as well as his contributions to anthropology and history.

What are Andrew Lang's "Fairy Books"?

Lang's "Fairy Books" are a series of twelve collections of fairy tales, each named after a different color, which played a significant role in popularizing such tales in the English-speaking world.

What was Leonora Blanche Alleyne's role in Lang's work?

Leonora Blanche Alleyne, Lang's wife, was instrumental in translating and transcribing many of the stories included in his fairy tale collections, though she was often uncredited.

Related Literary Movements

Andrew Lang was associated with the late Victorian interest in folklore and fairy tales, contributing to the academic study of these genres. His work also intersects with the Romantic revival of interest in traditional stories and the preservation of cultural heritage.

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Andrew Lang books

TitlePublished
The Violet Fairy Book1901
Adventures Among Books1905
Alfred Tennyson1901
Angling Sketches
The World of Homer1910
Aucassin and Nicolete1887
The Arabian Nights Entertainments1898
Ballades and Verses Vain1884
Ballads in Blue China, and Verses and Translations1880
Ballads and Lyrics of Old France, with Other Poems1872
Ban and Arriere Ban1894
The Blue Fairy Book1889
The Book of Dreams and Ghosts1897
Books and Bookmen1886
A Collection of Ballads1897
Custom and Myth1884
Essays in Little1891
The Disentanglers1902
Grass of Parnassus1888
The Green Fairy Book1892
He1887
The Grey Fairy Book1900
Helen of Troy1882
Historical Mysteries1904
How to Fail in Literature1890
The Homeric Hymns1899
The Library1892
Homer and His Age1906
Introduction to the Compleat Angler
The Mark Of Cain1886
In the Wrong Paradise1886
Letters on Literature1889
Letters to Dead Authors1886
John Knox and the Reformation1905
James VI and the Gowrie Mystery
Lost Leaders1889
The Making of Religion1898
Method in the Study of Totemism1911
Much Darker Days1884
A Monk of Fife1895
Modern Mythology1897
Myth Ritual and Religion Volume 11887
Myth Ritual and Religion Volume 21887
New Collected Rhymes1905
Old Friends1890
The Mystery of Mary Stuart1901
Pickle the Spy1897
The Pink Fairy Book1897
The Puzzle of Dickens's Last Plot1905
Prince Ricardo of Pantouflia1893
Prince Prigio1889
The Red Fairy Book1890
Rhymes a la Mode1884
The Secret of the Totem1905
Shakespeare, Bacon and the Great Unknown1912
Sir Walter Scott and the Border Minstrelsy1910
The Story of Joan of Arc1906
Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table1918
Social Origins1903
The Valet's Tragedy and Other Studies1903
Tales of Troy and Greece1907
The Clyde Mystery1905
Cock Lane and Common-Sense1894
The Crimson Fairy Book1903
Magic and Religion1901
Oxford1922
A Short History of Scotland
Angling Sketches1895
James VI and the Gowrie Mystery1902

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