Andrew Lang

1844 – 1912

Andrew Lang was a Scottish polymath, poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology, but is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales.

Born in Selkirk, Scotland, he was educated at St Andrews, Glasgow, and Oxford. A prolific writer, his extensive work spans anthropology, classical translation, history, and psychical research. He published several scholarly works about Scottish history; the Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.

His interest in folklore was developed early in life and deeply influenced his writings, to the point he is chiefly known for his publications on folklore, mythology, and religion.

Lang’s crowning literary achievement is his collection of 25 folklore and fairy-tale anthologies, and he is best remembered for his 12-volume Coloured Fairy Books.

The series began with The Blue Fairy Book (1889) and concluded with The Lilac Fairy Book (1910). The fairy books became international classics and profoundly influenced later fantasy writers, including J. R. R. Tolkien.