Author Andrew Lang Custom And Myth Rumpelstiltskin Psychical Research Writer

Andrew Lang is a multifarious personality. He has written some excellent poems and novels that are widely appreciated. He also works as a literary critic and makes regular contributions to anthropology. At St Andrews University, there is The Andrew Lang lecture which is named after him.


Born on 31st March, 1844 in Selkirk, Andrew Lang studied at Selkirk grammar school, before completing his education at Balliol College, Oxford. He received first class in his final classical classes. He was a prolific writer. He worked as a journalist and wrote poems. Soon his reputation started to grow around for being the most capable and resourceful writer of the time. In the meantime, he became the honorary fellow in 1868 in Merton College.

Andrew Lang has written many Folklore and anthropology. His first publication was Custom and Myth, brought out in 1884. Myth, Ritual and Religion explodes the irrationality of mythology that he considers are remnants of earlier forms. But he is well-known for "Rumpelstiltskin," from the fairly tales of Lang. Blue Fairy Book brought out by him in 1889 is a well-illustrated edition of fairy tales. The book is now considered to be a classic. He also wrote many fairy tales that are together known as Fairy Books of Andrew Lang.

Andrew Lang along with others founded "Psychical Research," study, where researches were made on the psychical power of human being. He has written good number of books that include The Book of Dreams and Ghosts, The Book of Dreams and Ghosts and Magic and Religion. He held the chair of President at the Society for Psychical Research.

In 1879, Andrew Lang and S.H. Butcher worked together for translating Odyssey by Homer in prose version. With E. Myers, Walter Leaf he brought out the prose version of Iliad in 1883. Both the works are still well-known for the beautiful style of presentations. He also wrote Homer and the Epic; The Homeric Hymns translated in prose, many works on literature as well as essays on mythology. In these literary works, he makes the analogies between Greek and other mythologies.

Andrew Lang has written extensively on the history of Scotland. The works are written in detail with an engaging style of writing. He straightens out all the complex issues with apt simplicity. Andrew Lang died in Banchory in 20th July in 1912. His body was buried at St Andrews. He left behind his wife. Andrew Lang