Nils-Arvid Bringéus, Carl Wilhelm von Sydow: A Swedish Pioneer in Folklore
In this book, Professor Emeritus Nils-Arvid Bringéus provides a detailed analysis of the founder of folklore research in Sweden, Professor Carl Wilhelm von Sydow (1878–1952). We are introduced to a fascinating personality and able to follow his persevering struggle to gain acceptance for a new academic discipline. Von Sydow took a highly active interest in international cooperation, not least within the field of folktale research. He taught at both Lund and Uppsala universities, establishing a taxonomy within the study of folklore that has been of great importance. The book concludes with a causerie written by the actor Max von Sydow about his father, and a bibliography by Jan-Öjvind Swahn—one of von Sydow’s last students.