    andrew lang (31 march 1844 â 20 july 1912) was a scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. he is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. the andrew lang lectures at the university of st andrews are named after him. == biography == lang was born in selkirk. he was the eldest of the eight children born to john lang, the town clerk of selkirk, and his wife jane plenderleath sellar, who was the daughter of patrick sellar, factor to the first duke of sutherland. on 17 april 1875 he married leonora blanche alleyne, youngest daughter of c. t. alleyne of clifton and barbados. she was (or should have been) variously credited as author, collaborator, and/or translator of lang's color/rainbow fairy books he edited. he was educated at selkirk grammar school, loretto, and at the edinburgh academy, st andrews university and at balliol college, oxford, where he took a first class in the final classical schools in 1868, becoming a fellow and subsequently honorary fellow of merton college. as a journalist, poet, critic and historian, he soon made a reputation as one of the most able and versatile writers of the day. in 1906 he was elected fba. he died of angina pectoris at the tor-na-coille hotel in banchory, banchory, survived by his wife. he was buried in the cathedral precincts at st andrews. == scholarship == === folklore and anthropology ===  lang is now chiefly known for his publications on folklore, mythology, and religion. the interest in folklore was from 
1844_births 1912_deaths 19th-century_Scottish_writers 20th-century_Scottish_writers Alumni_of_Balliol_College,_Oxford Alumni_of_the_University_of_St_Andrews Collectors_of_fairy_tales Fellows_of_Merton_College,_Oxford People_educated_at_Edinburgh_Academy People_educated_at_Loretto_School,_Musselburgh People_educated_at_Selkirk_High_School People_from_Edinburgh Psychical_researchers Scottish_children\'s_writers Scottish_folklore Scottish_folklorists Scottish_historians Scottish_journalists Scottish_novelists Scottish_poets Scottish_scholars_and_academics Victorian_novelists Victorian_poets