Gaidoz, Henri, 1842-1932

Henri Gaidoz was born in Paris in 1842 and died there in 1932. He was a folklorist, philologist, and scholar of Celtic studies, and also an expert in archaeology, religion, and mythology. He founded the journals Melusine and Revue Celtique. When Celtic Studies was inaugurated in the Sorbonne, he was named as the first director. Among folklorists, his best-known work is Blason populaire de la France (1884), which he co-wrote with the other leading French folklorist of the day, Paul Sebillot. However, Gaidoz published few books; instead he specialized in erudite essays which, as was customary at that time, were sometimes published as separate brochures and also in numerous journals. He was an opponent of the contemporary solar mythology theory, for instance; he took on the eminent German solar mythologist Max Muller by translating into French an article proving that Muller was himself a solar myth (“Comme quoi M. Max Muller n’a jamais existe; etude de mythologie compare,” 1884). A staunch opponent of romantic and amateur folklore collection and study, he was a leader of efforts establish folklore study on a more scholarly footing.

From the guide to the Henri Gaidoz Collection, 1580-1968, (bulk mid-19th to early- 20th centuries), (Folklore Collection, IU Bloomington http://www.libraries.iub.edu/folklore)