Andrew Lang Lecture

Lore & Background

The Andrew Lang Lecture series began in December 1927 with a lecture titled 'Andrew Lang' by George Gordon. Subsequent lectures covered topics such as Homer, religion, history, and literature, reflecting Lang's own diverse interests. Notable lecturers included John Buchan (Lord Tweedsmuir) in 1932 and J. R. R. Tolkien in 1939. The series continued through the 20th and into the 21st century, with lectures on folklore, Scottish history, and fairy tales.

Reader's Guide

The Andrew Lang Lecture series is significant as a long-running academic tradition at the University of St. Andrews, honoring a distinguished graduate. The lectures have featured prominent scholars and writers, covering a wide range of subjects from classical studies to folklore. The series has evolved over time, including the first woman lecturer in 2012 and the first online lecture in 2021. It serves as a platform for scholarly discourse on topics connected to Lang's own work, such as Homeric studies, Scottish history, and fairy tales.

Did You Know?

• The first lecture was given in December 1927 by George Gordon.
• J. R. R. Tolkien delivered the lecture 'On Fairy-Stories' on 8 March 1939.
• Jane Yolen was the first woman to give the Andrew Lang lecture, on 1 November 2012.
• The first online lecture was given by Andrew Teverson on 16 February 2021.

Origins and the Early Lang-Centric Focus

The Andrew Lang Lecture series is anchored at the University of St. Andrews, the very institution where Andrew Lang completed his studies. Naming the lectures after Lang reflects the university's wish to honour one of its own graduates. The earliest recorded talk dates to December 1927, when George Gordon delivered an address simply titled "Andrew Lang." The first several years were almost entirely devoted to re-examining Lang's own body of work: his scholarship on Homer, his historical writings, his poetry, and his engagement with Scottish and French history. Speakers between 1928 and 1934 included Alexander Shewan, R. R. Marett, Robert S. Rait, Louis Cazamian, John Buchan (later Lord Tweedsmuir), H. J. C. Grierson, and John Duncan, each approaching Lang from a different disciplinary angle. This early concentration established the series as a forum for re-evaluating a single, multifaceted Scottish intellectual across literature, history, and folklore.

Thematic Breadth Across the Decades

Over the decades, the lecture topics expanded well beyond a single scholar's bibliography. While early talks circled Lang's contributions to Homeric studies, Scottish Presbyterianism, the casket letter controversy, and journalism, later speakers broadened the scope considerably. James Fergusson addressed Shakespeare's Scotland in 1956, Maurice Bowra explored Homer and his forerunners in 1955, and R. G. Cant examined the writing of Scottish history in Lang's era in 1978. Rodney Needham brought physiological symbols into the conversation in 1980, Gordon Wilson tackled the Scottish paradox in 1988, and Peter Stallybrass connected Hamlet to the Tables of Memory in 2004. The series thus functioned less as a narrow commemoration and more as a rotating stage for literary, historical, anthropological, and philosophical inquiry, with Lang serving as a connective thread rather than a rigid constraint on what could be discussed.

Landmark Appearances and Institutional Firsts

Several lectures stand out as milestones in the series' history. J. R. R. Tolkien's 1939 address, "On Fairy-Stories," delivered on 8 March, remains one of the most notable entries in the series' catalogue. In November 2012, Jane Yolen became the first woman to deliver the Andrew Lang Lecture, choosing a playful and provocative title: "Folklore versus Fakelore: An Imagined Conversation with Andrew Lang." The 31 October 2017 lecture marked the 90th anniversary of the series, with Lizanne Henderson presenting on Lang's folkloristic legacy in connection with "The Forest." Then, on 16 February 2021, Andrew Teverson's talk on Lang's fairy tales became the first Andrew Lang Lecture delivered online, marking a significant new format for the long-running academic tradition at St. Andrews.

Irregular Rhythm and the Gaps in the Record

The lecture list reveals that the Andrew Lang Lecture was never a strictly annual event. Conspicuous absences punctuate the timeline: no recorded lectures for 1935, 1936, or 1938; a long gap from 1940 through 1946; another silence from 1952 to 1954; and a particularly lengthy pause between 1957 and 1978. The 1980 lecture by Rodney Needham is listed without a specific date, suggesting records from that era were less precise. After 1988, the next entry jumps to 2004, followed by 2012, 2017, and 2021. This irregular cadence implies the series was tied to institutional priorities, faculty availability, or commemorative occasions rather than a fixed academic calendar. The University of St. Andrews Library catalogue serves as the archival reference preserving this scattered but meaningful thread.

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