Hilda Ellis Davidson
Hilda Ellis Davidson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 October 1914 |
| Died | 12 January 2006 (aged 91) |
| Spouse |
Richard Robertson Davidson
(after 1943) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Katharine Briggs Folklore Award (1988) |
| Academic background | |
| Education | Newnham College, Cambridge (MA, PhD) |
| Thesis | Eschatology and Manticism in Old Norse Literature (1940) |
| Academic advisors | |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Folklore studies |
| Institutions | |
| Notable students | Jacqueline Simpson |
| Main interests | |
| Notable works |
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Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson FSA (born Hilda Roderick Ellis; 1 October 1914 – 12 January 2006) was an English folklorist. She was a scholar at the University of Cambridge and The Folklore Society, and specialized in the study of Celtic and Germanic religion and folklore.
A graduate of Newnham College, Cambridge, Davidson was a Fellow at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge, throughout much of her career. She specialized in the interdisciplinary study of Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse religion and folklore, on which she was the author of numerous influential works. Davidson was a prominent member of The Folklore Society, and played an active role in the growth of folklore studies as a scientific discipline. Throughout her career, Davidson tutored a significant number of aspiring scholars in her fields of study, and was particularly interested in encouraging gifted women to pursue scholarly careers.