The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales

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Topelius, Zacharias

Topelius, Zacharias (1818–98),
Finno‐Swedish writer, the creator of Swedish and Finno‐Swedish children's literature and especially fairy tale. He was professor of history and later Chancellor of Helsinki University. He also wrote poetry, drama, and historical novels. His Läsning för barn (Reading Matter for Children, 8 vols., 1865–96) contains a variety of magical tales, moral tales, animal tales, and retellings of traditional tales. Everyday settings and events are intertwined in them with romantic and fantastic motifs to suit the educational purposes of the time. His best‐known fairy tales, such as ‘Sampo Lappelill’ (‘Sampo the Little Lapp Boy’), ‘Knut spelevink’ (‘Knut the Musician’), or ‘Kyrktuppen’ (‘The Church Weathercock’), are clearly influenced by Hans Christian Andersen.

Maria Nikolajeva

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