Alfred Nutt
Encyclopedia
Alfred Trübner Nutt was a British
publisher, now best known for his writing as folklorist and Celticist.
, a London
publisher. His mother was the grand-daughter of another well-known publisher, William Miller. He was educated at University College London School and College de Vitry-le-Francais, in Maine, France. He spend three years serving a business apprenticeship in Leipzig, Berlin and Paris before taking over his late father's business in 1878. Nutt founded The Folk-Lore Journal (now Folklore). He was elected president of the Folklore Society
in 1897.
He was a friend and supporter of Jessie Weston
, sharing her interest in Celt
ic origins of the Grail legend, and publishing some of her books. He was also associated with Whitley Stokes, Eleanor Hull
and Kuno Meyer
and his work had a substantial influence on the scholarship of Roger Sherman Loomis
. Nutt was also instrumental to the establishment of the Irish Texts Society
and his firm published the early volumes of Society from 1899 to 1914.
He produced numerous works of scholarship in his own right, including Studies on the legend of the holy grail
, with special reference to the hypothesis of its Celtic origin and his collaboration with Meyer on The Voyage of Bran, Son of Febal, to the Land of the Living. He also wrote studies of the Mabinogion
, the grail and was working on an annotated edition of Matthew Arnold
's Study of Celtic Literature at the time of his death.
He was drowned in the Seine on 21 May 1910 while attempting to rescue his invalid 17-year-old son who had been dragged into the river when his horse bolted. His wife, M. L. Nutt succeeded him as head of the firm.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
publisher, now best known for his writing as folklorist and Celticist.
Biography
Nutt was born in London, the eldest son of David NuttDavid Nutt (publisher)
David Nutt was a publisher of books and the father of Alfred Nutt.Nutt married Ellen Carter, a grand-daughter of William Miller whose publishing house was a predecessor of John Murray. Alfred was their eldest and only surviving son. Nutt was a close associate of Nicholas Trübner. He founded his...
, a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
publisher. His mother was the grand-daughter of another well-known publisher, William Miller. He was educated at University College London School and College de Vitry-le-Francais, in Maine, France. He spend three years serving a business apprenticeship in Leipzig, Berlin and Paris before taking over his late father's business in 1878. Nutt founded The Folk-Lore Journal (now Folklore). He was elected president of the Folklore Society
Folklore Society
The Folklore Society was founded in England in 1878 to study traditional vernacular culture, including traditional music, song, dance and drama, narrative, arts and crafts, customs and belief...
in 1897.
He was a friend and supporter of Jessie Weston
Jessie Weston
Jessie Laidlay Weston was an independent scholar and folklorist, working mainly on mediaeval Arthurian texts.Her best-known work is From Ritual to Romance ; this book is now available as an online text, as are others of hers...
, sharing her interest in Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic origins of the Grail legend, and publishing some of her books. He was also associated with Whitley Stokes, Eleanor Hull
Eleanor Hull
Eleanor Henrietta Hull was born in England, of a County Down family. She was educated at Alexandra College, Dublin and was a student of Irish Studies. She was a journalist and scholar of Old Irish and in 1899 was co-founder of the Irish Texts Society for the publication of early manuscripts...
and Kuno Meyer
Kuno Meyer
Kuno Meyer was a German scholar, distinguished in the field of Celtic philology and literature. His pro-German stance at the start of World War I while traveling in the United States was a source of controversy.-Biography:...
and his work had a substantial influence on the scholarship of Roger Sherman Loomis
Roger Sherman Loomis
Roger Sherman Loomis was an American scholar and one of the foremost authorities on medieval and Arthurian literature.-Biography:...
. Nutt was also instrumental to the establishment of the Irish Texts Society
Irish Texts Society
The Irish Texts Society was founded in 1898 to promote the study of Irish literature. The Society publishes annotated editions of texts in Irish with English translations and related commentaries....
and his firm published the early volumes of Society from 1899 to 1914.
He produced numerous works of scholarship in his own right, including Studies on the legend of the holy grail
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail is a sacred object figuring in literature and certain Christian traditions, most often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and said to possess miraculous powers...
, with special reference to the hypothesis of its Celtic origin and his collaboration with Meyer on The Voyage of Bran, Son of Febal, to the Land of the Living. He also wrote studies of the Mabinogion
Mabinogion
The Mabinogion is the title given to a collection of eleven prose stories collated from medieval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early medieval historical traditions...
, the grail and was working on an annotated edition of Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold was a British poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the famed headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, literary professor, and William Delafield Arnold, novelist and colonial administrator...
's Study of Celtic Literature at the time of his death.
He was drowned in the Seine on 21 May 1910 while attempting to rescue his invalid 17-year-old son who had been dragged into the river when his horse bolted. His wife, M. L. Nutt succeeded him as head of the firm.
Further reading
- J. Wood, "Folklore studies at the Celtic dawn: the rôle of Alfred Nutt as publisher and scholar", Folklore, 110 (1999), 3–12.
External links
- Alfred Nutt at Findarticles.com
- Edward CloddEdward CloddEdward Clodd was an English banker, writer and anthropologist. He cultivated a very wide circle of literary and scientific friends, who periodically met at Whitsun gatherings at his home at Aldeburgh, Suffolk....
, "In Memoriam: Alfred Nutt" Folk-Lore. Volume 21, 1910.