User:Marialopezsavi/Maria Savi-Lopez (English)

Maria Savi-Lopez (1846-1940) was a Neapolitan writer, teacher and folklorist who wrote numerous collections of legends and popular traditions in post-Unification Italy. Despite being a prolific scholar, today her name has fallen into oblivion.

She published works in the field of children’s literature and novels for young girls and boys with a clear pedagogical intent, including Racconti per le giovinette (1891), Solo al mondo (1892) and Creature di Dio (1893), as well as educational anthologies for schools such as Antologia per le scuole ginnasiali, tecniche e complementari (1898) and ''L’aurora della vita. Letture educative, istruttive e civili per le scuole elementari'' (1905).

Savi-Lopez’s deepest and most lasting passion was for popular legends and ancient myths. Among Savi-Lopez’s publications in the field of folklore, it is worth recalling Leggende delle Alpi (1889), Leggende del mare (1894), Miti e leggende degli indigeni americani (1894), Nani e folletti (1900) and Leggende e paesaggi della Selva Nera (1914). Detailed background information on her work as a folklorist can be deduced from her correspondence with several nineteenth-century intellectuals.