Hilda Ellis Davidson
| Hilda Ellis Davidson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Hilda Roderick Ellis 1 October 1914 Bebington, Wirral, Cheshire |
| Died | January 2006 (aged 91) Kent |
| Genre | Mythology, folklore |
| Notable awards | Coote Lake Medal (1984), Katharine Briggs Prize (1988) |
Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson (born Hilda Roderick Ellis, 1 October 1914 – January 2006) was an English antiquarian and academic, writing in particular on Germanic paganism and Celtic paganism. Davidson used literary, historical and archaeological evidence to discuss the stories and customs of Northern Europe. Gods and Myths of Northern Europe (Penguin Books, 1964) is considered one of the most thorough and reputable sources on Germanic mythology. Like many of her publications, it was credited under the name H. R. Ellis Davidson. Davidson was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and was president of the Council of the Folklore Society from 1974 to 1976, and served on the council from 1956 to 1986. Davidson has been cited as having "contributed greatly" to the study of Norse mythology.
Hilda Roderick Ellis was born in Bebington, Wirral, Cheshire, in 1914. She was educated at Park High School for Girls, Birkenhead. Later, Davidson received a First Class Honours degree from Newnham College, Cambridge, in English, Archaeology and Anthropology, and afterward studied pagan Scandinavian religion for her doctorate. In 1943, Davidson, under her maiden name Hilda Ellis, published her first book; The Road to Hel: A Study of the Conception of the Dead in Old Norse Literature. Davidson was a lecturer at Royal Holloway College from 1939 to 1944 and after that at Birbeck College. In 1949, she joined the Folklore Society.
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