Wilhelm Mannhardt (March 26, 1831, Friedrichstadt – December 25, 1880, Danzig) was a German mythologist and folklorist. He is known for his work on Germanic mythology, on Baltic mythology, and other pre-Christian European pantheons; and for his championing of the solar theory, namely in the early years of his career, under the influence of Jakob Grimm. Later on, Mannhardt focused more on vegetation spirits from an evolutionist point of view, namely the primitive tree cult and its later developments.[1]
Mannhardt was born in Friedrichstadt and raised in Danzig by a Mennonite preacher; his interest in folklore and mythology was sparked by reading Jakob Grimm’s Deutsche Mythologie[2] and Jung-Stilling’s autobiography.[3]
He studied German language and literature at Tübingen and received a doctorate in 1854; the following year he became editor of the Zeitschrift für deutsche Mythologie und Sittenkunde journal.[4]
In 1865, he began to collect information on agrarian traditions, rituals and superstitions by sending out 150,000 questionnaires to clergymen, teachers, colleagues, and farmers’ associations in several languages.[2][4]
