Charles Godfrey Leland

Charles Godfrey Leland (August 15, 1824 to March 20, 1903) was a US humorist and folklorist, who was born in Philadelphia, Pa. Educated at Princeton University and in Europe Leland worked as a journalist, travelled extensively, and explored folklore and folk linguistics. He published books and articles on American and European languages and folk traditions. He worked in a wide variety of fields, Leland was recognized for his authorship of the comic Hans Breitmann’s Ballads. Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches, written by Leland became a primary source for Neopaganism 50 years later.