Eva Wigström

A pioneering collector of Sweden's local folklore, she travelled around the countryside, first in Scania and later in Blekinge, documenting folk beliefs, sayings and tales.

[1][2][3] Born on 24 December 1832 in Asmundtorp near Landskrona in southwest Sweden, Eva Pålsdotter was the daughter of the well-to-do farmer Pål Nilsson and his wife Pernilla née Jönsdotter.

She therefore turned to Denmark where she had received training in folklore collection at the folk high school Askov Højskole, in particular from the ethnographer Svend Grundtvig.

[1] In addition to her work as a folklorist, Wigstöm published poetry from 1866, initially in the children's magazine Linnea, tidning för barn.

She went on to publish almost a hundred poems and prose items, contributing to children's journals including Lekkamraten, Småskolevännen and Folkskolans barntidning.