Author

Selma Lagerlöf

· Swedish novelist, the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature (1909)

Portrait of Selma Lagerlöf.
Portrait of Selma Lagerlöf. Source · Public domain

About Selma Lagerlöf

Selma Lagerlöf (1858–1940) grew up at Mårbacka, a family estate in Värmland, Sweden, and worked as a schoolteacher before her first novel, Gösta Berling's Saga (1891), made her famous. She wrote The Wonderful Adventures of Nils for Swedish schoolchildren, became in 1909 the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, and in 1914 the first woman elected to the Swedish Academy.

Notable works

  • Gösta Berling's Saga (1891)
  • Jerusalem (1901-1902)
  • Christ Legends (1904)
  • The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (1906-1907)

Frequently Cited

On this site

Christ Legends

1904 · Early 20th Century · Collection

Christ Legends is a book of eleven stories in which the Swedish novelist Selma Lagerlöf retells and invents legends about the life of Jesus, from the night of His birth to the Crucifixion and after. Some come from old Christian tradition, some from folk tales, and some are her own; all are told in a simple, warm voice suited to reading aloud.

low medical relevanceFaith / ReligionSaintsChildhood