Charles Godfrey Leland (1824 - 1903) was an American humorist and folklorist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and educated at Princeton University, and in Europe.
In his travels, he made a study of the gypsies, on whom he wrote more than one book. His fame rests chiefly on his comic Hans Breitmann Ballads (1871), written in the patois known as Pennsylvania German. His writings on Algonquin and gypsy culture were part of the contemporary interest in pagan and Aryan traditions. They influenced the development of Wicca and modern neo-paganism .
His most famous book was Aradia: Gospel of the Witches, purportedly containing the traditional beliefs of Italian witchcraft.
Other books of his are Meister Karl's Sketch-book (1855), Legends of Birds (1864), Algonquin Legends (1884), Legends of Florence (1895), and Flaxius, or Leaves from the Life of an Immortal.
