MUSAUS, JOHANN KARL AUGUST

born March 29, 1735, Jena, Saxony died Oct. 28, 1787, Weimar German satirist and writer of fairy tales, remembered for his graceful and delicately ironical versions of popular folktales. Musus studied theology at Jena but turned instead to literature. His first book, Grandison der Zweite, 3 vol. (176062), revised as Der deutsche Grandison (178182; The German Grandison), was a satire of Samuel Richardson's hero Sir Charles Grandison, who had many sentimental admirers in Germany. In 1763 Musus was made master of the court pages at Weimar and later (1770) became professor at the Weimar Gymnasium. A second book, Physiognomische Reisen, 4 vol. (177879; Physiognomical Travels), a satire on Johann Lavater's work linking physiognomy to character, had many enthusiasts in Europe. His Volksmrchen der Deutschen, 5 vol. (178286; Fairy Tales of the Germans), because it is written in a satirical vein, is not considered genuine folklore.