LALOU, Marcelle. Meudon-Bellevue near Paris 23.8.1890 — Paris 15.12.1967. French Tibetan Scholar. Daughter of Georges Lalou, an advocate. Conforming to the demands then put to a girl she studied history and art history at Sorbonne only privately without graduation. During the war in 1914-18 worked as a nurse. After the war she became interested in Asia, met by chance S. Lévi and began studies of Sanskrit and Tibetan under him and J. Bacot (also Przyluski and Pelliot). Graduated 1927 from É.P.H.É. From 1938 Directeur d’études de philologie tibétaine at É.P.H.É., retired 1963 (succeeded by A. Macdonald). Member of Légion d’Honneur. Died after long illness. Unmarried.

The main part of Lalou’s life-work consisted of identifying and editing Tibetan Pelliot manuscripts of Dunhuang. She was a gifted and exact philologist, who also compiled excellent catalogues. An important contribution was further the editing of the Bibliographie bouddhique, first as Przyluski’s secretary, then alone. Among her students were F. A. Bischoff, A.-M. Blondeau, J. W. de Jong and R. A. Stein.

Publications: Translated: Meghaduta, Le nuage messager. 69 p. P. 1921.

– Diss. Iconographie des étoffes peintes (paṭa) dans le Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa. 116 p. Buddhica 1:6. P. 1930.

– Edited: Bibliographie bouddhique. 1-32, 1930-67, Journal asiatique 1950-66.

– Catalogue des fonds tibétains de la Bibliothèque Nationale. 4:1. Les Mdo-maṅ. 111 p. Buddhica 2:4. P. 1931.

– Répertoire du Tanǰur d’après le catalogue de P. Cordier. 8+243 p. P. 1933.

– Inventaire des manuscrits tibétaines de Touen-houang conservés à la Bibliothèque Nationale (Fonds Pelliot). 1–3. 16+186, 15+97, 19+220 p. P. 1939–50–61.

– “Notes de mythologie bouddhique”, HJAS 1938–39.

– “Le culte des Naga et la thérapeutique”, JA 230, 1938, 1–19; “Rituel Bon-po des funérailles royales”, JA 240, 1952, 339–364; “Revendications des fonctionnaires du Grand Tibet au VIIIe siècle”, JA 243, 1955, 172–212; “Fiefs, poissons et guérisseurs”, JA 246, 1958, 157–201; “Catalogue des principautés du Tibet ancien”, JA 253, 1965, 189–215.

– Manuel élémentaire de tibétain classique. 5+111 p. P. 1950.

– “Contribution à la bibliographie du Kanǰur et du Tanǰur. Les textes bouddhiques au temps du roi Khri-sroṅ-lde-bcan”, JA 241, 1953, 313–353.

– Les religions du Tibet. 101 p. Coll. Mythes et Religions. P. 1957.

– A number of further articles and text editions in JA, etc.

Sources: A.-M. Blondeau, D.O.L.F. 551f.; J. Filliozat, JA 257, 1969, 1-10, with bibliography; *A. Macdonald, Annuaire de l’É.P.H.É., IVe section. 1968–69, 51–60; *A. Róna-Tas, AOHu 21, 1968, 381-383; R.A. Stein, TP 1969, 138-140; Wikipedia with bibliography.