Folklore Finder is an independent digital archive, researched and maintained by its creator, with contributions from visitors and local communities. This page explains how that research is done, how the map is kept trustworthy, and how AI is and isn’t used along the way.
How entries are researched
Every legend starts as a lead: an old folklore collection, a heritage record, or a story a visitor sent in. Before it earns a pin on the map, we check it against folklore scholarship, heritage records or primary sources. Where the evidence is thin, or a tale can’t be pinned to a real place, we hold it back rather than guess.
How locations are verified
Every entry is pinned to the most specific real-world location the evidence supports: a named site where possible, a parish or region where a single site can’t be confirmed. If a legend has genuinely competing locations, the entry says so rather than picking one arbitrarily.
Sourcing standard
We rank sources by reliability: primary accounts and heritage-body records first, then established folklore scholarship, then secondary and popular sources to fill gaps. Weaker sources get flagged for follow-up, not treated as equal to stronger ones. Entries are periodically revisited so sourcing can be upgraded as better material becomes available.
Disputed claims
Where regional variants or scholarly disagreement exist, the entry says so rather than flattening the story into one version.
Corrections
If you spot an error (a wrong location, a misattributed source, a fact that’s off), use the bug report link on the entry, or email us at corrections@folklorefinder.uk, and we’ll check it and fix it.
How we use AI
AI may help organise research notes or draft a first pass of an entry. A person checks every fact against real sources before anything goes live, and AI is never treated as a source in itself.
AI-generated imagery
Some illustrations on this site are AI-generated. Where that’s the case, the page says so directly beneath the image. Final responsibility for every entry (text, sourcing and images) stays with Folklore Finder.
Editorial responsibility
Folklore Finder is researched and maintained by its creator, with contributions from visitors and local communities. Final editorial responsibility for every published entry rests with Folklore Finder, not with any source or contributor.
← Back to the map