Deciding Relevance 

Selecting Sources for Myths and Folklore

Because Myths and Folklore are often part of oral traditions and storytelling, they may not have been written down until relatively recently, and may not have been written down by someone belonging to the culture that the story is from. For this reason, we use extra care when selecting sources to use for researching myths and legends. 

When deciding to use a source, ask yourself: 

• Does the author of the source come from the community who the myth or legend represents?

  • If not, what is their expertise?

  • Does the source treat the culture of origin with care and respect?

• What is the purpose of the source? What do they want you to believe about the myth or legend?

• Does the version of the myth or legend shared match with other versions you have read or is it wildly different?

If the source does not meet ALL of this criteria, it doesn't mean you should not use it, but if it is not treating the myth or culture with respect you should definitely not use it.