Definition

1. Noun:
   • The traditional beliefs, customs, stories, songs, and sayings of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth. It refers to the unwritten, collective cultural knowledge of a group of people.
   • The study of such traditional beliefs and customs. It can also refer to the academic discipline that collects and analyzes these cultural elements.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Cultural Traditions):
  • The story of the trickster rabbit is a classic piece of African-American folklore.
  • Local folklore says that the old bridge is haunted by a ghost.
• Noun (Academic Study):
  • She has a degree in folklore and mythology from the university.

Advanced Usage

• "To enter/pass into folklore": To become a legendary or widely known story.
  • The hero's deeds have passed into folklore and are still told today.
• "Urban folklore" or "modern folklore": Contemporary legends, rumors, or stories that circulate in modern society, often through the internet.
  • The story about alligators in the sewers is a famous example of urban folklore.

Variants and Related Words

• Folkloric (adj): Relating to or characteristic of folklore.
  • The festival had a folkloric atmosphere with traditional music and dance.
• Folklorist (n): A person who studies or is an expert in folklore.
  • The folklorist traveled the country recording old songs and stories.

Synonyms

• Mythology: A collection of myths, especially one belonging to a particular culture.
• Legends: Traditional stories sometimes popularly regarded as historical but not verifiable.
• Oral tradition: Cultural material and tradition transmitted orally from one generation to another.

Related Phrases

• Folklore studies: The academic field dedicated to the study of folklore.
• Folk belief: A traditional or popular belief, not necessarily part of an organized religion.

Related Idioms

• "Just folklore": Used to suggest that a story or belief is merely a myth or legend, not based on fact.
  • Don't worry about the monster in the lake; that's just folklore.

Noun

1. the unwritten lore (stories and proverbs and riddles and songs) of a culture