Best of the Web

  • Searchable and browsable versions of Aesop's fables in various languages.
  • From the English translation: H.P. Paull (1872).
  • A directory of links whose major categories include history, periodicals, literature, Irish language, mythology, folklore, theatre companies, and fine arts.
  • Searchable and browsable versions of Aesop's Fables in various languages.
  • Information on Gods, Timelines, Creation and Flood Myths, Folktales.
  • "On this Website you will find not only an introduction to the activities of the American Folklife Center and its Archive of Folk Culture but also news about programs and activities, online presentations of multiformat collections, and other resources to facilitate folklife projects and study. The American Folklife Center aims to be the national center for folklife documentation and research, and this Website offers a virtual destination for those who cannot visit the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C."
  • "This folklore site contains retellings of American folktales, Native American myths and legends, Tall Tales, weather folklore and ghost stories from each and every one of the 50 United States." Indexed by state, characters, region, ethnicity, tall tales, historical period.
  • Founded in 1888, the American Folklore Society serves to stimulate interest and research in all aspects of the study of folklore and folklife. The Society exists to further the discipline of folklore studies, to improve the professional well-being of itsmembers, and to increase the respect given to diverse cultures and their traditions.
  • An article on Nordic mythology and spiritualiuty which originally appeared in the Scandinavian Press, Vancouver, B. C.
  • Bibliographic entries are included for Papua New Guinea, ex-Irian Jaya (Papua Province of Indonesia), Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia.
  • Archive of essays and selected webcasts.
  • Online version divided into the Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes the Age of Chivalry, or Legends of King Arthur Legends of Charlemagne, or Romance of the Middle Ages.
  • University of Rochester site featuring Arthurian texts,images, bibliographies, and basic information.
  • Arthurian texts, images, bibliographies, and basic information.
  • Categories of this site include history of Chinese mythology, features of chinese mythology, and style and writing. In English or Chinese.
  • "This site is designed to draw together the ancient texts and images available on the Web concerning the major figures of Greek and Roman mythology. We were most interested in bringing together the ancient sources and illustrations, but have included some Renaissance images that were just too good to leave out. The site is primarily intended for the use of Greek and Roman Mythology students at the University of Victoria, but feel free to look around!"
  • "A companion to Morford and Lenardon's best-selling book, Mythology, this searchable site offers users of the book a number of additional resources and information. Chapter-specific activities and links allow students to explore the web and engage in exercises that focus on the key elements of each part of the book. Bibliographies, glossaries, maps, and a growing list of new translations of the classics provide support for research and further learning."
  • Site of an art exhibit covering the religion and mythology of the Yoruba people, a culture primarily from southwestern Nigeria and Benin.
  • Extensive directory of links.
  • "This is an encyclopedia on mythology, folklore, legends, and more. It contains over 6000 definitions of gods and goddesses, supernatural beings and legendary creatures and monsters from all over the world. . . . The Encyclopedia Mythica has been on-line since May 15, 1995."
  • Site contains the following categories: Guides ArticlesWaikas -- spirit stories set in primordial times Woraks -- hero stories set in historical timesGenealogiesPicturesResources and External Links.
  • A searchable encyclopedia of Celtic literature including the legends, mythology, tales, and history of this ancient culture. This is an online version of the published book.
  • Monthly online magazine. Subjects include women in mythology, lore in different countries, symbolism in fairy tales, gypsies, rites-of-passage, magic, etc. The site also includes poetry, book recommendations, interviews, events, and links to other mythic sites.
  • English Fairy Tales, retold by Flora Annie Steel, original edition copyright by The Macmillan Company, 1918, this edition printed in 1962 by The Macmillan Company.
  • Collection of articles focusing on fairies and ghosts from a now defunct journal which specialized in "new interpretations of past and place in archaeology, folklore and mythology."
  • Companion to a documentary film which "explores the magical 'otherworld' of fairies. Visit the places fairies live and meet some of the people who have seen and believe in them."
  • Very extensive and scholarly collection of texts and links, with additional pages devoted to Folk and Fairytale Links, and Germanic Myths, Legends, and Sagas.
  • "The mission of Folkstreams.net is to build a national preserve of documentary films about American folk or roots culture. Produced by independent filmmakers, these hard-to-find films give voice to the arts and experience of diverse American groups. They are streamed on the website together with background materials that highlight the history and aesthetic importance of the traditions and the films."
  • Links to relevant resources.
  • An on-line book which "describes the religious beliefs and practices of an agricultural village of Southern Taiwan in the middle 1960s."
  • An online book which "investigates the Greek myths as a thinly cloaked chapter in an ancient Historical Tradition, which goes far back into the history of the Near East."
  • A "collection of myths retold by Carlos Parada, author of Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology. . . The GML contains Texts, Images, Tables and Maps. The mythical accounts are based exclusively on ancient sources."
  • From the National Geographic Society, twelve unvarnished tales based on a 1914 translation, some with audio.
  • From the English translation: H.P. Paull (1872).
  • Site of a PBS documentary on the Queen of Sheba, Shangri-la, King Arthur, and JAson and the Argonauts.
  • Features mythological stories, folktales, and legends.
  • Links in the categories of Mythology, Folklore, Drama, Literature, History, Language and others.
  • Digitized version of the Folklore and Folk Music Archivist journal.
  • This site presents "a text and image archive containing several English versions of the fairy tale."
  • Site explores legends such as Robin Hood, King Arthur, Beowulf, etc.
  • This site offers "a text and image archive containing sixteen English versions of the fairy tale. TheLittle Red Riding Hoods presented here represent some of the more common varieties of the tale from the English-speaking world in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. The materials were drawn from the de Grummond Children'sLiterature Research Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi."
  • "Ghost stories and strange folktales of the American South."
  • Electronic texts listed by category.
  • A collection of links organized by region and language group.
  • An electronic version of the 1916 work by MArie L. McLaughlin.
  • "The New York Folklore Society recognizes and celebrates the extraordinary in everyday life, bringing focus to the traditions of our states diverse peoples. NYFS is the leading resource for folklore and folklife by disseminating research and information throughout the state."
  • An electronic version of the 1901 book by Zitkala-Sa.
  • Provides search access to five major "debunking" sites. Useful in checking the truth in rumors, fraud, hoaxes, urban legends.
  • A database of texts, images, bibliographies, and basic information about the Robin Hood stories and other outlaw texts.
  • Images of books and manuscripts published before 1901. "The material will consist of the entire range of Icelandic family sagas. It will also include a very large portion of Germanic/Nordic mythology (the Eddas), the history of Norwegian kings, contemporary sagas and tales from the European age of chivalry. A great number of manuscripts contain Icelandic ballads, poetry or epigrams. These Collections are kept in The National and University Library of Iceland, The Arni Magnusson Institute in Iceland and in the Fiske Icelandic Collection at Cornell University.
  • The Center promotes the understanding and continuity of contemporary grassroots cultures in the United Statesand abroad. It produces the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, exhibitions,documentary films and videos, symposia, and educational materials.
  • Site features a hypertext version of "Snow White" which can connect to 36 alternative editions a series of illustrations excerpts on the context of fairy tales and issues in their study selected links and a bibliography.
  • South African oral history, including folklore, poetry, and storytelling.
  • A portal to the realm of fairy tale and folklore studies featuring annotated fairy tales. Includes the tales, their histories, similar tales from other cultures, bibliographies, and other materials.
  • Collection of international folk and fairy tales.
  • Sir James George Frazer's "monumental study in comparative folklore, magic and religion, The Golden Bough shows parallels between the rites and beliefs, superstitions and taboos of early cultures and those of Christianity. It had a great impact on psychology and literature and remains an early classic anthropological resource."
  • "Transformations is a searchable database of works by contemporary writers who use traditional texts for their subject matter in particular, the collection focuses on works based on mythology, the Bible, fairy tales, and Shakespeare."
  • Gallery of digital images.
  • This site includes not only urban legends but also misinformation, old wives' tales, strange news stories, rumors, and celebrity gossip. The newest urban legends are here and are updated as new information is available.