What is folklore?

Folklore is something that is common where humans come together and is to be found in all countries and cultures. Folklore is about things that people do in their every day life without always noticing it, for example the songs people sing, the jokes and the stories people say, the things that people believe in, the food that we eat, the clothes we dress and so forth. What we sing when we are celebrating birthdays is folklore, when we dress up in Halloween costumes we are taking part in folklore, when we are told jokes or stories we are part of folklore. Folklore can be splitted up into categories like folktales, work habits, social behaviour and other cultural aspects within society.


The Grand Canal, Co. Kildare © Helga



Our environment is full of example of the relationship between man and nature. In Ireland it is possible to see some remarks of the past in the landscape that in many instances are linked to belief systems. Examples are fairy forts, the bogs, megalithic tombs and standing stones.


©Helga