folklore
n. uncountablen. the traditional stories, beliefs, and customs of a group of people. It is passed down through generations, often by word of mouth rather than in books.
n. the traditional beliefs, myths, tales, and practices of a people, transmitted orally or through custom. Often used to describe the collective cultural identity of a specific region or ethnic group.
The old man shared local folklore about the mountain.
Researchers spent years documenting the folklore of the island to preserve its unique oral traditions before they were lost.
While modern historians rely on written records, they often examine regional folklore to understand the social values and fears of common people in the pre-industrial era.
From folk + lore, coined by British writer William Thoms in 1846 to replace terms such as "popular antiquities". Thoms imitated German terms such as Volklehre (“people's customs”) and Volksüberlieferung (“popular tradition”). Compare also Old English folclar (“popular instruction; homily”) and West Frisian folkloare (“folklore”).