Folklore as an Historical Science

The author presents folklore as a legitimate historical source, mapping how myths, folk‑tales, customs, beliefs, and rites can be gathered and analyzed to reconstruct past mentalities and social formations. Methods and categories for collecting traditional material are set out, followed by discussions of the psychological, anthropological, sociological, European, and ethnological conditions that shape survivals and transformations. Comparative case studies examine primitive influences, totemic structures, and local survivals to show how small-scale traditions illuminate broader cultural change. Numerous illustrations and examples underscore practical approaches to interpreting folklore within historical inquiry.