Thanks to the Maps Mania blog I just learned about English Heritage’s Map of Myth, Legend, & Folklore. The interactive map feature a couple of dozen historical sites that under the care of English Heritage. As the name of the map implies, each of the sites on the map is basis for a myth or legend.

Click on one of the landmarks on the Map of Myth, Legend, & Folklore to read the legend connected to that landmark. When you select a landmark you will also be able to view images and a video about that landmark. An explanation of the source of legend or myth is included in the text about each landmark.

I used the map to learn a bit about Tintagel Castle. The castle is the landmark connected to the story of Tristan and Isolde who may have lived at Tintagel. My short version of the story is that Tristan was the dragon-slaying nephew of the king and Isolde was a woman from Ireland who had healing powers. Obviously, it’s a myth but the English Heritage map does explain where and how the myth originated.

Applications for Education
The Map of Myth, Legend, & Folklore is a good example of using multimedia mapping to showcase a series of stories. Students could create their own myth, legend, and folklore maps for other countries and regions by using a tool like StoryMapJS. My StoryMapJS tutorial is included below.