How to use this website

Home page

This webpage, available at www.hiddenheritages.ai, aggregates scans of folktales from the School of Scottish Studies Archives and the Irish National Folklore Collection. In addition, it provides AI-generated text transcriptions of the scanned documents. In the website header, there is a language switcher (English, Gaeilge, Gàidhlig) and links to the Tales page and these About pages. Below the header, the home page displays a map of Scotland, Man and Ireland, rotated 15° anti-clockwise to evoke the continuum of the Gaelic world. If you click on the map or the Explore button, you will be brought to the Tales page.

Tales page

On the Tales page, you can browse, search and filter the folktales in the dataset. When browsing the full list of tales or some filtered list of tales, the tales from Ireland will be on the left and the tales from Scotland will be on the right (and under tabs on small screens). The lists of tales can be filtered by typing one or more words into the search bar and hitting Return or the magnifying glass. This will execute a full-text search of the tale titles and transcriptions for the words in the search string [more explanation of search algorithm/options]. The list can also be filtered by clicking on Filters. If a search has been performed, filtering will be applied within the search results set, not the full dataset. The following filters are available:

  • Dates: A slider to select a date range.
  • Aarne–Thompson index: A search box for finding AT types in the dataset. To use this, start typing the AT number (code) or title you are looking for, e.g. ‘AT0400’ or ‘The Man on a Quest for his Lost Wife’.
  • Language: All, Scottish Gaelic, Irish or English.
  • Collector/Informant gender: All, Female or Male.
  • Collector (Scotland): A search box for finding a particular Collector. To use this, start typing then select the name of the Collector you are looking for, e.g. C.I. Maclean. Once a Collector is selected, only tales by that Collector will be listed.
  • Narrator (Scotland): A search box for finding a particular Narrator. To use this, start typing then select the name of the Narrator you are looking for, e.g. Duncan MacDonald. Once a Narrator is selected, only tales by that Narrator will be listed.
  • Location (Scotland): A search box for finding a particular place in Scotland. Places indexed are parishes. The parish name should be typed in English, e.g. Peninerine.
  • Collector (Ireland, Main Manuscript Collection): A search box for finding a particular Collector from the Main Manuscript Collection. To use this, start typing and then select the name of the Collector you are looking for, e.g. Seán Ó hEochaidh. Once a Collector is selected, only tales by that Collector from the Main Manuscript Collection will be listed.
  • Informant (Ireland, Main Manuscript Collection): A search box for finding a particular Informant from the Main Manuscript Collection. To use this, start typing and then select the name of the Informant you are looking for, e.g. Seán Ó Curraoin. Once a Informant is selected, only tales by that Informant from the Main Manuscript Collection will be listed.
  • Collector (Ireland, Schools’ Collection): A search box for finding a particular Collector from the Schools’ Collection. To use this, start typing and then select the name of the Collector you are looking for, e.g. Máire.... Once a Collector is selected, only tales by that Collector from the Schools’ Collection will be listed. NB: Schools’ Collection collectors are usually less well-known, usually a primary school teacher from the 1930s.
  • Informant (Ireland, Schools’ Collection): A search box for finding a particular Informant from the Schools’ Collection. To use this, start typing and then select the name of the Informant you are looking for, e.g. Seán.... Once a Informant is selected, only tales by that Collector from the Schools’ Collection will be listed. NB: Schools’ Collection informants are usually less well-known, usually a primary school pupil from the 1930s.
  • Location (Ireland): A search box for finding a particular place in Ireland. Places indexed are townlands. The townland name can be typed in English or in Irish.

Location filters can also be applied by clicking on a dot on the map (which will be on top on small screens and in the centre on large screens). Filters relating to Scotland or Ireland only will result in results from that country only and the full list of tales for the other country. Any combination of search text and filters can be shared using the ‘Share’ or ‘QR’ buttons (available on large screens). All filters can be removed by clicking on the ‘X’ next to the Filters button.

Map tools

At any point, the map can be used to filter for a particular place by clicking on the dot on that place and then clicking on Filter on the tooltip. For places in Ireland, you can also click on the logainm.ie link on the tooltip to go to the entry for that place on www.logainm.ie.

At any point, whether looking at all tales or some subset of tales, you can use the plus symbol on the map to zoom in or the minus symbol to zoom out. If you wish, you can click on the compass symbol to reset the bearing of the map to north. You can also click on the target symbol to find your own location (permission has to be given to your browser) or the photo symbol to download an image file of the current map.

Tale page

Clicking on the listing for any folktale will bring you to the Tale page for that folktale. On any given tale’s page, you will see metadata for that tale on the left on large screens or on top an small screens, the image of the current page in the centre on large screens or below the metadata under the left tab on small screens, and a transcription of the tale on the right on large screens or below the metadata under the right tab on small screens. Irish metadata includes Title, Collection, Volume, Date, Item category, Aarne-Thompson index, Language, Location, Collector, Informant and Link to dúchas.ie. Scottish metadata includes Title, Archival Reference, Date, Item category, Aarne-Thompson index, Language, Parish, Collector, Narrator and Narrator source. The values for Aarne-Thompson index, Language, Location, Town, Parish, Collector and Informant/Narrator are clickable, and will bring you to a list of tales filtered for that value.

In the centre on large screens or below the metadata under the left tab on small screens there will be either an image or a PDF viewer, depending on the file format of the source document. Both viewers display the scan of the page, printed or handwritten. If the folktale selected spans multiple pages, there are arrows to move back and forward through the pages. The transcription for the entire tale will be displayed regardless of what page you are looking at. The image viewer has a Magnify and a Zoom option. The PDF viewer has a Zoom option, as well as options to Print, rotate and Download.

Example searches

  1. Text search for the word fearg.
  2. AT search for AT0510: Cinderella and Cap o' Rushes.
  3. Location search for Dún Chaoin in Co. Kerry, Ireland.
  4. Collector search for Donald (Eriskay) MacDonald.
  5. Narrator/Informant search for Seán Ó Curraoin.