Lore generator

[beschizza]

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2021/01/19/lore-generator.html

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[Yri]

Good D&D hooks, too! Great for when characters ask the bartender for news.

[L0ki]

This legend comes from the book Cumberbatch’s Folk Tales of Nottinghamshire by Ackley Wedgwood-Tyckell. In 1516, a witch called Mad Elspeth was drowned in the town pond, after seducing a small piece of cheese in the manor house of Kimberley.

In her defence the cheese did look very mature for its age…

I’ll see myself out.

[ashe]

Lore generator? Data does not approve.

[Ratel]

This is my new Lore-m ipsum generator.

[generic_name]

Blame papa.

[GagHalfrunt]

I wonder how often it gives you “a woman gave birth to…”.

This folktale comes from the book The Folk Tales of Cumbria by Celeste Quinton-Addington. In 1802, a woman gave birth to a human skull in the blacksmith’s shop.

The creator also needs to cull modern place names from the database.

This folktale comes from the mythology of Greater Manchester. Since 1607, the phantom of a jester has appeared every Monday in the butcher’s shop.

This legend is spoken of in West Midlands. In 1673, a witch called Mistress Langston laughed herself to death, after seducing a small pig in a wooded grove.

[Ratel]

@GagHalfrunt

I wonder how often it gives you “a woman gave birth to…”.

Probably in direct proportion to actual folklore.

[fnordius]

I consider this the perfect Edward Gorey caption generator. They all beg to be illustrated by the late great master.

[mykreeve]

Thanks for the feedback. I was super-lazy when it came to populating place names - I just used the data from this Wikipedia page (“List of towns in England”).

Approximately one in nine “tales” currently feature something giving birth… and one in eleven of them will feature “a woman” being the thing that gives birth - so about 1% of the tales will feature “a woman gave birth”.

[L0ki]

I wouldn’t worry about the modern names too much. We do still tell folk tales.

I found the dates were all quite recent though maybe that’s just coincidence, lots of dates from the 1850s or thereabouts which is really not that long ago

[mykreeve]

So it should randomly pick a year between 1400 and 1899… It’s more of a reflection of the sorts of stories that they tell on the podcast - some of which can be surprisingly recent! I probably should code it to tend toward earlier dates, but the dates are probably the least interesting bit of most of the stories!

[mcsnee]

Certified Wonderful Thing.

[Eelco]

This story comes from the book Tattersall’s Spirits of Warwick by Demelza Ogden. In 1742, a witch called Mother Roscoe laughed herself to death, after eating a druid in a barn.

I guess the druid tasted funny.

[SheiffFatman]

@GagHalfrunt

The creator also needs to cull modern place names from the database.

This folktale comes from the mythology of Greater Manchester. Since 1607, the phantom of a jester has appeared every Monday in the butcher’s shop.

This legend is spoken of in West Midlands. In 1673, a witch called Mistress Langston laughed herself to death, after seducing a small pig in a wooded grove.

West Midlands is okay (though should really be the West Midlands), if you assume its older sense of Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire.