About the Folklore Society

The Folklore Society (FLS) is a learned society devoted to the study of traditional culture in all its forms. It was founded in London in 1878 and was one of the first organisations established in the world for the study of folklore. The term ‘folklore’ describes the overarching concept that holds together a number of aspects of vernacular culture and cultural traditions, and is also the name of the discipline which studies them.

The Folklore Society’s interest and expertise covers such topics as traditional music, song, dance and drama, narrative, arts and crafts, customs and belief. We are also interested in popular religion, traditional and regional food, folk medicine, children’s folklore, traditional sayings, proverbs, rhymes and jingles.

Under the terms of the registration of our charitable status, our aims are to foster the research and documentation of folklore worldwide, and to make the results of such study available to all, whether members of the Society or not.

The Folklore Society, and Folklore Enterprises Ltd

The Folklore Society Ltd is a Company Limited by Guarantee with Charitable Status, Company No. 03685496, Registered Charity No. 1074552

Folklore Enterprises Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Folklore Society Ltd, Company No. 03935903, VAT Reg. No. 752616137

The day-to-day activities and decisions are the responsibility of the Folklore Society Council and Management Board (Trustees).

William John Thoms 

 William John Thoms, who coined the word ‘folk-lore’, was one of the founding members of The Folklore Society.

See Jonathan Roper’s article on Thoms in our journal Folklore vol. 118, 2007.

The Folklore Society laid a wreath on Thoms’s grave at Brompton Cemetery during our ‘Death in Legend and Tradition’ conference, September 2010. 

See also Stephen Winick’s article about Thoms on the Library of Congress, Folklife Today blog.

(Image credit: Wellcome Collection).