Choose a telling, then tell it clearly
Our approach is to choose an identifiable source before writing a retelling. Recorded oral accounts, museum collections, scholarly references, and established cultural institutions can help us understand a tale and its variants.
We preserve important events and identify significant adaptations. We do not combine conflicting versions without explaining that choice. Dialogue and English phrasing in a retelling are not presented as verbatim historical testimony.
Separate story from interpretation
The narrative comes first. A “Where this story comes from” box identifies its basis. “What it means” offers an interpretation, rather than claiming every story has one fixed moral. Sources appear at the bottom so readers can explore further.
Respect the work of others
An old story and a modern translation are not the same thing. We do not reproduce modern translations, illustrations, or editorial commentary without permission or another valid basis. Our retellings use new prose. External sources retain their own rights.
Illustrations
Artwork is an imaginative accompaniment to the story, not documentary evidence of historical clothing, buildings, or events. It should support the setting and avoid suggesting narrative events absent from the selected telling.
Editorial review and corrections
Every story is checked against its named sources for plot, names, context, and attribution before it is published. Substantive corrections are noted on the affected page.
Send corrections or rights concerns to [email protected].
Advertising and independence
Lantern Myths may show advertising to support the site. Ads are kept visibly separate from the stories, and advertisers have no say over what we write. Paid partnerships, if any, will be clearly identified.