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Atlas of Myths 0/300
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Our rules

How we tell myths

Every card is written by us

Before writing we read at least two sources, then we tell the story in our own words. We never copy sentences from books, websites or encyclopaedias. Every card has a short summary with a final “Did you know?” (a surprising, true fact), then the whole story to read or listen to.

Sources, always

Every card ends with its sources: for ancient myths the original works, for Italian legends the great folklore collections (Pitrè, Serao, Calvino), scholars and local institutions. When a legend could not be confirmed by at least two reliable sources, we removed it and replaced it with another legend from the same region.

Myth and history, kept apart

We always say what is a tale and what is history or archaeology: the domus de janas are real, the fairies are not; the hill of Udine really is man-made, but Attila did not build it. When a legend has several versions, we tell them without choosing a “true” one.

For young readers, with care

We write for readers aged 10 to 16: short sentences, everyday words, no violence described in detail. Some true stories are sad, like the trials of women accused of witchcraft: we tell them clearly, because they deserve to be remembered.

How it is made

The painted illustrations are created with artificial intelligence and checked one by one: every card has its own, and a few will be redone to be even more faithful to the story. Region borders: ISTAT (openpolis, CC-BY 4.0); world map: Natural Earth (public domain). Texts are written with the help of AI and checked by a person, source by source.

Report a mistake

Found a mistake, a legend told badly or a lack of respect towards a tradition? Do you know a different version of a legend from your town? Write to us.

Write to us

Ciro Simone Irmici

Who's behind this

Ciro Simone Irmici

I build websites, apps and games. I built the Atlas with artificial intelligence and I check every card and every source myself. I am not a scholar of mythology: I tell these legends with respect and always say where they come from. If you know a legend from your town, write to me.

More of my work: free audiobooks on YouTube · ebooks on Gumroad · Apple Books · music on Spotify and YouTube Music