A surprisingly large part of my research of old German folk tales is trying to identify the places mentioned in these details. They are often not mentioned on Google Maps, although Open Street Maps frequently provides better results.

But a particularly useful resource has been Arcanum Maps, which uses old survey maps from the 19th century or earlier as Google Maps layers - and these often do have period names for locations that have vanished from modern maps. This has been especially important for Silesia and other regions where German place names were common, but which now only use Polish names.

If you are interested in historic maps, then check this site out!

#cartography #history
https://maps.arcanum.com/

  • @frankenswine
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    11 month ago

    G***** Maps’ only advantage is the convenience of their direct advertising neatly woven into their UI/UX. Actual map data is not half as good

    • Jürgen HubertOP
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      11 month ago

      @[email protected] They do have some locations that OpenStreetMap has not (and vice versa), and they are more friendly for finding places with alternate spelling. There is a reason I check both.

      Also, their linked images are useful for visualizing these locations. Though I think I saw an OpenStreetMap version with geotagged images once, but I can’t find it again.

      • @frankenswine
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        11 month ago

        there definitively are, though rather scarce. it’d be oh so great if OsmAnd allowed to relatively easily add or edit data

  • hanktank61
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    122 days ago

    @[email protected]
    I grew up in The Netherlands with people reading the old fairy tales to us at school. Oral . Generations after us grew up with sugarcoated Disney-tales.
    Our German Mom told us about them when visiting Germany fairy-places. After that I got more involved in the British legends and myths. Last 15 years more Korean/Asian. Then started to see the overlaps, similarities not restricted to a certain area.
    Fascinating, still learning.

    • Jürgen HubertOP
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      022 days ago

      @hanktank61 I’m really fascinated by how local folk legends form a “supernatural landscape” - real world places you can visit that have supernatural associations.

      • hanktank61
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        122 days ago

        @[email protected]
        I got involved with Korean drama in 2009.
        Because they often handle old legends and myths in multilayered , caleidoscopic ways.
        In familiar modern or historic settings.
        Drama writing Hong Sisters are champions with that.
        The way they involved demons taking over people to start spamming with their phones, using the net for vile actions.
        Or introducing " Avalon " in Asian fairytale way…
        ( Still trying to figure that out completely 🙂)