Możliwości wykorzystania tekstów folkloru w dociekaniach historycznych. Uwagi badacza kultury wsi polskiej XIX i początku XX wieku

The starting point for considering the possibilities of using folklore sources in historical research is the ambiguity of the term "folklore" and the multitude of interpretative perspectives appearing on the grounds of Polish folklore studies. Following the historical development of interest in this subject in various fields of the humanities, the author tries to answer the question of why "knowledge of the people" has long been underestimated in the historical discourse and under what circumstances it was incorporated into scientific considerations. Recognizing the cognitive potential of folklore, the author presents its shortcomings as a historical source and postulates the necessity for the use of folkloristics methods in the historical analysis of such materials.