Vellum Lore exists to give accurate, well-sourced answers to a simple question: where do our familiar stories, customs, and sayings really come from? This policy describes how we work.

Independence

Our editorial decisions are made independently. Topics are chosen for interest and for the availability of solid evidence, not because a subject is commercially convenient. Where an article contains affiliate links, that has no bearing on its conclusions; see our affiliate disclosure.

Evidence first

We build articles from primary sources (original texts and documents) and reputable secondary scholarship. We distinguish clearly between what is documented, what is a reasonable interpretation, and what is speculation. We avoid presenting a single guess as settled fact.

Honest verdicts

Each investigation reaches a plain verdict — the popular claim is real, a myth, or mixed. We are equally willing to confirm a dark origin that checks out and to debunk one that does not. When the evidence is genuinely uncertain, we say so.

Voice and fairness

We write in a clear, curious voice and try to treat every subject — and every reader who believed a myth in good faith — with respect. We do not manufacture drama that the sources do not support.

See also our fact-checking policy, corrections policy, and research method.