The word "folklore" itself has two main meanings : one being the traditional customs preserved among a community, like stories, legends, songs, sayings, dances, and popular beliefs. Examples of American folklore, for instance, include historical tales of Betsy Ross sewing the first American flag, or Davy Crockett exploring the country's wild frontier. But it also includes tall tales like the giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan , or The Lone Ranger . The stories can be based on truth or be wild stretches of the truth — the accuracy of the stories isn't really the point. It's about any commonly known narrative that has contributed to the shaping of a culture and its core belief systems. It can also apply to a sub-culture, like Hollywood folklore ( the "Superman Curse" ).