hufolk1-3, Exercise 2: Testing a symbolic claim

Model answer:

Ask who first wrote the claim and when: a village source, a collector's field notes or a twentieth-century book. Look for the same meaning in several independent places and periods. Check whether the same flower is used in other regions with other readings, and whether makers describe it that way themselves. If the claim traces back only to a popular guide, treat it as an interpretation, not a record.