: Is it required to cite the original author, when the original author is unknown and in a foreign language and adapted by an oral narrator? Here's the scenario. Person A may read a story in

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Ethically, you should make it clear that the story is not your own work. Surround it in quotes, intent it differently, do whatever you would do if the author was known. Then, where you would normally cite the original author, just say "author unknown".

Claiming someone else's work as your own is unethical, regardless of how you came by the work or whether the author is known.

If you retell a story from the christian bible you should acknowledge that fact for the benefit of the majority of the world's inhabitants who are not familiar with that document. I think the bible is either public domain or owned by Google, but in any event it is unethical to use material from any other source and claim it as your own original work.

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Legally, it depends.

If you're asking in terms of legality, then it varies depending on many factors including country of publication, the nature of the original work and the new work, how old the original is, and where the original was first shared.

In terms of "best practices," always provide what information you can.

The original purpose of citation is NOT legal (protecting copyrights), but so that your reader knows where to go to find more information or verify the accuracy of what you're saying. In that spirit, all possible information about the sources should be provided.

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