by Norman A. Rubin

Created on: September 18, 2010   Last Updated: September 19, 2010

The word ‘legend’ brings colorful and interest pictures to the open mind. The adventures in the tales of ‘Thousand Nights and One Night’ or in the ‘Legends of Sleepy Hollow’ are of the many legends that are passed on to each generation. Even today, legends are being created from the moon exploration to the tales of Hollywood stars. 

People have always loved to listen to fascinating tales and tall stories of exploits of the brave and of legendary figures in history. Over the years, countless storytellers and balladeers have spun out tales to hold their listeners spellbound. The tales and stories may have some truth about a real person or place, but through the years legends became an exaggeration of what actually transpired.  

The ancient Greeks and Romans told myths about gods and goddesses, and imaginary beings; the Scandinavians were entranced by the tales of the Vikings; and in the early years of the Americas tales were told of heroic trail blazers and pioneers. Everywhere throughout the globe, storytellers told of legends akin to their land. (1) 

The word legend comes from Latin (lengenda, ‘things to be read’); it is a narrative of human actions that are understood both by the teller and listeners to take place within human history and to have certain qualities that give the tale a semblance of truth. 

Before the invention of the printing press stories were passed on by word of mouth. Storytellers and balladeers learned about these legends via oral tradition passed on by older storytellers who might, though likely not, have actually witnessed the event spelled out in verse and song. While legends may be transmitted orally or in writing, from generation to generation, so their origin or author is unknown. 

Legends were carried all the over the ancient world by travellers, merchants through trade routes, sailors that roamed the seas and roaming tribes.(2) Later the European setters who came to America brought the past legends and their own tales with them. But as the land was explored and frontiers moved west, new legends were created. (3) 

Some real animals have developed into legends: the man-eating tigers of India, for instance, or the blond spirit bears told by the Amerindians. Conversely, some animals that had been legendary from Classical antiquity, like the unicorn, faded from "reality" during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to become mythical creatures. The

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>