legend

Q: What is a legend, in a literary sense?

A legend in literature is a traditional story or group of stories told about a particular person or place. Formerly the term legend meant a tale about a saint. Some legends are the unique property of the place or person that they depict.

Q: What are some examples of legends?

Examples of legends include: the story of young George Washington confessing to chopping down a cherry tree ; the story of the Swiss hero William Tell ; and a popular tale associating with Dick Whittington , whose only inheritance is a cat and was thrice lord mayor of London in the early 15th century.

Q: Is the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin a legend?

The story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is an example of a local legend that sometimes travels. Many other European towns have a similar legend of a piper who lured their children away.

literature

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Feb 2, 2024 • Article History

Category: Arts & Culture

Key People:: Guido Delle Colonne; János, Count Mailáth; Joseph Bédier; Thomas Crofton Croker; Anatole Le Braz

Related Topics:: vampire; bogeyman; chupacabra; werewolf; doppelgänger

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What is a legend, in a literary sense?

Are legends and folktales the same?

What are some examples of legends?

Is the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin a legend?

legend, traditional story or group of stories told about a particular person or place. Formerly the term legend meant a tale about a saint. Legends resemble folktales in content; they may include supernatural beings, elements of mythology, or explanations of natural phenomena, but they are associated with a particular locality or person and are told as a matter of history. Some legends are the unique property of the place or person that they depict, such as the story of young George Washington, the future first president of the United States, who confesses to chopping down the cherry tree. But many ...(100 of 239 words)

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