We explain what legends are, how they originated and the structure they present. Also, what are its characteristics, types and example.
Legends offer sinister or disconcerting narratives.
What is the legend?
A legend is a popular type of narrativewhich generally contain magical or supernatural elements. They are presented as an explanation for the origin of certain natural elements or as part of real, historical or at least plausible events. They often include a moralizing ending.
The leyends They are as old as humanity itself, and they have always accompanied her, as part of the stories in which the popular imagination is expressed. Its authorship is collective. They are halfway between myths and fables.
Generally, legends They offer sinister or disconcerting narratives, which suggest the existence of supernatural elements hidden in the everyday world. There is no “official version” of each one, but rather they circulate in a set of more or less similar versions, since the same legend can change from one country to another.
See also: Horror story
What is the origin of the legend?
Legends, like most popular stories, They have their origin in oral tradition.
They pass from generation to generation, from parents to children.
Along the way its content changes gradually. Details are removed or added.
It may even happen that, in the same period, a legend is told in different ways in two regions of the same country or the same community.
Characteristics of the legend
They are transmitted orally, generally from parents to children.
Legends are generally characterized by:
- Narrate events that occur in a specific and real place, at a precise place and time. In this it is distinguished from the fable.
- Focus on a character and their adventures, usually triggered by their flaws, their way of being or their actions.
- They contain a warning or moralizing ending, although it is not explicit as is the case with fables.
- They are of anonymous authorship, since there are usually several versions of the same legend.
- They are transmitted mostly orally.
History of the legend
During Romanticism, the legend became part of the artistic imagination.
It is impossible to tell the story of all the legends, since They are born and die as societies changeThe history of Western legends that still survive today is associated with medieval Christianity. The Church promoted knowledge of the lives of Catholic saints through these types of stories.
However, the Protestant Reformation relocated them to a fictional plane, considering them non-historical or informal stories. This is because the Protestant Church differentiated the “official” or “authentic” saints detailed in The book of martyrs by John Foxe, from the legends told by the Catholic Church at its convenience.
During the Romantic era, the legend became part of the artistic imagination and was highly valued by creators and philosophers. On the other hand, in the era of the Enlightenment, whose cult was mainly for rational knowledge, legends and superstitions were considered barbaric gestures.
Types of legend
Legends can be classified into two types, depending on their origin:
- Rural legends. They are generally born in feudal times, such as medieval Europe, or also within rural societies. They are always closely linked to folklore and traditional imagery, whether religious or not. That is why they are usually set in forests, farms or places where humans are exposed to nature.
- Urban legends. They are created within the city population and therefore belong to a more modern or industrialized imaginary. They tend to recount supernatural events that go unnoticed in the midst of modernity.
Structure of the legend
Legends operate as literary stories, so they are usually governed by the classic Aristotelian structure:
- Start. It sets out the world of the story and introduces the main character.
- Complication. Difficulties arise, generally as a result of having broken a rule, having ignored advice or for similar reasons.
- Outcome. This is where change manifests itself (such as the beginning of a custom, or the emergence of an animal or plant species). It rarely returns to the initial normality.
What is the function of legend?
Similar to myths, legends They have the function of explaining certain aspects of the world or the culture itself. In other cases they warn about certain risks, instill values or advise against certain behaviors. They express, in that sense, the values of a culture, its idea of good and evil, or traditional roles.
Urban legends
The term “urban legend” is also used as a synonym for contemporary folklore. These are unverifiable and fantastic beliefs that are nevertheless transmitted today. They are very close to conspiracy theories and Internet hoaxes (also called Creepypasta).
Its protagonists are no longer the same rural creatures and deities of yesteryear. On the contrary, include secret government plansvisits from extraterrestrials, secret episodes of wars or fantastic encounters with paradoxical beings, places or situations.
Legend contamination
This is the name given to the case in which a legend presents elements taken from one or more previous legends or contemporary. A kind of syncretism is thus produced and gives rise to the transmission of certain elements of the story. It is very common in regions with a lot of cultural exchange between people.
Difference between legend and myth
The myth does not have a moral content like the legend.
The most important difference between myths and legends has to do with their content. Myths offer fantastic and unverifiable explanations about the origin of the world and certain events of philosophical or religious importance to a culture.
On the contrary, legends are inspired by and cling to real events, historic and recognizable. Some of its protagonists may be real, although later they tend to be imaginary.
Also They are differentiated by the level of truth assigned to them.. When myths are alive, that is, a community believes in them, that community considers them to be true stories. For example, Christians believe in the myth about the life and resurrection of Jesus.
But legends are told as imaginary stories. Even if some people believe in them, they are not considered true by the community. For example, in general, no one believes in magic swords like the one in the legend of King Arthur. However, nowadays “urban legends” can fool many, so that difference is not always obvious.
Another relevant difference has to do with the moral, educational content or at least the warning that legends usually contain. Myths do not usually include this aspect, and only refer to human behavior in a symbolic, lateral way, or to explain the origin of a rite or a tradition of conduct.
Finally, Legends often have multiple variants and versions., while myths tend to be more homogeneous. The latter can also be included in sacred texts.
Example: Faust
The story of Dr. Faustus is a legend of German origin. Faust was a scientist, philosopher or alchemist who felt that his path of encyclopedic knowledge and erudition had left him dissatisfied with life. That’s why he made a pact with a demon named Mephistopheles, who promised to give him back worldly pleasures and give him infinite knowledge, in exchange for his immortal soul.