Legend Types (with examples)

The legendIt is a popular narrative that is based on the history of a people, but that includes fantastic or supernatural elements typical of the literature.

It is transmitted from generation to generation, originally in oral form although today many of the legends were collected and written. For example, the legend of the Cid Campeador.

Despite containing supernatural events and fictional creatures, the legends are presented as an explanation for the origin of certain natural elements or as part of real, historical or at least plausible events in a space and time real. They often include a moralizing ending.

There is not a single version of each legend or an "official" one, rather they circulate in a set of similar versions, since that the same legend can change from one country to another or, in the course of its transmission, it can be removed or added details.

Legend features

Often the terms "legend" and "myth”Are used interchangeably. However, its difference lies in the fact that the legend is a popular story that tells a real historical event that is adorned with wonderful elements, while the myth is a fabulous narrative that explains the origin of the universe or unusual events, which are linked to beings supernatural.

Legend types

Legends can be classified in two ways. It should be noted that some legends can be classified into more than one group.

Because of its theme:

Examples of legend types

1. The legend of King Arthur (historical legend)

King Uther was in love with Ingraine, wife of his enemy, the Duke of Cornwall. He establishes a pact with Merlin in which the magician will grant him the love of the duchess in exchange for the first child he has with her, who will be raised to fulfill her destiny: to be king of all Great Britain.

Arthur was raised ignorant of his blue blood, and when King Uther died, numerous nobles vied for the throne. To obtain it, they had to withdraw a sword buried in a stone, so the strongest knights tried without success. Until young Arturo, barely fifteen years old, withdrew it almost effortlessly. In some versions, this sword is Excalibur, but others indicate that, after obtaining it, Arthur loses it and replaces it with Excalibur.

This magic sword is given to him by the Lady of the Lake, who is presented to him by the magician Merlin. At the time of her delivery, she makes the following prophecy: "As long as you wear her, you will not lose any blood, but one day a woman you trust will arrive and steal her from you." Arturo has his son Mordred in an incestuous affair with his half-sister Morgana Le Fay or Morgause she (depending on the versions) that she, jealous for Arthur's marriage to Guinevere, she snatches his sword Excalibur.

Camelot is the name of Arthur's castle, in which she surrounds herself with the bravest knights, with whom he founded the Round Table. Her adventures are told around the search for the Holy Grail, a Christian relic with magical properties.

1. The legend of the origin of Cerro Prieto (etiological legend)

Legend has it that a witch inhabited a cave in the Cerro Prieto area, an icon of the Mexicali Valley. The Cucapá Indians were the original settlers of the Cerro. The sorceress was capturing them one by one and taking them inside her cave following magical rituals. "Cor Ni Pa!" She (You have arrived), she would say to the one who stopped at the entrance of her dwelling and then, between dances and songs, she approached the visitor little by little and with great dexterity she killed him.

When only one last family was left alive, the sorceress first killed her daughter. When her brother discovered him, he allowed himself to be dragged into the cave by her and, once inside, killed her. The family set the sorceress's body on fire and, from her ashes and smoke, the volcanic structure that makes up Cerro Prieto emerged.

1. The legend of the Santa Compaña (eschatological legend)

The legend of the Santa Compaña takes place in Medieval Galicia. It is a procession of the dead or souls in pain dressed in explorer's clothing, on horseback and accompanied by sniffer dogs. It walks throughout the night, staining the places where it passes with fog and fear, as well as leaving a strong smell of wax.

The Holy Company appears headed by a living person, a mortal who carries a cross, who is the chosen one and condemned to wander until he dies or until another unfortunate takes his place. Behind him, he is followed by several hooded men in a perfect line that is accompanied by songs and prayers.

Her presence predicts death, be it by appearing to the person who is to die or visiting the houses where there was a sick soul about to die.

1. Legend of Saint George and the dragon (religious legend)

Legend has it that it existed in a population of the Roman Empire subdued by a dragon to which the inhabitants offered animal sacrifices to keep it calm. There was a time when animals were scarce, so people were sent to feed the beast.

When it was the king's daughter's turn, George appeared on horseback with his imposing armor and with his sword he killed the dragon. From the blood sprouted a rose that he gave to the princess, who was unharmed. After that violent fight, Jorge finally freed the kingdom from the threat of the dragon.

Saint George was beheaded by the Diocletian government after a persecution of Christians and died as a martyr for defending Christianity. The legend became popular from the Middle Ages.

1. The legend of Maichak (moral legend)

In the Gran Sabana of Venezuela lived a man who had never been interested in learning to fish or hunt. That's why he always came back empty-handed and had nothing to eat, and his relatives made fun of him.

One morning when he was looking at the fish in the river without knowing how to catch them, a man approached him and handed him a jar magic and told him that he should fill it halfway with water from the river and that by doing so, the river would dry up and he could more easily capture the fish. But he warned her that he should never fill it completely, because it would cause a great flood. Maichak did it and, oh wonder, it was true. His return to the town, laden with fish, was triumphant. The extraordinary phenomenon was repeated over and over again, and the curiosity to know how he fished so incredible quantity of fish grew among his brothers-in-law, who in an oversight by Maichak discovered the container magical. They were thirsty and they used it to drink from the river and, in that instant, they discovered its secret. But, as they did not know of the warning, the water spilled and flooded the earth and the current of the river carried away the container.

The poor man was the laughingstock of all again. He went out desperate hunting and, in the middle of the forest, he found an armadillo that was playing a maraca and, when entering a cave, he observed how, excited by the music, a herd ran out. The evil hunter believed that the secret lay in possessing a maraca like that and stole it from the armadillo, and he warned him not to touch her more than three times in a row because the pigs would remove. Again the brothers-in-law, seeing that Maichak was able to hunt many animals, followed in his footsteps and when they saw the maraca they stole it. They played it more than three times and the animals took the magical instrument from them.

Desperate, Maichak searched for the maraca for many days, when he came across a long-haired monkey in the jungle. While this was combing, many birds were arriving. Believing that the comb was the one that attracted them, he asked the monkey for it and she warned him not to use it more than three times in a row, because the birds would snatch it away. The boy returned home well groomed and with several birds hanging from his belt. His brothers-in-law, once again, when they saw what Maichak was doing with the comb, they took it from him and began to comb their hair and, over their heads, birds of all types and colors fluttered. But since they were unaware of the warning, they combed their hair as many times as they wanted. He came in such a flock that, in a moment of confusion, he snatched the comb from them.

Maichak was hungry again and, when he learned of the betrayal of his brothers-in-law, he left sad and disappointed to a very distant place.

1. The legend of Olentzero (children's legend)

Legend has it that in the mountains of Euskal Herria there lived a fairy with long blond hair who was always accompanied by elves in red pants. One day, when they were near a stream, the goblins noticed that there was a newborn baby in the bushes and they they warned the fairy, who picked him up, named him Olentzero and granted him strength, courage and love, for as long as the little he lived.

Later, he took him to the home of a married couple who took care of him as their own and taught him the trade of chopping wood. When his parents passed away, Olentzero was left alone in his house in the mountains. During a cold winter, the storm left the inhabitants locked in their houses. None of them had prepared charcoal for their fireplace and they were getting very cold.

Olentzero, who had not stopped collecting firewood, decided to take it to town and leave a bag full of firewood in each house. The next day, all the inhabitants were excited about the gift and, from that moment, they never forgot to collect enough firewood.

That is why the Olentzero decided not to distribute more coal and replaced it with toys for the children. Thus, every December 25, the Olentzero leaves the forests and distributes magic throughout the towns of Euskal Herria.

1. The legend of the twins (urban legend)

Legend has it that in England a mother gave birth to twin sisters. When they were three years old, the family went out for a walk and, on their way back, while crossing the road to get in the car, a vehicle ran over the twins who, minutes later, died.

Two years later, after the trauma, the couple wanted to try again to have a family and, after nine months, the woman gave birth to other twins. The girls looked so much like the ones who died that they decided not to mention anything about what happened to them.

Three years passed when, during one Christmas, the family went for a walk to the same place of that fateful day and, when they returned, while crossing the road that gave so much fear to her parents, the girls clung tightly to her mother's hands and, while they were in the middle of the asphalt, they told her: “Mom… don't let us go, this is where we they killed ”.

1. The legend of the werewolf (rural legend)

This Guaraní legend tells that Lobizón is the seventh son of Tau and Keraná, on whom the greatest curse that weighed on his parents fell. It is said that on Fridays and Tuesdays, at dusk, Lobizón loses his human form to transform into a wolf of horrible appearance and sharp teeth, that he seeks the cemeteries to roll on top of the corpses and feed on they.

At midnight, he goes out in search of human beings to turn them into other werewolves, which he does by scaring them and going under their legs. A nauseating smell accompanies him, the appearance of him freezes the blood in the veins and drives men crazy who allow themselves to be surprised.

His walk ends when the new day dawns, returning to his human form: he looks dirty, tired, elusive, with a sorrowful look and disheveled hair. People do not know whether to feel sorry for him or be afraid of the hurtful doubt that he is Lobizón or not.

1. The legend of the three united witches (local legend)

It is said that in the Middle Ages, in the mountains of the Ibores, a noble mother had three daughters, Sina, Tina and Mada. The family maid taught them black magic and the girls, realizing its great power, began to use it without compassion. Everything that bothered them they made disappear or they cursed it. Upon reaching the ears of their parents, they wanted to get rid of them. When they saw that her parents did not want them, they took revenge and killed them and tried to take revenge on the maid, but the latter cast a spell on them in such a way that what she felt one of her suffered all three. The witches, enraged by the spell, blamed the maid for the crime of her parents and burned her at the stake.

The sisters noticed the spell at once: if one fell, all three would hurt; if one wanted to eat, the others wanted too. When they reached a mature age, Sina saw a man and fell madly in love with him, and put a spell on him to give her the love of her. Tina and Mada also felt love for him and cast the same spell. When night came, the man approached her house on the mountain. When they saw him arrive, the three of them threw themselves at him and the man, not knowing what to do, went mad and died.

This happened with many men and, when the people realized that the three sisters were the witches who were killing them, they went looking for them and burned them one by one at the stake. The first was Mada who, when she was burning, the other two also suffered. To prove this legend, you just have to go anywhere in the Ibores mountains and tell this story to hear the chilling howls of the souls of the men who were killed of love by these three witches greedy.

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