10 Examples of Long Legends

The long legends they are extensive narrations of oral or written transmission that relate imaginary stories, but that refer to real events, places or people and always include fantastic elements.

They are stories that can have many versions, because each person who tells them makes some modification to them. Therefore, there are no legends that they are properly long, but that they are simply longer versions.

Legends are very important for the society in which they originated, because they arose to explain customs, events or phenomena and why many people believe that they are stories real.

Characteristics of long legends

Examples of long legends

1. The legend of the Santa Fe staircase

In Santa Fe, United States, there is a chapel that has a very particular staircase, whose construction is believed to have been a miraculous event.

An architect was in charge of the construction of the chapel, but before he could build a staircase to access the upper floor, he died in strange conditions. The architect did not leave any plans, so no one could finish the work and the nuns had to use a ladder to go to the upper choir.

The sisters prayed for nine days to Saint Joseph, father of Jesus and a carpenter, for someone to appear who could build a ladder. On the last day of prayer, a humble man showed up at the chapel with his donkey and his tools.

He told the nuns that he would take care of making the ladder, but that he would need to be given a lot of water and that no one enter the temple for three months. The sisters accepted the request. The sixty days passed, and when they entered the chapel, they saw a beautiful finished staircase, but the man had already left.

Many people believe that everything that happened was a miracle and that the mysterious carpenter was Joseph, the father of Jesus. Also, architects and engineers have come to see this ladder and do not understand how it was made or how it can support the weight of a person.

1. The Legend of Tanabata

This legend originated in China, but is also passed down in Japan and Korea. It is said that one day Orihime, daughter of King Tenkou, was weaving on the bank of the Amanogawa River when a shepherd named Hikoboshi appeared. The young people greeted each other, chatted for a while and quickly fell in love.

The king found out that her daughter loved the young man, told her that he had to marry Hikoboshi, and arranged for the wedding. The princess and the shepherd were married, but they were so in love and happy that they stopped attending to their duties; she no longer weaved and he no longer tended the sheep.

The father was upset with this situation, as he was a very powerful man, he forbade the lovers to see each other and turned them into stars, among which he put the Amanogawa river.

The princess was desperate and she begged her father for mercy. The monarch agreed to her daughter's pleas and told her that she could only meet her husband if she fulfilled her tasks.

She worked very hard and was able to see Hikoboshi, but there was a river between the two of them that didn't allow them to get close. Orihime began to cry and from her tears came magpies that built a bridge over the river. Finally, the young people were able to meet face to face, but not for long because they had to continue performing their duties.

This legend explains the origin of two stars that can be seen at the north pole in summer. Orihime transformed into a star called Vega and Hikoboshi into one called Altair. The two stars are separated by the Milky Way, which according to this story is the Amanogawa River.

On July 7 in Japan, Tanabata is celebrated, a festival in which this legend is remembered, because that day on the Vía Láctea draws a line that unites Vega with Altair, as if that line were the bridge that unites Orihime and Altair. Hikoboshi.

1. The Legend of Basaseachi

This is a Mexican legend that explains the origin of the Basaseachi waterfall. According to this story, there was a king, Candameña, who had a daughter.

The princess was very beautiful and was of marriageable age, but her father did not want her to marry just any man, but someone who was worthy of her. Many young men presented themselves at the king's palace as suitors for his daughter's hand, but only four were chosen as possible husbands.

Candameña told the four young men that they would have to go through a series of tests to demonstrate her strength, honor and bravery and that only the one who overcomes all challenges would marry her princess. Father and daughter sat on top of the mountain to see how these men carried out the tasks. They were able to do the first three with a lot of effort, but in the fourth they all died.

The princess realized that no mortal could pass those tests and that everything had been a deception by her father to prevent her from getting married. She was very sad and jumped off the mountain, but she did not hurt herself, because a sorcerer cast a spell so that the young woman would transform into a waterfall.

1. The legend of Caleuche

This legend originated in Chiloé, an island that is located in the south of Chile. In this place, many stories arose about various fantastic beings, for example, the sorcerers, who are the protagonists of this story.

According to legend, the Caleuche is a ship that can only be seen on foggy nights. It is said that the sorcerers are the owners of this boat and that they hold parties and other activities there.

These sorcerers can go down to earth and look like ordinary people, but they are differentiated because if you shake their hands, they are always very cold. They are supposed to go to the mainland to look for new crew members who, as soon as they board the ship, become slaves.

In the present there are many people who believe in this legend and therefore take precautions for fear of becoming slaves to sorcerers, such as not singing or whistling when sailing or fishing.

1. The legend of the four dragons

According to this legend there were four dragons, red, yellow, black and white, who lived in the eastern sea. Once the dragons flew away from their home and saw that on the land there was a village and crops, plants and dry rivers.

The dragons came a little closer to the village and heard that the people with their song asked for rain to have rivers to drink water from and for their crops to improve.

The dragons knew that it was a matter of life or death for these people and, therefore, they went to the palace of Jade, the emperor of heaven. When these beings arrived, the monarch got angry because they woke him up and told them to go back to the eastern sea.

But they explained to him that the people needed water, so the emperor promised them that the next day it would rain. They believed him and returned home.

However, the days passed, it had not rained and there was not a single cloud to be seen in the sky. The black dragon told the others that Jade would not solve the problem and that they could solve it if they filled their mouths with water and spit it into the sky.

The four dragons flew down to the sea, filled their mouths with water, rose to the sky and released it. They repeated this many times until they realized that it was raining on earth.

They went to the village and saw that the people were dancing in the rain, because they were very happy. However, the emperor was furious, so he asked his guards to go find the dragons.

The guards captured the four heroes and locked each one in a mountain. But the dragons wanted to be useful to the people, so they became rivers and, thus, there was never a lack of water on earth.

1. The legend of Olentzero

This is a Basque legend that tells the story of a very kind giant. One time the goblins were walking through the forest and they heard a strange sound. They met a fairy and together they went to find out what was making that noise.

Near the river they saw a bush move, they looked out and realized that there was a crying baby. The fairy told the newborn that he would be called Olentzero, gave him the gift of solidarity and took him to a couple who had no children.

The man and woman took care of the baby who, as he grew up, learned to chop wood. When Olentzero was an adult, his parents passed away.

One day it was snowing very hard, the people of the village could not leave their homes, they had almost no wood for their fireplaces, and they were very cold. Olentzero, who was already a giant, went to all the houses in the village to share his firewood.

The villagers learned an important lesson: they always had to store extra firewood in their houses. The giant never had to take her away again, but he was so generous that he started building wooden toys and giving them to children for Christmas.

1. The Legend of Bunbuku Chagama

It is said that many years ago there was a monk who was very poor and who liked to go for a walk in the forest. One day this man was taking one of his walks, he heard a wailing sound, he approached the place where the noise came from, he saw a raccoon dog (a tanuki) he was in a trap, released him and the animal fled at full speed.

At night the man heard someone knocking on the door of his room, opened it and saw the raccoon, who had gone there to tell him: “You are a great person. As thanks for your good deed, I will transform myself into a teapot, you will sell it, and you can use the money you earn for whatever you want.” The monk accepted the proposal and did as the little animal had instructed him, but when the buyer put the pot on the fire, the tanuki he felt the heat, returned to his original form and ran away.

The raccoon felt that he had to make it up to his rescuer, so he came up with a new plan. He returned to the monastery and told his friend that he would put on a show, which consisted of the animal turning into a teapot and he would cross the tightrope dancing. In addition, he clarified that the public would have to pay to see the trick and that the profits would go to the monk. The man agreed and, thanks to the act of tanuki, he raised a lot of money, which he used to improve the monastery.

The tanuki he was very happy, because he had a new friend and a new house (now he lived with the monk) and because he liked being a Bunbuku Chagama (a teapot that moves with happiness).

1. the legend of corn

According to this Aztec legend, corn did not exist a long time ago and the only foods that existed were the roots and fruits. Once, people found out that behind a mountain there was a cereal that was very tasty and they asked Quetzalcóatl, a god, to help them get that food.

The god saw that a red ant was carrying a grain of corn, he asked her where she had gotten it and she replied that she would take it to the place. He transformed into a black ant and began to follow the red insect.

It took them a long time to arrive and when they were there, Quetzalcoatl grabbed a grain, went to the human village and explained that they had to plant the seed and that corn would grow from it.

1. the legend of the moon

According to this African legend, many years ago only the sun shone during the day, but the moon did not exist, therefore, the night was very dark.

Once, some men attacked the village where a young woman, named Bamako, lived. The villagers could not defend themselves against the ambush, because it was night and, with nothing to illuminate, they could not see well. Bamako was sad because her family and her neighbors had lost their food and some their houses.

A few days later, Bamako was sleeping and in her dream a god appeared, who told her that if she married the sun, the son of the god, the night would be illuminated. The young woman accepted, because she wanted her family and friends to be safe and not have any more darkness.

The god told her that at sunset the next day she had to throw herself from a rock into the river and that she would not hurt herself, because her future husband would save her. At sunset the young woman looked for a rock, she jumped and before she fell into the water, a man appeared who took her up to heaven. There Bamako became the moon and, from that day on, illuminates the earth at night.

1. The legend of the puma and the moon

This is a legend of the Mapuche, a people native to southern Chile and Argentina. It is said that a cougar, who lived in the forest and was very brave, one day began to feel very lonely.

One night the cat was resting on the side of a river and saw the moon. The moonlight caught his attention and dazzled him, and so the cougar couldn't stop looking at her. He began to follow her and walked many kilometers so as not to lose her trail.

He saw that the moon was hidden behind a mountain and began to climb, but when he reached the top, he could not see it. The sun came out and the cougar felt alone again.

When it got dark, the cougar went to the same place where he had seen the moon for the first time, it appeared, the animal felt accompanied and followed it just as he had done the night before.

On the third day she did the same, but on the fourth day she could not find it anywhere. He was sad because he missed the bright white light, he lay down on the side of a lake and fell asleep.

When she woke up, it was night and she saw the reflection of the moon in the water. He seemed to her that he was giant and he couldn't believe that he was so close. So good was she in his company that she jumped into the lake, but she never came out of it. It is believed that the puma is now in another place and that it is always accompanied by the moon.

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