Types of legends
According to the Brothers Grimm, a legend is “A folklore story with historical bases.” In this sense, these are narratives that mix reality and fantasy in an attempt to explain natural, religious, or human events, or are simply told for the purpose of entertainment. Generally, they are transmitted orally or in writing, from generation to generation, becoming part of the cultural heritage.
But not all of them are the same, since there are several types of legends. These subdivisions depend on the characteristics of the story. Therefore, They can be presented as: anthropogonic, theogonic, eschatological, etiological, cosmogonic, historical, children, urban, rural and local. In this list we will explain the most common ones and give examples of them.
According to the theme
Historical legends
They are those that They encompass all the wonderful events that occurred during battles, wars or conquests. Some examples of them could be the anecdotes that include such famous people as King Arthur, El Cid, Tristan and Isolde, Hua Mulan, Siegfried, Queen Alamelamma, Sugawara no Michizane, among others.
religious legends
These are narratives that contain fantastic facts and tell events of great miracles or hagiographic stories., that is, they relate the life and work of saints or important people associated with a specific religion. Examples of this type of legend can be The well of Saint Francis y The appearance of the Virgin of Fatima, very famous in Christian imagery.
Etiological legends
They were born in order to clarify the origins of certain places within nature, such as rivers, lagos, mountains, seas and forests, as well as the phenomena that concluded with the beginning of the life of animals and climates. Among the best-known legends about him are stories like The giant stone of Paraná, The wind of the Puna, The devil's stone, and The appearance of the hummingbird.
Eschatological legends
These stories They refer to life after death. Although they are closely related to theology, it could be said that they take a position on the opposite side, recounting terrible events projected into the future, such as world wars, the end of times, or the appearance of the dead. Among them, stories such as The Bride of the Road or The Woman in the Cave stand out.
According to its origin
Urban legends
Mostly, These are modern stories that revolve around the activities carried out in large Destinations, the spaces and the people who live in them. Among the most famous legends associated with this section are stories such as Veronica three times -or Bloody Mary, its English version—, Crocodiles in the New York sewer o Candies with LSD stickers.
Rural legends
In contrast to the previous section, These types of legends are usually told in small towns in the countryside., the coast or the forest, enjoying a slightly more superstitious and fantastic nuance. For example, in Spain, there are The grandmothers of Sevil, The captive blackberry of Bubion or Almagro Parador, very notorious stories in their respective places.
Local legends
On this occasion, are the popular tales of a county, municipality or province, which are usually extended through oral narration, as in the case of The ghost of the Maternal and Child Hospital of Granada, The ghosts of the Madrid metro o The haberdashery on Pelai Street.
The five most famous legends in the world
1. Nessie, the Loch Ness monster
It is a local legend that is part of Scottish folklore. This tells the story of a giant creature with a prehistoric appearance, very similar to that of plesiosaurs. Testimonies say that it appeared for the first time in the 16th century in Loch Ness, but local residents claim to have seen it even in modern times.
The legend gained strength when a group claimed to have sighted it in 1933, a fact that has inspired many films, and that keeps those mystery fans who decide to visit the famous lake in suspense. At the same time, the story became a global phenomenon, so even if readers have never visited Ness, they know exactly everything about it.
2. Robin Hood
This historical legend is also known as “The prince of thieves", Y It is one of the most important English traditions in Western culture.. He has been inspired by many historical figures, but perhaps the most notable is the Italian Ghino di Tacco, a hero from the 13th century, the period in which the narrative was first set, becoming really popular from the 15th century onwards.
The legend tells the story of a vigilante who used to steal from wealthy people to help those in need, being famous for his green suit, his jacket and his arrows. At the same time, This premise has been spread as a moral to encourage the values of equity and social norms.
3. La Llorona
Like many eschatological legends, La Llorona has several versions. However, this is one of her most widespread: it tells the story of a beautiful mestiza who, after being cheated on by her husband with another woman, decides to drown her children in a river. Later, repentant for her sins, she takes her own life, and her ghost begins to wander the lonely places to the sound of the lament “Oh, my children!”
In some corners of Mexico, it is said that it is a representation of Malinche, a woman who served as translator and interpreter for Hernán Cortés during the time of the conquest of America. In this case, the regret occurs because, many times, this lady has been unfairly accused of being responsible for what happened in those years.
4. The Flying Dutchman
This eschatological legend dates back to the 17th century, date on which, supposedly, a Dutch captain named Hendrik Van Der Decken was heading on a voyage to India. While he was sailing, a strong storm hit his ship, which he bravely and determinedly resisted, weathering the turbulence for a long period of time.
This feat defied God's designs, so The king of heaven condemned the captain to wander aimlessly across the ocean. Since then, it is said that the Flying Dutchman appears at midnight, along with other lost souls from the sea. In general, sailors affirm that seeing it is synonymous with a bad omen.
5. The red thread
It is one of the most curious and romantic legends of China and other Asian countries.. It is supposed that, many years ago, an emperor asked a talented witch to come to his palace, who was to reveal to the woman that she would become his wife. The sorceress, thanks to her qualities, could see a very long red thread tied to the emperor's little finger.
By noticing it, The witch told the monarch that the other end of this thread should lead them to his future wife.. Thus, they undertook a journey around the world, until they found the point of the red thread tied to a dirty peasant woman who was walking with a small baby in her arms. Offended, the monarch pushed the villager, whose child fell to the ground, which left a scar on her head.
A few years later, after being advised by the wise men of his kingdom, The monarch decided to marry the daughter of a local landowner. On the wedding day, when lifting his bride's veil, the king noticed something he had not noticed before: the woman had a strange scar on her head.