Literature is an art form of writing, and every language has its literature. It has been part of entertainment since ancient times and even in the modern world, there is visible evidence of literature seen as a great source of entertainment for example novels.
Literature consists of prose, drama, poetry, novels, etc., and for writing, there are several genres, it gives the writer and the reader the idea of what they are going to write or read.
There are several literary genres in which the writers write, for example, legend, myth, romance, trailer, fiction, science fiction, etc..
Legend vs Myth
The difference between legend and myth is that the legend has some sort of evidence in reality as well on the other hand with his completely fictional and does not have any evidence. Sometimes they are used interchangeably but it is wrong because technically they are different from each other.
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Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Legend | Myth |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Has evidence | Does not have evidence |
| Facts | Based on a few facts | Completely fictional and does not have any facts. |
| Characters | Real characters | Fictional characters |
| The period it narrates | More recent history | Ancient times |
| Example | The Hanuman, Robin Hood, etc.. | Pandora’s box, the three sisters of fate, etc.. |
What is Legend?
Legend is a literary genre which Is in the form of story or narrative somewhere lies between historical facts and myth. Most of the time Legend is an exaggerated story of a person’s action who is historically popular.
People mentioned in legend might not have done their activities to the extent to which the writers have written in the legend, that means legend in his a more exaggerated form of the actual incident.
They often tend to 2 based on real-life characters but their deeds are often exaggerated in the legend which makes it somewhat fictional. It can be based on Prehistoric Times of which few pieces of evidence are available.
The basis of legend is to serve a good story with a good moral therefore sometimes the truth is distorted and some fictional stories are incorporated in the narrative.
Some of the examples of legends are; Ali baba, the fountain of youth, the Legend Of Hanuman, Bigfoot, Robin Hood, Paul Bunyan, etc..In all these narrative pieces of evidence are found which means that the incidents happen but to give an entertainment source writers exaggerate of what happened.
Every language has its Legends, these narratives also vary from region to region.
What is Myth?
Myth is a literary genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in society. Myths are often religious stories related to god or Goddesses.
They often contain supernatural elements in the form of supernatural powers of any character.
Throughout history, myths have been used to explain almost unexplainable phenomena regarding the working of the world. They are sacred tales narrated to humans to establish morality in the modern world.
The fictional moral and the essence of entertainment makes this literary genre fit for all age groups.
They do not have any scientific explanation, neither they are time-bound, some radical listeners or readers might not consider myth a good genre for society because sometimes it creates society orthodox.
The representation of bravery of hero and cowardice of evils are often exaggerated to give entertainment.
Some examples of myth are; pandora’s box, the three sisters of fate, Daedalus and Icarus, the name given to Athens, etc..
Main Differences Between Legend and Myth
- Legends have past evidence but myth does not have any existence.
- Legends do not have fictional characters but myths have fictional characters.
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
