In the minds of modern man, the word "legend" is associated with a fictional ancient history that was passed from mouth to mouth. But life does not stand still, and folk culture, like thousands of years ago, in its own way describes the events and the life of people, leaving only the most important in the legacy of times.
The consciousness of people does not make a serious distinction between traditions and legends. In addition, modern science is also not always able to distinguish them from each other with certainty. Just like tradition, legend is a genre of oral creativity. The word "tradition" quite accurately reflects the essence of this work. This is a story of historical content, which is passed from mouth to mouth, passed from generation to generation. A legend is a religious narrative that is inextricably linked with historical events.
Until the 19th century, not everyone could read books and, moreover, get an education. But everyone wanted to know about their roots, culture and religion. Traditions and legends replaced the common people with historical literature, telling about past events. But legends are not a historical chronicle, but only captured bright moments of individual events.
In Latin, the word "legend" means "what should be read." The legend was originally a story of the godly life of the saints. Then it changed to religious-didactic, instructive, and sometimes fantastic biographies of historical and fictional fairy-tale heroes, whose life and deeds bore generalized traits of the nationality living in a given area. The most interesting thing is that all these wonderful stories were perceived by people as having happened in the past in reality, despite their fabulousness and fantasy.
Some legends are indeed very similar to fairy tales. Their difference lies in the fact that fairy tales for the most part have an invented plot, and the legend is based on a real event, albeit described in a fairytale form. They are taken much more seriously, as a real case, from which it is necessary to draw a conclusion for the benefit of oneself.
For example, in the Middle Ages, there were legends whose characters were cursed people. The Legend of the Flying Dutchman is perhaps the most popular story of the time. There are many options for her narration, but the essence is the same. Punished by God, the ship "Flying Dutchman" is forced to wander the seas forever, because his captain cursed the Creator and contacted the Devil. Impressed by this legend, the navigators of that time assured that they had really seen this damned ship. Who knows what really happened there … Nevertheless, this legend "lives" in the memory of people to this day.
All events that take place in the legends are described and evaluated from the point of view of the folk tradition's understanding of Christian norms of life. Along with people and animals, angels and demons, God and saints often descend to earth, taking on different guises. Unrecognized, they walk on it, reward the righteous and punish sinners.
Legends were formed thanks not only to oral folk art, but also to written artifacts, for example, apocrypha. Also among the written sources are some biblical texts.
The plots described in the legends are reflected not only in literary genres, but also in icon painting. The most striking example is the icon "The Miracle of George about the Dragon", which later became the basis for the creation of the coat of arms of Moscow Russia, and later the capital of Russia.
Legends and traditions are a genre that lives and develops. It is likely that the modern understanding of current events by ordinary people gives rise to and collects conclusions and stories, rumors and stories that will reach descendants as bright and instructive legends and traditions.
