The 15 best short legends (and their explanation)
Oral tradition has left us a great legacy in the form of stories and legends. We often find it difficult to believe in the total veracity of it, since it is common for there to be supernatural elements in them. Anyway, it does seem that in many cases there may be a real component on which the story is based.
In any case, these stories have been very important in the cultural history of the peoples. Is about narrative resources of oral tradition that give a vision of the world to a community, which gives them a certain folkloric character. Its uniqueness is that location between what could in part be true and what is closer to myths.
The best short legends in human history
Given your marked oral transmission processThese narratives are susceptible to modifications and, therefore, to parts added, deleted or modified, so that there may be certain variants depending on the geographical area.
Being stories shared by a community, they have always been taught to children from an early age. This makes all people, no matter how old they are, carry these stories within their cultural imaginary.
Next we will see stories from different parts of the world, so it is normal that you do not know many of them. Although there are some that are world famous.
1. The Loch Ness Monster
The story of this legendary creature, familiarly called as Nessie, is one of the best known on this list. It has been said for at least 1500 years that a monster dwells in Loch Ness in Scotland, as there are references to the mysterious creature as early as 565.
The hypothetical sightings occurred throughout the centuries, and in 1868 the first media spoke of the creature. From 1930 to 1934 it was a subject of great repercussion, since different sightings were seen and the most famous photo of him was taken. In it you see a huge creature poking its long neck out of the water.
Recently there was a new controversy after years without graphic material about the monster. In 2014, through Apple's mapping service, there are those who claim to see the famous creature in the deep waters of Loch Ness.
Everything is inconclusive, but the history of this prehistoric creature nowadays attracts a lot of tourism on this secluded loch of Scotland.
2. Yeti, the abominable snowman
The Yeti or the abominable snowman is another of the legends that readers will know. It's about that be biped, with long arms, big feet, dense white hair, large wingspan and elongated head that different people refer to after their expeditions in the Himalayas.
On the first British expedition to Everest in 1921, Chief and Colonel Howard-Bury claimed that he and his team sighted some incredible footsteps in the snow more than 6000 meters high. Many other people report finding evidence such as fingerprints, hair, etc. or have seen it directly.
Those who have seen him assure that before seeing him a high-pitched sound is heard, as if they were whistling, and that quickly flees when discovered. It seems to be a lonely creature.
Be that as it may, there has never been enough evidence to prove the veracity of this humanoid being, but without a doubt it is a true legend shrouded in mysticism.
3. Saint George
Saint George was born in the 2nd century in Cappadocia, now Turkey and then part of the Roman empire. As a young man he became a soldier and joined the retinue of the Emperor Diocletian.
Diocletian wanted to besiege the Christian community but Jorge, confessed Christian, she refused to go against people of Christian faith. This act led to his martyrdom final and beheading on April 23, and Christianity made him holy.
Whether or not this is true, the cult of his figure spread throughout the Roman Empire reaching western Europe. Then a feat was popularized in the ninth century about Saint George, which has little to do with his hypothetical life. It has been said since then that Saint George defeated a dragon that she had a whole community in fear.
The story goes that two lambs were destined daily to satiate the beast. Then, when the animals were finished, it was decided to send one person each day chosen by lottery. Unfortunately one day he touched the princess, but Saint George came to rescue her with her horse and killed the dragon with his sword. A rose sprouted from the monster's blood, and the hero gave it to the princess.
There is no historical certainty about the story, but it is a deeply rooted tradition in many places; English, Catalan, Croatian, Irish or Swedish are among those who live his legend the most.
In Catalonia, for example, every April 23 the “Sant Jordi Day”(Day or Feast of Saint George). It is a very beautiful day with the streets full of people, roses and books. And it is that the boys give roses to the girls, while they give them a book, because Sant Jordi is also the book festival.
4. La Llorona
This legend is very popular in Mexico, but it is actually known in different places in Latin America. It's about a ghost that is shaped like a woman what during the dawn it appears to emit cries. She seems to be screaming "Oh my children!"
It is said that it was a woman who can't find rest in the world of the dead. The reason would be because he murdered his own children as a sign of spite towards her husband, who rejected her.
Exists another version in which this story is starring the ghostly representation of Malinche. That woman was the translator and interpreter of Hernán Cortés while he took over everything he wanted in Mesoamerica for himself and for the Spanish Empire.
The cry would correspond to the pain that Malinche feels when knowing that in some versions of the colonization of America great guilt is attributed to him of what happened.
5. The altántida
The legend of Atlantis she is one of the mostuniversal, and we have reference to it for the first time in the stories of Homer, author of the main Greek epic poems (the Iliad and the Odyssey).
The legend says that in his day this large land mass known as Atlantis, probably somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. A wonderful place whose inhabitants had developed a great cultural and scientific level. Politics, art, religion, and social organization were also very advanced. And the artisans worked with precious stones and metals with great skill.
However, a cataclysm made this unique site disappear. The seas rose, churning the mountains and sinking the mythical island of Atlantis. Of the island, plunged into this hideous chaos, not a trace remained.
It is said that some inhabitants of Atlantis managed to survive, and that they could even have reached Mesoamerica and lived there with the pre-Columbian people contributing their wisdom.
6. Jiang shi
To talk about the Jiang shi we go back to ancient folk folklore of chinese culture. There is talk of some no dead people or vampires limping along, although it reminds us more of a kind of zombie. His instinct is very limited and, to move they need to detect the breath of living creatures, which gives them vital energy.
Jiang Shi means "rigid corpse", and they are deceased who live again to take revenge if they have not been buried well, or to go to rest next to their relatives if they died away from them.
The appearance of him is that of a corpse, with their state of decomposition and their nails and hairs grown according to how long they have been dead. They are characterized, yes, by long black tongues and skin that is between pale and mossy green.
7. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
King Arthur is a well-known legendary character about which a lot has been written and about which different films have even been made. Different texts from the High Middle Ages already tell us about this British-Roman king. Arturo led the defense of what is now the island of Britain against the Saxon invaders in the 6th century.
It is a literary character belonging to Celtic and Anglo-Saxon folklore, but that well he could have reference to a real person. The first writings on King Arthur are found in Celtic poems from the Welsh area, and they already speak of elements of legend such as the Wizard Merlin or the sword Excalibur.
All these elements would be an essential part of the later set of legends that would be known as “Matter of Brittany”. They mainly talk about the Legend of King Arthur and of the Knights of the Round Table. After the Middle Ages these legendary events lost track, but from the 19th century they experienced a resurgence, and even today they arouse much interest.
The legend tells that Arturo received the condition to be able to take and dominate Excalibur, the magic sword. With it he was able to dominate the enemies of the island of Great Britain, bringing from Palestine the Sacred Cross of Jesus Christ. She also established the order of the Knights of the Round Table.
In the mythical and legendary order of the Knights of the Round Table, established in the legendary kingdom of camelot, were the best and most worthy knights. These were in charge of looking after the interests of the kingdom and also sought the Holy Grail.
8. The Headless Horseman
The celtic and german mythologies they tell stories about this character, who gained popularity thanks to a story called "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", written in 1820 by Washington Irving.
In the Celtic mythology of Ireland there is talk of a headless creature riding a black horse. This character is holding her own head in her right hand, which has a facial expression of a terrible smile. If the head says someone's name, this person dies immediately.
There are different German versions. In a the rider looks for criminals to give them their punishment. There are versions in which she is accompanied by fierce dogs with tongues that breathe fire. In other versions this character is only a advisor named "the wild hunter", which uses a horn to emit a sound that warns hunters. His message is premonitory, because if the person who is going to hunt continues with his plan, he will have an accident.
The popularity in the United States is due to the history inspired by the years of the War of Independence. Traditional folklore explains that a mercenary killed in one of the battles lost her head when a cannonball hit her. Every Halloween night she returns to our world in the form of enraged ghost looking for his head.
9. The girl around the bend or the ghost hitchhiker
The legend of the curve girl Or the ghost hitchhiker it's truly haunting and it's alright known in many countries. In Italy this girl is known as “Dama bianca”, in Sweden she is “Vita frun”, in the Czech Republic she is called “Bílá paní” ...
This girl has been spotted for centuries. Before there were horse-drawn carriages or horse-drawn carriages, they met her. In recent times also in Spain, specifically in the Ibizan town of San Antonio and in the Sevillian municipality of Sanlúcar la Mayor.
On thick foggy nights, there are people who suddenly see a girl wearing a dress, usually white, next to the road. She sometimes she makes the hitchhiking sign, sometimes she doesn't move. In any case, there are drivers who invite to climb in case she needs a ride somewhere.
She usually freezes in the back seat, without participating in any kind of initiative by the driver to start a conversation. Until suddenly, the girl says: "Be careful with the curve, that's where I died."
From this moment the driver discovers with amazement that there is no one in the back seat anymore. And they continue and there they see it. The curve.
10. Anahí and the ceibo flower
This legend tells the story of a young Guaraní woman who lived on the banks of the Paraná River, in eastern Argentina.
When the Spanish conquers, Anahí was captured together with other people from her town. The young woman managed to escape one night, but they eventually discovered her.
What those conquerors did then was punish her with a harsh sentence; tie it to a tree to burn her alive. Then, when the punishment was consummated and Anahí's body burned, she is she started to sing.
After all this chilling scene, the next day, at the point where his body was, some red flowers sprouted. These types of flowers are called ceibo flowers, and in fact they are a type of flower that are considered the Argentine National Flower.
11. Krampus
It is a creature typical of the folklore of the Alpine countries. When the Christmas Krampus manifests, also known as the christmas devil.
This character is described in different ways, but it is generally thought that he is a demon with goat features. Although the legendary beast also displays features of other beings from Greek mythology, such as fauns or satyrs. It is usual that, in addition to goat horns, it is represented with a long red tongue and imposing hair.
This creature appears the night before December 6, known as "Krampusnacht" (Krampus night). Krampus is a being that punishes children who misbehave. It is capable of kidnapping those who behave especially badly, taking them inside its sack to his lair in hell to eat them.
For years the Catholic Church prohibited its celebration, since it is known to have a pagan origin, prior to Christianity. Currently many people in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovenia or Hungary dress up as Krampus and celebrate the night socially with a drink. And by the way they try to scare a child.
12. Makahiya
The legend of Makahiya It is Filipino origin. The story goes that a couple who lived in what is now the city of Pampanga. They had a daughter named Mary, and she was very beautiful. Maria grew up and everyone loved hershe, she was hard-working, responsible, and had a good heart.
Maria was very shy and she would blush whenever she had to talk to other people. Often she was hiding so you don't have to talk to other people. In his garden she found refuge and happiness; Maria loved her flowers.
One day terrible news came. There are sources that speak of the Spanish conquerors, others of bandits. But the fact is that finally that group of evil men arrived what they looted and they killed everyone who tried to hide their money and other belongings. Maria's parents were beaten in his house while they prayed for his daughter Maria, who hid in the garden from him.
When they regained consciousness, the assailants had already left, so they went to look for Maria in the garden. They were desperate to see that Maria was nowhere, until the father noticed that something pricked his foot. He crouched down and saw a beautiful and sensitive plant that they had never seen before. Then they understood that it was her daughter, Maria. Since her daughter was very shy, they called her "Makahiya", what does it mean "do not touch me".
13. The salt mill
This Norwegian legend tells that many years ago a respected man traveled the world with his ship and its sailors. He was very brave and ambitious, and crossed the seas full of storms to transport the valuable merchandise that it sold after docking in different ports of the world.
Once he arrived in a major Norwegian port. The bustle of people seemed a good sign to possible deals. An old old man then observed who had enormous salt blocks. He found it cheap and bought a lot, as he knew it would sell well in other countries.
When setting out to sea a violent storm caused that they had to moor again in an island that they found. There they discovered a magic millWell, it didn't stop grinding. It was enough for someone to say: "Grind that grinds you!". And that's how, determined to do business, they robbed the mill during the night and took it to the ship.
During the trip it occurred to them that grinding the purchased salt would be a good idea, as it could be sold in smaller packages. She was then told to the mill: "Grind that grinds you!", and began to grind the blocks of salt they had bought.
But what happened next is that the mill was so magically powerful, which did not stop crushing salt, producing more and more fine salt. How they couldn't stop it the ship collapsed and the sailors had to jump overboard.
And the legend says that the mill still lies under the sea, inside the ship, producing more and more salt, salting all the seas of the world.
14 Kuchisake-onna
Japan is a country with a huge cultural legacy, and despite being a super modern country it is also deeply rooted in traditions. The number of legends is therefore very large, including scary ones. As a representative of them we talk about Kuchisake-onna, one of the scariest legends on the list.
This story manages to generate authentic terror even today. In 1979 there was a wave of panic in the country, and several schools have taken measures for students to return home as a group with a teacher to accompany them.
In South Korea there was also a lot of concern in 2004 about this issue, and the police have had to carry out patrols in both countries. All because of their fear of meeting Kuchisake-onna.
Kuchisake-onna is a malevolent spirit appearing in scary stories for over 200 years. The legend tells us about a woman who was mutilated by her samurai husband upon learning that this she had lain with another samurai. She cut his mouth from ear to ear and he said: "Who is going to think that you are beautiful now?".
Since then Kuchisake-onna demonstrates looking for potential victims, to which she asks: "I'm beautiful?". If the answer is that not or a He shouted, she cuts your mouth from ear to ear like her.
The modern version is even worse. She wears a surgical mask, and if you tell him that not she is pretty she kills you with scissorsWell, she has two ready-made scissors in her pockets.
If you tell her that she is pretty takes off takes off the mask, showing you the horrifying face of her, to ask you: "and now?". If you tell him that Yes tea cut the mouth from ear to ear so you can be like her. If you tell him that not, It kills you cutting your body in half.
15. Molly malone
Well we ended up with a much kinder legend. In 1880 James Yorkston composed a song that has popularized a true urban legend in Dublin, becoming her unofficial song.
The legend is about a beautiful fishmonger named Molly Malone, known to all Irish people affectionately as The tart with the cart. The girl was walking through the area of the port of Dublin proclaiming: "Live cockles and mussels!", and there is the widespread belief that he was prostitution at night.
Unfortunately there is no evidence that this character was real in the 17th century or at any other time. This saleswoman by day who prostituted herself at night and has her own statue in Dublin, and it is about a character much loved in Ireland.
Below we see a fragment of a concert by the group The Dubliners, in which they perform the well-known song (at least in Ireland). Next comes the lyrics (first in English and then the translation in Spanish):
Lyrics in English:
In Dublin's fair city,
Where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
"Alive, alive, oh,
Alive, alive, oh ",
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh".
She was a fishmonger,
But sure 'twas no wonder,
For so were her father and mother before,
And they each wheeled their barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
(chorus)
She died of a fever,
And no one could save her,
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone.
Now her ghost wheels her barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
Lyrics in Spanish:
In the beautiful city of Dublin
where the girls are so pretty,
First I laid eyes on sweet Molly Malone
As she turned her wheelbarrow,
Through wide and narrow streets
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
«I live, I live, oh,
I live, I live, oh »,
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh."
She was a fishmonger
And she sure was no wonder
For so were her father and her mother,
And each one turned her wheelbarrow,
Through wide and narrow streets
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
«I live, I live, oh,
I live, I live, oh »,
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh."
She died of fever
And no one could save her
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone.
Now her ghost rolls her wheelbarrow,
Through wide and narrow streets
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
«I live, I live, oh,
I live, I live, oh »,
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh."