Last Updated on March 17, 2020, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 155

Legend - a tradition or story handed down from earlier times and popularly accepted as true but actually a mix of fact and fiction. The term is also applied to any fictitious tale concerning a real person, event, or place and is likely to be less concerned with the supernatural than a myth. Another definition of legend is brief, explanatory comments accompanying a photograph, map, or painting; in such a case, a synonym is caption.

Download Guide to Literary Terms Study Guide

Subscribe Now

The term comes from the Medieval Latin legenda, meaning “to be read,” which was derived from legere, meaning “to read.”

Originally, the term denoted a story about a saint which was read aloud during the services of the early Christian church.

Among the many Greek legends are the epics of Homer: The Iliad and The Odyssey. Some legendary characters are King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Robin Hood, and Beowulf.

see: folklore, hagiography, myth

Explore all literary terms.