Historical Untruths, Four

You probably know the legend of William Tell,  or at least the gist of it.

During the period of the Old Swiss Confederacy, Tell, a local farmer and renowned marksman, refused to acknowledge Austrian authority and was forced to shoot an arrow at an apple on his son’s head.

In case he failed, he saved an arrow for the governor who had ordered him to do so. This, the story goes, inspired resistance to Austrian rule among the Swiss people.

There’s one problem: Many historians say Tell never existed in the first place.

The basic tale we’ve come to associate with Tell is common in European folklore, sometimes predating Tell himself. In several nearly identical versions, spare arrow and all, only the archer (and his oppressor) change; in some, the central figure is a German folk hero, a Danish chieftain, or English outlaw Adam Bell.

Even without that context, many consider the source dubious. The legend was first detailed around 1570, 250 years after it was supposed to have taken place. Later in the story, Tell is part of an oath of freedom and unity with leaders of three different areas.

But other accounts of this event, which inspired Swiss Independence Day, say it took place several years earlier — without anybody named “William Tell” present.

However, thanks to works such as Friedrich Schiller’s 1804 play William Tell  and the iconic “William Tell Overture” (from a French opera by the same name), Tell is still a household name throughout the world.

Just maybe a fictional one!

Adios,