Writing Myths

& Legends

Jeremy Thompson
Intermediate Language Arts
 What is a Legend?
Set in the present or recent
past.

Are supposedly true, and

used to
scare, teach, inform, or
entertain.

May be based on true

events, but are changed or
exaggerated over time.

Handed down from

generation to
generation, usual through
an oral history.

Explain why a natural

occurrence occurs
Example: Sasquatch (bigfoot)

Did you know that the

Sasquatch was believed to
live in the forests of
Washington state?
Example: Johnny Appleseed

Legend Fact
Example: King Arthur and the
Knights of the Round Table
Possibly based on an
actual person, or even
several people, in
ancient Britain.

Stories were
told, retold, exaggerate
d, changed, and added
to over hundreds of
years.

Used to teach moral

lessons about chivalry.
 What is a Myth?

A traditional or legendary
story, usually concerning
some hero or event, that
people believe is true at the
time.

Usually contains non-

human characters
(gods, demons, demigods)

Explains some
practice, rite, phenomenon,
or why something is the
way it is.
Example: Pandora’s Box

How evil came into the world

Example: Persephone &
Demeter

Why winter comes each year

Example: Orpheus

Myths do not need to have

happy endings.

In fact, most of them end

very, very badly.

Loss is inevitable
 Writing your Myth or Legend

Choose something Choose a character. Complete a story

from the class map Myth = non-human map/planning
that your myth or sheet.
legend will explain. Legend = human

The solution of your

story should explain
Begin writing. how the item from the
map you chose came to
be.
Myth Legend
Your character
Your character
(non-human)
(human) should
should have
have realistic
supernatural
human qualities.
powers.

Your Myth Your Legend

should explain should explain
how or why something, or
something in this teach some kind
world exists. of moral lesson.