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[[File: William Tell OneTwo.jpg|200px|thumb|left|A mural showing William Tell’s arrest by GesslerWoodcarving of the Swiss hero shooting the apple of his son’s head]]__NOTOC__
Every country has its national heroes, who embody the spirit of the nation. Switzerland’s national hero is William Tell, who was seen as the embodiment of the nation’s love of liberty and its struggle for freedom. Tell was not only a hero in Switzerland but throughout the world, he is seen as a symbol of freedom and even of revolution.
====William Tell - The Legend====
The sources of the story of William Tell are varied. It appears that there were songs and poems about the hero and his exploits from the medieval period. The earliest known account of William Tell, in written form, was from the 1470s. In the same decade, a popular ballad on Tell was also published. The most important source for the legend is the Chronicon Helvetica (1734–36), written by Gilg Tschudi. This Swiss author has given us the definitive version of the story of William Tell.
====The mythological theory====
[[File:William Tell One.jpg|350px|thumb|left|A mural showing William Tell’s arrest by Gessler]]
In the 19th century, many academics began the comparative study of myths. They found that many legends, fables, and folktales were similar, and this was because of cultural exchanges between societies. Many researchers who have studied the story of William Tell believe that it is only a myth. There are many similar myths throughout Europe. In these stories, some heroes displayed great marksmanship, and they shot an apple off the head of a person, typically a relative.
Much of the alleged facts about the hero are probably later inventions. There was no historical figure called William Tell. It seems that the origin of the story was in a myth that was popular in Europe, and which was adopted by the people of the Alpine Valleys. It later was used as a foundation myth, by successive Swiss governments to explain the development of the Swiss Federation.
====Further Reading====Puhvel, Jaan. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0801839386/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0801839386&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=e33314f4f62746d9143cb9eb2598a762 Comparative mythology ] (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987). Wilson, John. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1602061173/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1602061173&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=478b20bb7c7f1d0bd2ce6be18bdb2a0a The History of Switzerland] (New York, Cosimo, Inc., 2007).
====References====
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[[Category:Wikis]][[Category:European History]] [[Category:Historically Accurate]] [[Category:History of the Middle Ages]]
