What are the Parts of a Legend?

The parts of a main legend are the introduction, knot and denouement. The legend Is a narrative text and, as such, has different parts and a structure that guarantees its effectiveness and its diffusion.

Like any narrative, it tries to relate a particular fact that involves natural or supernatural actions, but placing them in a certain space and time, granting them a plausibility component.

The parts of a legend like the songs of gesta

Often, they tell traditional events and define the idiosyncrasy of a specific group.

The natural form of diffusion of the legends is through orality. For this reason, they are usually susceptible to have additions and omissions over time and it is common to find different versions of the same legend depending on the place or time where and when they are heard.

Unlike the myth that tells about the gods and the cosmogonies, the personages of the legends are human and represent characteristic types, like heroes or wise men.

These heroic legends are grouped in sagas or cycles as in the case of the history of the King Arthur or the one of the Cid Campeador. They can also have a moralizing or religious function, as in the stories of ghosts and other fantastic beings.

In most cases, the legends are based on a historical fact. However, the historical, due to oral tradition, tends to be transformed with errors, misinterpretations or exaggerations, whether involuntary or by particular or simply aesthetic motivations.

All these characteristics give to the legends a particular structure that, through certain strategies, allows its permanence in the time.

Structure: parts of a legend

Like all narrative texts, the legend has three primordial parts, according to Aristotle : Introduction, knot and outcome.

Introduction

Also called exposure, orientation or protasis. Its main function is the presentation of the characters and the place and time where the actions are carried out. This introduction also serves to fix the tone of the narration.

In this first part, it is fundamental to show the conflict or motivation that will allow the plot to move forward. The solution of this conflict is the main objective of the protagonist.

Knot

Also called development, complication or epithets. In this part there is an increase of the events that occur and that respond to the way of solving the conflicts raised at the beginning.

The series of events that make up the knot, become complex until reaching a climax or climax where the most exciting events happen.

Outcome

Also called resolution or catastrophe. The outcome entails a drop in the intensity of the plot resulting from the culmination.

Its function is to give meaning to the experience. It can have an end in the form of teaching or just to know what happens to the characters once they have achieved their goals.

The Hero's Journey

What are the Parts of a Legend?

Given its nature, as has been said at the beginning, it is common for legends to deal with a hero and his adventures. In these heroic legends one can observe what Joseph Campbell has called"the journey of the hero."

The hero's journey is a narrative structure that is present in many traditional and modern narratives, such as novels and films.

This journey consists of a series of steps and fundamental principles that must overcome the hero to reach his grandiose destiny.

This way of organizing in 12 steps, keeps an intimate correspondence with the structure in three parts.

Introduction. The call to adventure and initiation

1- The ordinary world: the function of this stage is to introduce the hero. It shows its interests and its limitations through its daily life. He is still an ordinary person and in a particular location.

2- The call to adventure: the hero's routine is suddenly interrupted. Suddenly, you are faced with a problem or challenge that you have to face and you have to decide whether to accept the call.

3- The rejection: in view of the abrupt alteration of its stability, the hero prefers to reject the call. Decide to stay in your everyday world.

4- The help of the mentor: the hero finds someone or something that leads him to finally accept the call. It can be a supernatural person or help that fills you with security and conviction.

He manages to get information he did not know, discovers a hidden talent or performs some training that makes him feel prepared.

Knot. Unification and Calvary

5- The crossing of the threshold: when the hero crosses this first threshold, he leaves everything known and commits himself to the adventure that awaits him.

On the other side, a different, unknown, even magical world awaits. The rules and limits of this new world are not yet well defined.

6- Trials, allies and opponents: As he walks his way, the hero faces a series of tests, finds allies in his adventure and encounters his opponents. These situations and people help the hero discover the rules of the world he is learning.

7- The approach: Having overcome the initial obstacles, the hero realizes that a greater challenge awaits him and begins to prepare for it. It overcomes the tests that are presented to it, it makes new learnings and establishes new beliefs.

8- Calvary: the closer you get, the hero is presented with a difficult or traumatic test that threatens him with death. Surpassing the test means a new life or a rebirth.

Outcome. The reward and the return home

9- The reward: after his encounter with death, the hero overcomes the challenge and overcomes his fears. In return he obtains a reward that can be a physical object or a transcendental quality. And he earns it based on his abilities and conscience.

10- The way back: once the reward is won, the hero starts on the way back. The hero wants to complete the adventure and return to his ordinary world with his reward. The return trip can be as full of adventure and dangerous as it was the one out.

11. The resurrection of the hero: when he reaches the threshold that means returning from the unknown to his ordinary world, the hero is severely tested one last time.

This test is an attempt to undo your previous achievements. At this point, the hero has reached a full circle, and the main conflict that made him embark on the journey is finally resolved. The hero must use all the resources and learning he picked up along the way.

12- The return: the hero returns home with the reward and everything he has learned during the trip and use it to help everyone. His ordinary world changes by the very transformation of the hero.

References

  1. Hyvärinen M. (2008). Analysing Narratives and Storytelling. Teoksessa Pertti Alasuutari, Leonard Bickman, Julia Brannen (toim.) The SAGE Handbook of Social Research Methods. Los Angeles: Sage, 447-460.jadskfjadkfj.
  2. Ray, Rebecca (2016). Narrative Structure. Retrieved June 21, 2017 on storyboardthat.com.
  3. Munand, Aris (2014). Narrative text: Definition, Purposes, Generic Structures and Example of Narrative Text. Retrieved on June 21, 2017 at duoulala.blogspot.com.
  4. Fauzi, Toni (2015). Genre: Narrative Text. Retrieved on June 21, 2017 at tonifauzi14.blogspot.com.
  5. Sweetland, Robert (2012). Myth and Legend - description of story elements and quality characteristics. Retrieved on June 21, 2017 at homeofbob.com.
  6. E2BN (2006). What are myths, legends and folktales? Retrieved June 21, 2017 at myths.e2bn.org.


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