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William Tell (German: Wilhelm Tell, pronounced [ˈvɪlhɛlm ˈtɛl] ⓘ; French: Guillaume Tell; Italian: Guglielmo Tell; Romansh: Guglielm Tell) is a folk hero of Switzerland. According to the legend, Tell was an expert mountain climber and marksman with a crossbow who assassinated Albrecht Gessler , a tyrannical reeve of the Austrian dukes of the House of Habsburg positioned in Altdorf , in ...
William Tell, Swiss legendary hero who symbolized the struggle for political and individual freedom. The historical existence of Tell is disputed. According to popular legend, he was a peasant from Bürglen in the canton of Uri in the 13th and early 14th centuries who defied Austrian authority, was forced to shoot an apple from his son’s head ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Feb 16, 2022 · The story of William Tell is one of the myths surrounding the creation of the Swiss Confederation. First mentioned in the White Book of Sarnen, a collection of manuscripts dating from 1470, he became a household name thanks to Friedrich von Schiller's play 'Wilhelm Tell'. This is the story of Switzerland's iconic hero who has been held up as the personification of bravery ever since.
De Haller’s subsequent book, William Tell: a Danish Fable, provoked outrage in Switzerland. There was a court action, a copy of the book was publicly burned in the Altdorf square once dominated ...
- Historical Context
- William Tell - The Legend
- How Is Historically Accurate Is The Story of William Tell?
- The Mythological Theory
- The Politics of Myth
- Conclusion
- Further Reading
Modern-day Switzerland was part of the Holy Roman Empire in 1200. In the medieval period global warming, meaning that the Alpine valleys became suitable for livestock and this allowed for the population to grow, rapidly. The Swiss territories or cantons were largely autonomous and only nominally controlled by the German Empire. However, this was to...
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 Ch...
By the 18th century, William Tell was a very popular figure in Switzerland, so much so that several antiquarians investigated the story. They did not find any evidence that there was such as figure, nor proof that any person shot an apple off a boy’s head. In the 19th century, the Swiss government ordered an official investigation into the authenti...
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...
Despite the almost complete lack of evidence for the existence of William Tell, many firmly believe him to be a real historical figure. In Switzerland, he became the national hero in the 19th century. It seems that the Swiss people needed a hero when the armies of Napoleon occupied its country. He became an embodiment of the nation and its aspirati...
William Tell is not only the national hero of Switzerland but is an international symbol of freedom. The story of the mountaineer has entered into popular culture, and few have not heard about his adventures. It can be stated with certainty that there is no documentary or archaeological evidence for the existence of the hero. There are no records t...
Puhvel, Jaan. Comparative mythology(Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987). Wilson, John. The History of Switzerland(New York, Cosimo, Inc., 2007). Miller, Douglas. The Swiss at War 1300-1500. No. 94 (London, Osprey Publishing, 1979).
Oct 26, 2023 · The legend of Swiss hero William Tell, who shot an apple off his son's head with a crossbow, epitomizes defiance against tyranny. This article explores the 14th century context, symbolism, deadly challenge by an Austrian bailiff, Tell's extraordinary shot, and the reasons crossbow apple-shooting was banned.
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Statue of William Tell and his Son in Altdorf, Switzerland (Richard Kissling, 1895). William Tell was a legendary hero of disputed historical authenticity who is said to have lived in the Canton of Uri in Switzerland in the early fourteenth century. The myth symbolizes the struggle for political and individual freedom.
