Historical legends tell the stories of our past. They bring to light prior morals, values, and historical events in a perspective that would have otherwise been ignored. They led to the stories that we investigate and treasure today. Some examples from cultures around the world are: Robin Hood, Forty Seven Ronin, and the Vikings. In their unit, entitled “Cowboys Ninja Vikings,” the grade 9 students have been exploring historical legends and how they secretly involve nationalism.

Throughout the unit, grade 9 students have been analysing historical legends and using their critical thinking skills to understand the values the legends try to teach and how they are tied to nationalism. For their final summative, the grade 9’s each researched a legend, and changed it to fit a set of modern values.

Here is a list of short descriptions and links to some of the stories the grade 9’s wrote.

Have you ever heard of the Legend of Troy? It’s a Greek legend featuring a war between the Greeks and the Trojans. It’s a tale full of intricate characters and events, and has been adapted and changed numerous times. One popular example is The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. In my short story, I chose to rewrite the Legend of Troy in the style of a fable and adapt it to make it appropriate and appealing to young children.

Link to Shreenidhy’s (my) story: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RWAYWvRI7hXBnCz0cgxodiR7TCi24T3d2Wp6Xy0USi4/edit

Jaycee X. has explored and chosen to base her short story on the Yellow Turban Rebellion, a peasant revolt in China against the eastern Han Dynasty. The Yellow Turban Rebellion is speculated to be one of the main causes of the collapse of the Han Dynasty.

Link to Jaycee’s story:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1syjG6sJKP6A55HyuRZrD8U7-c0xjzga-/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=101003354510693592507&rtpof=true&sd=true

Anna D. was inspired by the Robin Hood legend and decided to base her story on Robin Hood and Little John, the two main characters in the Robin Hood stories. Her story explores many aspects of the legend, including how Robin Hood and Little John met and how they began stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

Link to Anna’s story: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vLalEYX8k9AUy87RsZtAPXtmr83DG0iPKsAjPspsCCo/edit?usp=sharing

Luna T., like Anna, was inspired by the Robin Hood legend but wrote a short story in a completely different style, genre and plot. Both their stories show how a legend can be adapted and changed in entirely different ways.

Link to Luna’s story:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15dPpgS13gQxT9fl222m5xzCao8jiCfW7gHCXCZSUuw/edit

Isaac B. changed the legend of Erik the Red to create his short story. Written in the first perspective, Isaac’s story takes you on a journey exploring how the vikings discovered Greenland. If you are interested in the vikings and want to read a fun short story, this one is for you!

Link to Isaac’s story: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uyqrcSNpf0JBcElATJ3aJBthoV6QAhfe_fQbMGxILmU/edit?usp=sharing

The grade 9 students have explored a variety of legends and have gained knowledge on the past values of different cultures. From children’s stories like Robin Hood to a war between the Greeks and the Trojans, historical legends have adapted in many different ways to fit cultural and societal values. Instead of seeing historical legends as fiction or trying to find the true facts embedded in them, start asking yourself why nations give significance to certain elements in the story and what values the legend is trying to teach us—you will find that you can learn a surprising amount about a culture.