Legends (derived from Latin legenda ) are stories in oral tradition passed on by word of mouth .

The word is also used for famous or historically significant people , places, events , etc. We sometimes say of someone who is extremely famous that they are a "legend" or "of legendary fame".

Examples of legends are Ali Baba , the Fountain of Youth , Nano Begal , Paul Bunyan , Bogeyman , Kraken , Sirens , Atlantis, the Loch Ness Monster , Bigfoot , and Yeti . Some legends are stories about real people; others are not. Odysseus and Robin Hood for example may have been real but most the stories about them are definitely fiction .

For some places, legends are the earliest history . For example, the origin of ancient Rome is known only from legends, as are the earliest dynasties in the history of China .

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