Resources for Primary Schools

Myths and Legends

What are legends?

A legend is a story, which has been passed ondown through generations and has important symbolism or meaning for the culture in which it originates. Legends usually contains an element of truth, or can be based on historic facts, but has ‘mythical qualities’. Legends usually involve heroic characters or amazing places and often encompass the spiritual beliefs of the culture in which they began.

What are myths?

A myth is a story based on tradition which has a symbolic meaning. Some myths are accounts of actual events, but they have been transformed by symbolic meaning or in put in a different time or place. To the culture in which they developed, the power of the meaning of these stories is a major reason why they survive for so long – sometimes thousands of years.

Here we have put together some of our favourite Myths and Legends that we enjoy for you to use with your class:

A Wise Wizard and some Curious Cats - Welsh Myth

Daedelus and Icarus – Ancient Greek Myth

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – British Legend

Theseus and the Minotaur – Ancient Greek Myth

We have Myths and Legends based Drama Workshops designed for KS2