Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Stoney Breyer" <stoneyb AT touchwoodcreative.com>]

>>that is a bit different than basic genre identification. However, it's 
still an odd question, &c

If I understand James' objection correctly I think it's a very proper 
question. To the best of my recollection the traditional definitions 
distinguish legend from myth not on the basis of origin in some sort of 
historical actuality (which is the definition George advanced) but in what 
we might term historical 'virtuality': legend is located **by its narrators 
and audiences** in historical time. The Matter of Britain and the Trojan 
War are legendary rather than mythical not because Arthur and Odysseus have 
the same sort of documented historical actuality as Charlemagne (they do 
not) but because his epos is securely placed by the narrative tradition in 
'historical' time.

Stoney Breyer