School encyclopedia. Myth and fairy tale: connections and differences. Main genres of fairy tales. System of characters and plot motifs in a fairy tale

Man's attempts to create a picture of the universe were carried out in the form of myths. For a long time the myth was considered a fantastic invention, a fairy tale created by ignorant savages. But in this case, it remains unclear why a person, in conditions of a brutal “struggle for existence,” would tell each other fairy tales?

Through the efforts of a whole generation of researchers, the importance of myth for the development of culture has been revealed. What is a myth and how did it appear?

"Myth" is a "word", a "legend". According to N.A.’s definition Berdyaev, myth is the desacralization / removal of holiness, mysticism, “worldliness” / of secret, magical knowledge. This is essentially true, although it sounds somewhat one-sided. Myth is really a word that establishes a connection between real world and the secret, sacred world. However, to say that myth only “secularizes” the sacred means telling half the truth. Bringing higher meanings into the world, myth organizes it, harmonizes it, and makes it manageable.

An entire era of the spiritual life of mankind, the formation and flourishing of ancient civilizations, was the kingdom of myth, created by the imagination of man, this great gift of nature, creative energy. The imagination created the Iliad and the Ramayana, the Legend of Cosmic Thought and the Aeneid; it brought to life the Parthenon and the majestic Egyptian pyramids;, it also satisfied the aesthetic needs of people who were trying to unravel the mysteries of the Universe and the relationship of man with life. Myth thus appears, according to the definition of the Russian philosopher and religious thinker A.F. Losev, as a magical word that reveals the secret essence of the world and allows one to simultaneously influence the world and subjugate it. It is quite natural that ancient man, looking at the space around him, observed a huge number of phenomena to which he gave his own names. In naming a separate object, a mental act of generalization was carried out. That is, any object outside a person or a thing created by him served as a mirror of the moving human spirit, as in Mandelstam: “My breath, my warmth has already fallen on the glass of eternity...”. It is enough to designate a thing in a cosmological perspective, so necessary in archaic models of the world, embracing the creation of the Universe itself, the Earth, the “primary” living conditions of plants, animals, the establishment of the principles of material / food, clothing, etc. / and spiritual life / moral law, system of marriage rules and prohibitions:, organization diagram social life, the beginning of knowledge, etc. / and arises as a result of the sequential actions of some sacredly marked personality - God, a hero of divine nature, the first man or some impersonal life-creating force. The meaning of this demiurgic activity is not only in creating conditions for a person’s life, but also in teaching a person the very principle of maintaining, developing and improving these conditions in relation to any external and internal changes in the situation. Bringing a person to. a certain boundary line, the divine character-creator, as it were, releases him, transferring his creative function to the person himself in the hope that he has learned the lessons of “creation” not only at the level of principles, but also specifically, practically, in relation to each phenomenon and the subject, which together form a chain of changing conditions of human existence.

So, for example, a fire broke out! From a lightning strike, lights glowing in the night and other phenomena of “fiery power” received the name “Hephaestus”. The word was born, the myth of Hephaestus with all further consequences, since the mental act is directly connected with sensory perception, fiction, depicting the origin of fiery power, is generalized by life experience.

Looking at a ripening ear, at a stem breaking through the turf, at green grass or blossoming fruit trees, the ancient man summed up all these growth phenomena in one word - Demeter, that is, mother Earth, the one who gives birth, grows, feeds. Hence the complexity and entertaining biography Demeter, grieving for her daughter, rejoicing at her appearance, which is accompanied either by the impoverishment of nature in dry times or in winter, or by a bountiful harvest in the fall.

In order to create a culture, a person had to acquire a certain gift, the ability to create something that was not fixed in his species program. This unexpected discovery is expressed in the myth of Prometheus, who became the embodiment of courage and perseverance, proud resistance to the old order, love for freedom and people. Few of them mythical heroes received such attention as Prometheus. For more than two and a half thousand years it continues to live in the works of thinkers and poets. Of course, everyone interpreted this image in their own way and in accordance with their time. However, its main features, unchanged in any image, have become the “common property of mankind.” Prometheus breathed hope into people and gave them a powerful weapon - fire from the sacred hearth on Olympus, which helped people survive. They stopped depending on the weather, learned to smelt metals, work, count and write. Prometheus brought man out of his natural wild state, teaching him to think and act rationally, for which he was doomed to eternal torment.

What meaning can be drawn from this myth? First of all, it should be emphasized: culture is supranatural - it is a gift from above.

So, a person becomes a creator, and the creation of everything necessary for one’s own existence and survival is an actual unfolding stage. A person not only sees and experiences it, but also, being inside this ethan, testifies to it by acting as a creator.

The idea preceded the thing, and the thing, having arisen, gave birth to ideas.

Myth and fairy tale... At first glance they are similar, but if you look more closely, you can find differences, although both are fiction.

It makes more sense to start with space, artistic space where important events take place. In myth it is the Universe, the macrocosm. A completely life-like space: people live and act on Earth, above is the sky, Olympus, etc. - gods, and in the lower tier of the multi-stage structure of the world, under the Earth - kingdom of the dead. Key Feature of the magical space, it is the magical, and not the everyday fairy tale, that is compared with the glyph and its structure / fairy tale consists solely in the fact that it is not likened to the real and, on the contrary, more or less obviously and persistently emphasizes its fundamental unreality. For example, the hero of a fairy tale must make his way through a forest in which there is a forest house, a magical creature, and Baba Yaga's hut. At the same time, the hero does not touch the branches that could scratch him. So, Marya, following Finist, must wear out 3 pairs / 6, 12 pairs / of iron shoes on her way, and we do not know the state of her legs in this situation, we will not find any mention of fatigue, thirst, etc. The dreamlike space creates no resistance; and the mythological is filled with all sorts of obstacles, which the material environment should provide. The same applies to the time of action - it simply doesn’t exist in the fairy tale, meaning real time, in which a person does not change and grows old. In myths it is long-lasting: the gods live for centuries, millennia, although “twilight” sets in for them; and mortal people go to the afterlife at the end of their lives.

The hero of the fairy tale also goes to the afterlife. However, if this happens in mythology, then exit from the kingdom of Hades is impossible. For example, Orpheus could not get Eurydice out of there. And in fact, no one has ever returned from there, at least, history does not remember such cases. A fairy-tale character, moving into the sphere of action of other world forces and laws, there - everything is “the very best”: the firebird, the golden-maned horse, the treasure sword, Vasilisa the Beautiful, evidence of which is burials, mounds - the “other world” where they were sent Having equipped a person for a long time into an unknown life, he tries to do everything to return. He solves “difficult problems” there, thus fighting forces unknown to him: he steals, spies, eavesdrops, helps the local king “bathe” in boiling water, etc. The fact is that fairy tales grew out of myths, and people wanted to live as long as the gods, and for this it is necessary to defeat death. And there's no question moral guidelines- all means are good. After all, the purpose of the fairy tale is contained in the words: “And they lived happily ever after,” having at the same time acquired the firebird, and the horse, and the beautiful maiden, and the royal throne. This is a significant difference between a fairy tale and a myth, although the interest in both is equally great.

Comparison, common features and differences between myths, fairy tales and legends.

Many of us consider myths and legends, as well as fairy tales, to be varieties folk art, and little understand how they differ from each other. In fact, the difference between these concepts is huge.

How does myth differ from fairy tales and legends: comparison

If we turn to the translation of words, then myth is translated as “word”. A fairy tale in translation means “a legend or a story to tell.” Myths were created even before the advent of religions and the first mentions of gods and their existence. Initially, in ancient times, myths were created in order to explain various natural phenomena such as snow, fog, storms and hurricanes.

A little later, myths about various gods and their actions began to appear. In this way, people tried to explain the same actions of nature, but explained them in slightly different ways. If there was no rain for a long time and there was a severe drought, the gods were blamed for everything. And they said that people were guilty, and thus the gods punish them.

A fairy tale, unlike a myth, is a genre of folk art that tells about a hero. Fairy tales can be of a varied nature; they can be both instructive and ridiculing. The purpose of a fairy tale is not to explain anything. The main goal fairy tales are to teach and warn against repeating certain mistakes.

Legends are separate species, which tells you about a specific hero. Most often, legends are based not on fictional characters, but on those who once lived a long time ago. Of course, the legend is a somewhat distorted reflection of reality, but based on very real events. The heroes of legends are very real characters.

• Different time frames
• Various tasks
• Differences in the reality of events

What do myths tell about in comparison with fairy tales and legends?

All fairy tale characters are fictitious. Fairy tales can be fictional both by the people and by certain authors. First of all, a fairy tale is literary genre. The purpose of a fairy tale is to tell you about something fictional hero and tell about his mistakes. This is done in order to teach people and children not to repeat the mistakes of a particular hero.

Features of fairy tales, myths and legends:

• Myths cover a very large time interval. It can be either centuries or millennia. And generally not contain time references.
• In a fairy tale, most often it is not indicated when the events took place. They usually begin with the words “long ago.” Once upon a time it was actually possible. But all the characters in the fairy tale are fictitious, and the events in it are also fictitious. One example of myths is the stories of the gods Ancient Rome or Ancient Greece.
• The fairy tale is not only folk art, but also exists as a genre literary work, which can be entirely invented by the writer or author. A myth, unlike a fairy tale, has no authorship and takes shape over many centuries. The purpose of a fairy tale is to entertain and warn, to warn, to teach. The task of myth is to explain certain phenomena and the world.
• If we're talking about about a legend, then it tells a story about what once happened. Describes a specific historical period, which may, in principle, not explain history in any way.

Can a myth or legend become a fairy tale?

It is worth noting that both myth and legend can become fairy tales over time. This happens when people take a specific event as a basis and add their own colors to it. That is, it adds some details and fictional characters. Most often, fairy tales are based on some real events. Fictional characters are still based on ordinary people who make mistakes for some reason.

That is, over time, a legend or myth can turn into a fairy tale. This will happen if fictitious characters and events are added to the legend or myth, but at the core they remain stories about a real person.

As you can see, myth, fairy tale and legend are not the same thing. These are genres of folk art that differ significantly from each other not only in their tasks, but also in their methods of construction. The main purpose of a fairy tale is to warn, tell, warn and teach. Myth and legend teach nothing. They simply describe some events, actions or behavior of specific characters.

Another significant difference between a legend and a myth is that most often the myth is based on some kind of inanimate beings. Such as gods, but the legends are based on ordinary mortal people.

VIDEO: Fairy tales, myths and legends

For many years now, modern scientists have been studying the myth from a completely different position than was done in the 19th century. Unlike their predecessors, they now consider myth not as a “fairy tale”, “fiction”, “fantasy”, but as it was understood in primitive societies, where myth meant, on the contrary, “a genuine, real event” and that more importantly, the event is significant and serves as an example for imitation. A fairy tale is a fiction and is perceived as a fiction, captivating a person with a dream of a different reality. A fairy tale is a child already more than late era. The myth is ancient. A myth is not a fairy tale. Myth identifies dream with reality. Which of Homer's contemporaries could doubt the reality of Zeus? Which ancient Indian would have dared to dispute the existence of the formidable Shiva? The world of myth was beyond doubt. About all this in the video lesson “Myths of Ancient Greece. The difference between a myth and a fairy tale...

Topic: Myths of the peoples of the world

Lesson: Myths of Ancient Greece. The difference between myth and fairy tale

The purpose of the lesson is to understand what a myth is, how a myth differs from a fairy tale, and to get acquainted with myths of ancient Greece about the origin of the world.

There is a beautiful country in the world, Greece. But only we call it that. The Greeks themselves call it Hellas. In ancient times it was a large state. Many centuries ago, hardworking Greeks built beautiful cities: Athens, Thebes, Sparta. All the peoples of Europe consider themselves descendants and heirs of the greatest Hellenic culture. But there is another heritage that came to us from the Hellenes. These are myths about gods and heroes, about the origin of the world. They reveal amazing pages in the life of this people.

Rice. 1. Myths of Ancient Greece. Heroes of Hellas ()

What is a myth?

Myth- a work of oral folk art that tells about the origin of the world, the deeds of gods and heroes, and also explains natural phenomena.

Remember: myths are not created by any one person. They were created and processed over many centuries great artist- Greek people.

What made Greek man create myths?

He lived in constant communication with nature; ancient people were in danger from everywhere: animals in the forest, lightning from the sky, which threatened fire, prolonged rains and droughts destroyed the harvest, threatening famine. Man tried to tame the elements, and to do this they had to be explained. He always wanted to know: why day gives way to night, why heat is replaced by cold, how fire appeared and why man is mortal. He tried to explain these elements, relying on his life experience. Ancient man believed that nature is Living being. A myth is an explanation of the picture of the world based on knowledge and experience. Myth has a form fantastic story. The scientific value of the myth was gradually lost as people gained new knowledge about this world. But the poetic side of the myth still has its charm. The mythology of Ancient Greece is known to us better than the mythology of other peoples, because it was recorded and systematized by Hesiod, the ancient Greek poet, in the poem “Theogony. Genealogy of the Gods”, as well as in the poetic cycle “Tales of Heroes”.

How did the ancient Greeks explain the origin of all life on Earth? Listen.

Origin of the world and gods

In the beginning there was only eternal, boundless, dark Chaos. It contained the source of life. Everything arose from boundless Chaos - the whole world and the immortal gods. The goddess Earth, Gaia, also came from Chaos. It spreads wide, powerful, giving life to everything that lives and grows on it. Far under the Earth, as far as the vast, bright sky is far from us, in immeasurable depths, the gloomy Tartarus was born - a terrible abyss full of eternal darkness. From Chaos, the source of life, was born the mighty force that animates everything, Love - Eros. The world began to be created. Boundless Chaos gave birth to the Eternal Darkness - Erebus and the dark Night - Nyukta. And from Night and Darkness came eternal Light- Ether and joyful bright Day - Hemera. The light spread throughout the world, and night and day began to replace each other.

The mighty, fertile Earth gave birth to the boundless blue Sky - Uranus, and the Sky spread over the Earth. We stood up to him proudly high mountains, born of the Earth, and the ever-noisy Sea spread widely.

... Uranus - Sky - reigned in the world. He took the fertile Earth as his wife. Uranus and Gaia had six sons and six daughters - powerful, formidable titans.

...In addition to the Titans, the mighty Earth gave birth to three giants - Cyclops with one eye in the forehead - and three huge, mountain-like, fifty-headed giants - hundred-armed (hecatoncheires), so named because each of them had a hundred hands. Nothing can resist their terrible power; it knows no limits.

The mythology of antiquity is, first of all, Olympus - the mountain of the gods. The Hellenes worshiped the gods, they created them in the image and likeness of man, endowing them with beauty, magical power, ability to accept various images, and also, most importantly, immortality. They were like people: they could be kind, merciful, merciful, as well as treacherous, evil and vengeful.

Zeus reigns high on bright Olympus, surrounded by a host of gods. Here are his wife Hera, and golden-haired Apollo with his sister Artemis, and golden Aphrodite, and the mighty daughter of Zeus Athena, and many other gods.

...The gods feast in their golden palaces, built by the son of Zeus Hephaestus. King Zeus sits on a high golden throne. The courageous, ... beautiful face of Zeus breathes with greatness and a proudly calm consciousness of power and might.

From Olympus, Zeus sends his gifts to people and establishes order and laws on earth. The fate of people is in the hands of Zeus; happiness and unhappiness, good and evil, life and death - everything is in his hands. Two large vessels stand at the gates of Zeus's palace. In one vessel there are gifts of good, in the other - evil. Zeus draws good and evil from them and sends them to people. Woe to the man to whom the Thunderer draws gifts only from a vessel of evil. Woe to those who violate the order established by Zeus on earth and do not comply with his laws. The son of Kron will move his menacingly thick eyebrows, black clouds will then cover the sky. The great Zeus will be angry, and the hair on his head will rise terribly, his eyes will light up with an unbearable brilliance; he will wave his right hand - thunderclaps will roll across the entire sky, fiery lightning will flash, and high Olympus will shake.

Rice. 3. J. Romano Olympian Gods. Painting the ceiling in the Hall of the Giants ()

What are the similarities? myth And fairy tales?

Myth- (from the Greek mythos - legend - legend), a story about gods, spirits, deified heroes and ancestors, which arose in primitive society. Myths intertwine early elements of religion, philosophy, science and art. (Encyclopedic Dictionary).

Fairy tale- one of the main genres of folklore, epic, mainly prose work magical, adventurous or everyday in nature with a fantasy orientation. (Encyclopedic Dictionary).

Fiction- what is created is created by imagination, fantasy. (Encyclopedic Dictionary).

Myth and fairy tale are works of oral folk art created by the imagination of the people.

What's the difference?

If myths tell general ideas about the place of man in the strict hierarchy of earthly and divine forces, then the world of fairy tales is as close as possible to ordinary life. In it you can find interesting details of life, family life, and customs. Fairy tale characters taken and transferred to a fictional world from ordinary life.

A fairy tale is, first of all, interesting story, magical or everyday. And a myth is a system-forming fiction that is designed to explain something global - the creation of the world, the origin of a people, the foundations of religion.

And most importantly, people believed in the myth, but for them the fairy tale always remained a fiction.

So, we got acquainted with the definition of myth and fairy tale. We found out how a myth differs from a fairy tale, and also got acquainted with the ideas of the ancient Greeks about the origin of the world.

1. Literature. 6th grade. At 2 o'clock / [V.P. Polukhina, V.Ya. Korovina, V.P. Zhuravlev, V.I. Korovin]; edited by V.Ya. Korovina. – M., 2013.

2. Encyclopedia “Myths of the Peoples of the World”. – M., 1980-1981, 1987-1988.

3. Stein A. My first book on mythology: a guide for junior schoolchildren / A. Stein. - M.: Continent-Alpha, 2006.

1. Everything explanatory dictionaries Russian language in a single rubricator ().

2. Myths of Ancient Greece. Gods and heroes. Stories for children about Ancient Greece ().

3. Legends and myths of the peoples of the world ( ).

4. Mythological encyclopedia ().

5. Encyclopedia "Around the World". Classical mythology ().

How many centuries have passed, and in the lives of people the same events occur as in ancient times: people and animals are born, the wind blows and rain pours, the seasons change...

Read the text.

The long-awaited change has come: February on the calendar gave way to the first spring month - March. This means that the end of snowy and severe storms has come, and soon it will be possible to forget about the frosts and rejoice in the coming spring.

The street is still full of snowdrifts, but not for long. Timid at first, the rays of the sun will soon come into full force and melt the snow. Cheerful streams will run ringing through the streets, harbingers of the awakening of nature.

The forest will wake up from sleep, the trees will straighten their branches. The white blanket of snow with which winter has covered nature will disappear under the hot sun rays. Snow will remain the longest in lowlands and ravines, but sooner or later the sun will get there too. Just a little time will pass - and not a trace will remain of winter ().

For modern man such a description natural phenomenon– the arrival of spring is understandable and familiar. But ancient people would have described it differently: with the help myth. And then, based on the myth, they would come up with a magic fairy tale.

Exercise. Imagine that you are an ancient person (it doesn’t matter whether you are a Slav, a Hellenic, an Indian or a Viking). Describe the arrival of spring using a myth, and then come up with a fairy tale. The characters of both myths and fairy tales can be either already existing (taken from read myths and fairy tales) or invented by you personally.

Clue. Remember the definition of the terms “myth” and “fairy tale”, as well as what are the similarities and differences between myth and fairy tale.

In the early stages of development public consciousness ideas about the universe and human nature developed into myths, traditions and legends. On the basis of myth-making were cultivated pagan rituals, the foundations of religions were formed and philosophical teachings. Myth as a form of oral collective creativity had a wider scope compared to other folklore types art, interpretation. Mythical motifs can also be traced in the legends with which real historical facts or outstanding events.

What is myth and legend

Myth– a reflection in the collective consciousness of ancient people of ideas about the structure of the world, recorded in works of oral folk art and written sources. The mythical narrative asserted the power of the immortal gods over the fate of man and explained everything life phenomena as a manifestation of divine will.
Legend- one of folklore genres, in which real historical events, natural disasters and phenomena public life appear in the form of a symbolic generalization, close to myth-making. Legendary characters are heroes and superhuman beings who personify the forces of nature.

Comparison of myth and legend

What is the difference between myth and legend?
The events reflected in the myths covered a significant chronological period and could not be associated with specific individuals who influenced the course of history. The focus of myths is on the life, rivalry, struggle and idleness of almighty gods who lived separately from people: most often, in sacred mountains or in the sky. What is happening on earth in the ancient mythologized consciousness is only a projection of the fateful actions of the rulers of the sky, the firmament and the water element.
Mythical gods patronized agriculture, cattle breeding, trade, navigation - the main and very real activities with which they were associated. The immortality of the gods was contrasted with the frailty of the lives of mere mortals.
Legends describe a single episode of the historical past of an ethnic group or nationality, while myths depict almost all aspects of life.
Gods inhabiting the mythical peaks, the depths of the oceans and underworld, immortal. Heroes of legends are endowed with incredible strength, intelligence, and abilities, but they cannot live forever. They perform feats with the help of the gods and die like ordinary people.

TheDifference.ru determined that the difference between a myth and a legend is as follows:

The myth refers to epic genres oral folk art; characterized by broad generalization symbolic images, reflecting a certain level of collective consciousness.
Legend is one of the genres folk epic, which is based on real historical events.
Myths tell about the lives of immortal gods. The characters of the legend are mortal heroes who are protected by higher powers.
In myths, the coverage of events is much wider than in legends.
One of the main plotting techniques in a legend is hyperbole. In myths, fantastic exaggeration is perceived as objective reality.

Fairy tale, myth, legend... They have a lot in common. But there are also differences.

First, about the general things.

Common features in fairy tales and myths

Myths and fairy tales are works created by the people (about author's fairy tale we'll talk a little later). Stories about events whose reality cannot be proven were transmitted orally. Information contained in myths, fairy tales and legends is passed on from generation to generation. Partly from these works we learn about the life of our ancestors, but we understand that this knowledge is not true or not always true.

Differences between fairy tale, myth and legend

Fairy tale

The difference between a fairy tale and a myth is that fairy tales are usually aimed at children. At any national fairy tale the people's worldview is expressed, there are instructions for children, deep life wisdom is transmitted (often in a naive form), which has helped at all times and now helps resolve life, moral, family, everyday and even government issues. The fairy tale contains eternal, enduring moral values.

Myth

Mythology tells about reality in the forms of figurative storytelling, in this way it is close to literature and essentially had a certain influence on its development. Myth is a more serious narrative. For a very long time, myths were the most important source of information about the past, constituting most famous historical works of antiquity (Herodotus, Titus Livy).
But the main thing in a myth is its content, not its correspondence to historical events. It is believed that the myth expressed the childhood age of humanity, this “ philosophical experience human soul who dreams before she wakes up” (I.G. Herder).
Greek mythology was the basis and main content of all ancient Greek art. For example, the Homeric epic ("Iliad" and "Odyssey") is entirely built on Greek mythology. It was the same in other countries: the Hindu Vedas, Mahabharata and Ramayana; Iranian "Avesta"; German-Scandinavian Edda, etc.
The main characters of myths are mainly gods, titans and other fictional characters.
Later, the Greek poets of early antiquity subjected the myths to revision: they introduced the latest consciousness into them, ennobled them according to the laws of the morality existing at that time, and rethought them philosophically.

Legend

A legend differs from both a fairy tale and a myth in that it is one of the varieties of non-fairy-tale prose folklore. A legend has a written basis based on legends about some historical events or personalities. In a broad sense, the legend should be understood as unreliable narrative about the facts of reality.
Events in legends are usually exaggerated and a lot of fiction is added. And then the legend comes closer to the fairy tale. Therefore, it is impossible to consider legends as completely reliable historical evidence, although legends are mainly based on real events.
Thus, a legend can only conditionally be considered a synonym for myth. Legends, like fairy tales, were passed down from mouth to mouth by wandering storytellers, but many legends were still written down.
There is an opinion that if legends are made about a person, this means public recognition of his activities. The word “legend” has acquired an additional meaning. For example, the expressions “this man is a legend of our cinema”, “a legend of our football”, “a legend of our stage”, etc. are often used.
In a figurative sense, a legend refers to the glorious, admired events of the past, depicted in fairy tales, stories, etc. Usually a legend contains additional religious or social pathos.

Examples of legends

There is, for example, the legend of the philosopher's stone. Medieval alchemists described it as a certain reagent necessary for the successful transformation of metals into gold, as well as for the creation of the elixir of life.

D. Wright "The Alchemist in Search of the Philosopher's Stone" (1771)
The philosopher's stone has been sought for several centuries. Although most people consider the philosopher's stone a fiction, still in the 20th century. gold was often obtained from other elements in the process of work nuclear reactor. These are insignificant concentrations, expensive to extract, and negatively affect the operation of the reactor itself. Moreover, it does not serve as a universal medicine (elixir of life).
The legend of Robin Hood is no less famous. Robin Hood - popular hero medieval English folk ballads, the noble leader of the forest bandits. According to legend, Robin Hood acted with his gang in Sherwood Forest near Nottingham: he robbed the rich and gave what he got to the poor.
The identity of the prototype of these ballads and legends has not been established. It is believed that he lived at the beginning of the 14th century, during the reign of King Edward II.

Illustration by L. Reid “Robin competes in shooting with Sir Guy” (1912)
Currently, the most popular is the artistic version of Walter Scott, according to which Robin lived in the second half of the 12th century. (that is, he was a contemporary of Richard the Lionheart). The following historical detail speaks against Scott's version: archery competitions began to be held in England no earlier than the 13th century.
Ballads about Robin Hood were recorded back in the 14th century.
Are fairy tales, myths and legends created in our time?
Of course they are being created.

Modern myths, fairy tales and legends

Nowadays, fairy tales, myths and legends, which are already many hundreds or even thousands of years old, are often modernized. The classic plot is transferred to modern conditions. Previously, girls expected a knight on a white horse, but now the knight is replaced by a successful businessman in a prestigious car. The modern Cinderella is a poor but pretty nurse who marries a “fairytale prince” (a rich man).
There are myths about secret technologies. For example, the myth about the existence of technologies with the help of which it is possible to change the gravitational field on a planetary scale or influence processes in the earth’s crust.
There is a legend that the Third Reich (Germany) achieved serious success in the development of “flying saucers” or psychotropic weapons, which is capable of using radiation to force people to perform certain actions or instill in them any ideology.
There is a myth about technology that can change weather conditions or even cause earthquakes.
There are myths about secret government conspiracies, social experiments, conspiracies large corporations, aliens. Often these myths are absurd and are not supported by anything, but they arouse great interest among some people.
Myths about kidnappings are no less popular. The abductors are called aliens, criminals or secret organizations. One of the popular mythical plots is abduction for organs. In fact, you can use someone else's organs only if you have complete information about the physical health of the person who is allegedly being kidnapped.