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Myth or Truth ?
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| Swiss national hero whose
historical existence is disputed. According to tradition, in the
13th or early 14th cent. he defied Austrian authority and was
forced to shoot an apple from his son's head with a crossbow at
a distance of 80 paces by the hated Austrian governor. He
subsequently ambushed and killed the governor, an event that
supposedly led to rebellion against Austrian rule. He is first
mentioned in a chronicle from 1470. The marksman's test is
widely found in folklore, and the story has resemblances to the
founding myths of other nations |
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