Legends Lost to Time

The further you go back in history, the blurrier the line between fact and fiction becomes. The figures you've learned or heard about may have been purely shaped by folklore—tales passed down through generations by word of mouth. But that's not to say that anything is concrete; the existence of these legends may still be up for debate. What's your take on what's real or myth? Here are 20 historical figures who may have never actually existed.

Didgeman on Pixabay

1. King Arthur

You're likely familiar with the tale of King Arthur, the ruler of Camelot who enlisted the help of a wizard named Merlin and fought alongside the Knights of the Round Table. Though the legend certainly makes for a great tale, King Arthur may have never actually existed. Historians aren't sure whether the epic poems and stories written about him were based on a real person or originated from pure folklore.

Charles Ernest Butler on Wikimedia

2. Homer

Though Homer is often credited as the supposed author of the Odyssey and Iliad, there's no concrete evidence that points to him being a real person. Some scholars believe that Homer was invented out of a need to have an author for these epic works, but these poems may have actually been written by multiple writers and created earlier than initially thought.

Bibi Saint-Pol on Wikimedia

3. Pythagoras

If the name sounds familiar, it's probably because you've remembered it from the Pythagorean Theorem in your mathematics class. Yet, while Pythagoras was the mythical figure who popularized the formula, some believe that it existed even before him—if he even existed at all. There is very little that's known of him, and it's suspected that the mathematical proofs of his theorem were written by his followers. Even his appearance may be completely fictitious.

Cmick25 on Wikimedia

4. Sun Tzu

A military strategist who supposedly wrote The Art of War in the fifth century BCE, Sun Tzu is another hot-topic debate for scholars on whether the man existed at all. Like Homer, some believe that he was a fictional persona invented to serve as a single author of a great work—even though the text may have been written by several people and collected across time.

663highland on Wikimedia

5. Robin Hood

What's not to love about Robin Hood, the famed legend who stole from the rich to give to the poor? Well, other than the fact that he may have only been a fictional character. While there have been records in the 13th century that could point to the Nottinghamshire hero—under a variation of names such as "Robehod" and "Rabunhod"—many fables place him in different eras and places. It remains unclear whether such a person ever roamed the earth, though a bandit fighting injustice surely makes for a great story.

Louis Rhead on Wikimedia

6. William Tell

As the legend goes, William Tell (sometimes spelled Wilhelm Tell) was a Swiss hero who defied Austrian rule and inspired a movement for political freedom. A peasant from the canton of Uri in Bürglen, he was forced to shoot an apple off his son's head, was arrested for threatening to harm the governor, saved the governor, then ultimately killed him in an ambush. Despite the detailed folklore, William Tell was likely only ever that—folklore.

Ank Kumar on Wikimedia

7. Confucius

Said to have been born during the Spring and Autumn period (770–481 BCE), Confucius is often deemed as China's most notable teacher and philosopher, credited for founding the social, moral, and ethical values detailed in Confucianism, which has been practiced by the Chinese for over two millennia. Though it's widely believed by scholars that he truly existed, there are sparse accounts of his life. 

Denise Bossarte on Unsplash

8. Mulan

If you've ever watched the namesake Disney movie, you'll know that Mulan was a female warrior who concealed her identity to fight in the army in place of her father. Though her story originates from somewhere between the fourth to fifth century CE, scholars consider her to be a fictional heroine, and that no such woman actually existed.

Aavindraa on Wikimedia

9. John Henry

Of the many American folk heroes you'd wish for to be true, the legendary John Henry might spring to mind. According to the fable, he was a railroad worker who challenged a steam-powered rock drill to a race and won—only for his heart to collapse from exhaustion shortly after. His story inspired numerous songs, tales, and plays, even though he was likely nothing more than a fictional character.

jpmueller99 from Shenandoah Valley of VA, USA on Wikimedia

10. Lycurgus

Allegedly the lawgiver of Sparta, Lycurgus was greatly mentioned by various Greek writers and worshipped as a god by Spartans—though he likely never existed at all. For one, almost nothing is known for certain about him or his life, and stories place him in conflicting eras. All this seems to suggest that he may be more mythical than real.

Merry-Joseph Blondel on Wikimedia

11. Laozi

Considered the founder of Taoism, the philosophy that encourages living in harmony with the universe, Laozi is one of the most notable historical figures in Chinese culture. Though his foundational texts and beliefs flourished in the sixth century BCE and onwards, there are differing accounts about his life, which led some to question whether he really existed at all. 

fei wang on Pexels

12. Pope Joan

The legend about Pope Joan started circulating in the 13th century, claiming that she reigned for slightly over two years from 855 to 858, under the disguise of a man who rose through the ranks. However, it's now widely believed by scholars that the lady pontiff is pure myth; for one, there doesn't seem to be concrete evidence of her existence, and her supposed rule overlaps two highly documented popes, St. Leo IV and Benedict III, who served between the years of 847–855 and 855-858.

Unknown author on Wikimedia

13. Moses

A Hebrew prophet, teacher, and leader, Moses is a prominent and highly revered figure in Abrahamic religions, the three major ones being Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. According to the legend, he led his people from Egyptian slavery. And yet, no accounts or evidence support his existence, despite the Egyptians being meticulous historical record keepers. 

moshehar on Pixabay

14. Helen of Troy

If you're familiar with Greek mythology, Helen of Troy is said to have been the most beautiful woman in Greece and allegedly sparked the Trojan War—at least, that's how her life was detailed in Homer's Odyssey and Iliad. But perhaps the fact that she's a prominent figure in Greek mythology offers a telling clue: she likely never was a real person.

Evelyn De Morgan on Wikimedia

15. Jesus

Jesus, believed to have been born in 6-4 BCE before his supposed death in Jerusalem in 30 CE, is a central figure of Christianity and is often thought to be the Incarnation of God. Yet, while he's highly worshipped, there doesn't seem to be any physical or archeological proof that he ever existed at all. The most detailed accounts of his life come from the four Gospels and the New Testament, though he has been referenced by historians outside of these religious texts. 

Pixabay on Pexels

16. Manco Capac

Emperor and founder of the Inca civilization in Cusco, Manco Capac is a major figure in Inca mythology. The tale goes that he and his sister, Mama Ocllo, later his wife, taught their people agriculture, construction techniques, and how to weave textiles. However, while the Inca Empire was certainly founded by someone, historians aren't entirely sure if Manco Capac existed. 

AgainErick on Wikimedia

17. King Solomon

King Solomon is often cited as the third king of Israel, whose reign lasted 40 years during the 10th century BCE. Honored for his wisdom and his construction of the first Temple in Jerusalem, he's a renowned figure in biblical texts, though evidence of his life is few and far between. Archeologists have yet to uncover conclusive proof of his existence.

Gustave Doré on Wikimedia

18. Siddhartha Gautama

Also known as the Buddha ("the enlightened one"), Siddhartha Gautama was a prince of the Shakya clan who allegedly fled from his royal post to seek spiritual wisdom, later founding Buddhism in the sixth to fourth century BCE. Though there's strong historical consensus that he was likely a real person, it's hard to pin down concrete archeological evidence. 

Jonathan Lampel on Unsplash

19. Gilgamesh

A Mesopotamian hero, Gilgamesh was the King of Uruk, best known for being cited in the ancient odyssey The Epic of Gilgamesh. Recorded in the Akkadian language, the poem details Gilgamesh's quest to seek immortality following the death of his companion, Enkidu. Historians generally believe that Gilgamesh existed in some form, though it's unlikely his adventures in the epic were ever real.

Unknown artist on Wikimedia

20. St. Christopher

A revered figure in Christianity, St. Christopher is often regarded as the "patron saint of travelers," as he'd devoted his life to carrying the weak and poor across a river. As the legend goes, he was transporting a child on his shoulders one night, who—initially unbeknownst to him—turned out to be Christ, symbolizing that St. Christopher was bearing the weight of the world. Despite the tale becoming widespread and recounted in biographical texts, no evidence proves his existence, and he was later removed from the Catholic Church's universal calendar.

Domenico Ghirlandaio on Wikimedia