Did they Ever Exist?

We are often exposed to profiles of people who do not exist. This is nothing new. Fictitious characters can be created at will and many historical figures that we hold in the highest regard today, may never have existed. With the truth buried in the debris of the past, we may never know.

Historians are yet to give a real-life identity to an outlaw known to us as Robin Hood. Over a period of 140 years, conflicting stories portray him as either a nobleman or a commoner. Legend has it that he robbed the rich to give to the poor but methinks he robbed the rich because the poor had nothing worth stealing.

Records show that a William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon and that he became an actor. Without university training, there are doubts that he wrote the famous plays. It is more likely that he was a fictitious character to represent a group of playwrights. Even some quotes attributed to him, cannot be verified. One of the most famous, “Expectation is the root of all heartache”, is also in doubt. There is no evidence that he ever used those words.

Lao Tzu, who is seen as the father of Taoism and a peer of Confucius, is said to have lived during the sixth century BC, but modern historians believe he was a fictitious character used by a group of philosophers.

Lycurgus is credited with introducing a code of laws that turned Sparta into a military power. The Spartans did not record their history in writing and historians are not convinced that he ever walked on this planet.

William Tell became a Swiss folk hero when he shot an apple on his son’s head with his crossbow. There are no such names on record and the story was probably imported from Scandinavia and adapted to local conditions.

The Greek writer we know as Homer is believed to have lived between the 8th – 12th century BC. Uncertainty has led to the believe that he too was a fictitious character created to represent a syndicate of authors responsible for The Iliad & The Odyssey.

King Arthur is said to have led the defense of Britain against the Saxon invaders during the 6th century AD but he is first mentioned some 400 years later. It is also said that he single-handedly killed 960 men. A bit thick for a dollar!

Sun Tzu, author of ‘Art of War’, who is said to have turned a bunch of courtesans into an elite fighting force by beheading two of them, is believed to have lived in feudal China between 771 and 476 BC. Modern historians doubt it if he ever existed. I would also have developed into a fierce warrior with a sword hanging over my head.

John Henry became famous as the slave who beat a steam-powered drill in a race to complete a tunnel. There was a John Henry but there is no evidence that such a race ever took place.

Pythagoras probably never existed and if he did, he stole the work he took credit for. The Egyptians were aware of the theorem that bears his name one thousand years before his time.

So, what is fact and what is fiction? I don’t know but I do know that fictitious characters are born every day and some of them live long enough to scam a lot of people.