Q: Is legend a genre of folklore that consist of a narrative that features human actions perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and demonstrating human values? ¶
A: Yes, and which possesses certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude.
Q: Is legend comparatively amorphous? ¶
A: Yes, and Helmut de Boor noted in 1928.
Q: Is legend simply a longstanding rumour? ¶
A: Yes.
Q: Is legend in realistic mode, rather than the wry irony of folktale? ¶
A: Yes, Wilhelm Heiske remarked on the similarity of motifs in legend and folktale and concluded that, in spite of its realistic mode, legend is not more historical than folktale.
Q: Is legend a loanword from Old French that entered English usage circa 1340? ¶
A: Yes.
Q: Is legend retold as fiction? ¶
A: Yes, and its authentic legendary qualities begin to fade and recede: in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving transformed a local Hudson River Valley legend into a literary anecdote with "Gothic" overtones, which actually tended to diminish its character as genuine legend.