The story of a hero who had to shoot an apple placed on his child’s head is found in many different European collections of Stories and Myths. But it was here in Switzerland where it became a fundamental part of the legend of how the nation was founded. William Tell achieved fame far beyond national borders as the main character in Friedrich Schiller’s 1804 play of the same name. The dramatic scene with the pierced apple probably comes from Nordic legends in the early Middle Ages. Travelling monks are believed to have brought these stories to Switzerland.
