Tell, William, legendary Swiss patriot. According to legend, Tell was a native of Uri, one of the Swiss forest cantons. Gessler, the canton's Austrian bailiff, decreed that Swiss citizens must remove their hats before his hat, which he had posted on a stake in the canton's largest town. Tell refused and as punishment was ordered to shoot an apple off his small son's head. Although he succeeded, he was held prisoner by Gessler when he revealed that had he failed, he planned to kill Gessler with an arrow he had hidden on his person. Tell escaped and eventually shot Gessler from ambush at Küssnacht, thus setting off the revolt that ousted the bailiff on Jan. 1, 1308. While there is no valid proof of Tell's existence, the legend represents a distorted account of events that resulted (1291) in the formation of the Everlasting League between the cantons of Schwyz Schwyz , canton (1993 pop. 116,100), 351 sq mi (909 sq km), central Switzerland, one of the Four Forest Cantons. Bordering on the Lake of Zürich in the north and the Lake of Lucerne in the southwest, Schwyz is a mountainous and forested region, with meadows
..... Click the link for more information. , Uri Uri , canton (1993 pop. 35,500), 415 sq mi (1,075 sq km), central Switzerland, one of the Four Forest Cantons. Altdorf is the capital. The most sparsely populated of the Swiss cantons, Uri is an Alpine region of glaciers and pastures, with forests and meadows in the
..... Click the link for more information. , and Unterwalden Unterwalden , canton, central Switzerland, one of the Four Forest Cantons. A mountainous, forested, and chiefly pastoral region, Unterwalden is divided into the half cantons of Obwalden (1993 pop.
..... Click the link for more information. . Schiller's popular drama Wilhelm Tell is based on the legend; Rossini's opera William Tell is based on Schiller's drama.

Tell, William

German Wilhelm Tell.

Swiss national hero whose historical existence is disputed. According to tradition, in the 13th or early 14th century 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.

Tell, William

Swiss folk hero condemned to shoot apple from atop son’s head. [Swiss Folklore: EB, IX: 872]

See : Apple

Tell, William

Swiss patriot refused to salute the Austrian governor’s cap. [Swiss Legend: Brewer Dictionary, 885]

See : Defiance

Tell, William

shot apple off son’s head with arrow. [Swiss Legend: Brewer Dictionary, 1066; Ital. Opera: Rossini, William Tell]

See : Marksmanship

Tell, William

ordered to shoot apple placed on son’s head for refusing to salute governor’s hat. [Ger. Lit.: William Tell; Ital. Opera: Rossini, William Tell; Westerman, 121–122]

See : Punishment

a legendary Swiss folk hero. The Tell legend reflects the struggle of the Swiss people against the Hapsburgs in the 14th century. Tell was from the village of Bürglen in the canton of Uri. A skilled bowman, he was ordered by the Hapsburg governor, Gessler, to shoot an apple from his young son’s head. Tell successfully fulfilled this cruel requirement, but he later ambushed the governor in rocky terrain and killed him with an arrow. This was the signal for a popular uprising.

The authenticity of the Tell story was questioned by 19th-century historians, who used comparative data to prove that similar legends existed among other peoples. More recent studies have uncovered a kernel of historical truth in the story. The legend of Tell served as the basis for J. F. Schiller’s drama Wilhelm Tell (1804).

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