You’ll meet some very interesting but deadly characters within the clues of our crosswords. For instance, the answer to the clue ‘Legendary Swiss archer’ is William Tell.

While there is no definitive evidence that he ever existed, some accounts attest that this folk hero was real and lived with his family in a Swiss village in the 14th century. He was a strong man, hunter and sailor and an expert shot with the crossbow. He defied the local tyrant/bailiff, Gessler, and was forced to fight for his life by shooting an apple off his son’s head.

Although he managed to do this without harming his son, he was still taken into custody and forced to board a ship destined for the dungeon of the castle at Küssnacht. While crossing Lake Lucerne, a fierce storm blew up. Because of his strength and his knowledge of the lake, Tell was untied and forced to steer the ship to safety.

He managed to escape by leaping from the boat, reaching nearby rocks and running cross-country to the castle, where he assassinated Gessler and then disappeared. Tell represents the common man, a modest peasant who can become a hero. He respects authority but is quick to fight for his rights.

Robert LeRoy Parker and Harry Alonzo Longabaugh don’t sound like a pair of outlaws because they are better known by their aliases, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, notorious gunmen in America’s Wild West. Cassidy was the leader of the Wild Bunch gang. They may have looked like fine gentlemen, but they were one of the most successful train-robbing gangs in history.

The much-feared group killed many lawmen between them, although Cassidy and the Sundance Kid claimed never to have killed anyone themselves. Their story is told in the 1969 film starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. In 1908, Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were killed in a shootout with Bolivian cavalry.

However, Butch Cassidy’s family claims that he survived and lived under another identity for many years. These examples just go to show the enduring power of mythmaking – yielding stories that persist well beyond a single lifespan and become familiar enough to feature in our crosswords centuries later.

Happy Puzzling!