William Tell

Despite being a national hero in Switzerland, there is no concrete historical evidence that William Tell ever existed.

The earliest written account of the story appears in a 15th-century chronicle called the "White Book of Sarnen", more than a century after the events are supposed to have taken place.

Furthermore, the act of the hero shooting an apple from his son's head stems from the saga of Toko, who was a servant of the Danish King Harald Bluetooth, who died in 985. Likewise, Toko's story was written down more than two hundred years later, in the epic tale "Gesta Danorum".

Many historians view William Tell as a purely legendary figure, though his story was deeply embedded in Swiss national identity by the time of its writing.

The imperial eagle first appeared on the Habsburg coat of arms in 1325, at least 16 years after the events shown in the film. Until 1600, the coat of arms usually displayed a lion.