"That which never happened is eternally true."
Evola's quotation is a parathrase of the words of Emperor Julian 'the Apostate'. Evola was discussing the "intersection of history with superhistory". According to Merriam-Webster superhistory is that which takes place or has significance "outside the historical process." Superhistory therefore may include that which is mythical and legendary. The terms myth and legend are similar but not identical. Merriam-Webster defines myth as "a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief or natural phenomenon." By contrast it defines legend as "a story coming down from the past regarded as historical although not verifiable."
One way to explain the difference between history, myth and legend is to think of myth as stretching back to the Ur time of mankind, before the beginning of recorded history. History does not by necessity have to be written. It could be oral in nature and it could be verified by the discipline of archaeology but in practice it is very difficult to verify facts and past events which are not recorded. By contract with myth, legend is where myth and history intersect. Legend often displays characteristics which are partly mythical and partly historical. The following may help: MYTH>LEGEND>HISTORY.
Because myth lies outside of the normal parameters of recorded history it can neither be verified nor completely rejected. It stands beyond and above any attempt to apply logic or criticism. It cannot be touched, sullied or be subject to modernist political revisionism. It is in the words of Julian "eternally true". An example of where myth and history intersect is to be found in my own genealogy. I refer the reader to the relevant pages of my blog. Via a line of minor gentry in Lancashire depending on which route one decides to take (local historical annals are confused on this point) one may take a line of my ancestry back to minor Welsh lords (ultimately to Llewelyn) or alternatively back to the legendary Volsungs who were sired by the God Odin Himself. Peter Aughton in his book North Meols and Southport, 1988, Carnegie Publishing Ltd) is of the opinion that the Welsh line is correct but concedes that "the people identified by Baines may well be ancestors through one of the female lines." After several years of researching my ancestry I agree with him. The two lines appear to be hopelessly mixed and this appears to be the result of cousin marriage by the ancestors of the Aughtons. This is by no means unusual and occurred amongst my other North Meols ancestors who were mainly a mix of Yeomen and Husbandmen, many of whom are referred to in his excellent book which also features pedigrees of surnames typical to North Meols.
Thus my most recent paternal grandmother's ancestry is historical: it is verifiable from records. The further back this goes it enters the field of legend if one takes the route preferred by Edward Baines in his History of the County Palatine of Lancashire, 1836 rather than that of E. Bland in his Annals of Southport and District, 1888. One day when I have the time and sheer will I will attempt to unravel these lines to see why there are differing interpretations. However this is rather common when one starts to go back the best part of 1,000 years: everything is a questionable! One could regard Sigurd 'Snake-in-the-Eye' as the last historically verifiable person and his father Ragnar Lothbrok as legendary as scholars are divided about the historical existence of this person. I find this incredulous as his sons are known historical characters. It is surely inevitable that their father be no less great? As one goes further back from Ragnar via his wife Aslaug's Volsung ancestry we start to enter the realms of myth with the likes of Sigurd the dragon slayer whose great great grandfather Sigi was sired by Odin. Legend is thus the intersection of myth and history.
As Evola points out the intersection of history with superhistory, with the historical and the transcendental "makes a higher claim to truth."
