A boy runs with a burning barrel soaked in tar at the annual Ottery St Mary tar barrel festival on November 5, 2015 in Ottery St. Mary, England. The tradition, which is over 400 years old, sees competitors (who must have been born in the town to take part) running with burning barrels on their backs through the village, until the heat becomes too unbearable or the barrel breaks down, starting with junior barrels carried by children and continuing all evening with ever larger and larger barrels. The event, which has been threatened with closure on previous years due to increasing public liability insurance costs, raises thousands of pounds for charity and attracts spectators from around the world. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Do you think that history is a science? Well, not exactly. First, and foremost, history is the state's “legend of wars”, it’s official regalia. Of course, public historians are not interested in scientific truth – quite the opposite. In this respect, any attempt to present a state’s history as altruistic and benevolent as possible is welcomed and encouraged – as opposed to any revisionism attempts that may be more accurate. In this matter, Chinese have surpassed us all – they revised in highly creative manner (but rather shamelessly) the technology already invented by Europeans, a process that resulted in oldest state on the planet. Here is an interesting paradox: ask any sinologist about the Middle Kingdom during second century B.C., and he will describe it to you in such a vivid manner as if he has been living there all his life – but as soon as you will ask him to describe Chinese history in the 19-20th centuries… let's say, his eagerness will be greatly diminished. However, we will discuss China in a different article, and in the meantime we will try to understand how exactly historic “legend of wars” is formed and functions – based on a specific and well-known example. A great example is Ferdinand Magellan's first voyage around the world.

A woman receives a bouquet made of vegetables and flowers, priced at 238RMB, from a delivery staff of a florist outside an office building on Valentine's Day in Beijing, China, February 14, 2017. (Photo by Jason Lee/Reuters)

Sri Lankan participants control their bulls during a traditional cart race to mark the Sri Lanka National New Year in Homagama near Colombo on April 23, 2017. The new year marked by both the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil population fell on April 14. (Photo by Lakruwan Wanniarachchi/AFP Photo)

Geisha women parade down the street to Asakusa Shrine in the compound of Sensoji Temple Friday, May 19, 2017, in Tokyo prior to the annual Sanja Festival, one of the three major festivals in Tokyo. (Photo by Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)

People sit next to a pool where the Tower of Madrid skyscraper is reflected at sunset in Madrid, Thursday, November 26, 2015. The tower was the tallest in Spain since it was finished in 1957 until 1982. (Photo by Francisco Seco/AP Photo)

Palestinian man Mohammed al-Hoor, 23, demonstrates his street workout skills in Nuseirat refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip on May 2, 2017. (Photo by Mohammed Salem/Reuters)

Actress Sophia Loren teases the hair of critic Gene Shalit in New York, Tuesday, February 20, 1979. During the filming of a segment for the NBC television “Today” show. In the background is a large photograph of Miss Loren. The segment is scheduled for airing later this week. (Photo by Dave Pickoff/AP Photo)