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.

Cosplay fans attend the Animation Comic Games (ACG) Culture Festival in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 28, 2017. The festival kicked off on Saturday, attracting lots of cosplay fans. (Photo by Liu Xiao/Xinhua)

Models prepare backstage before presenting a creation from the Heaven Gaia by Xiong Ying during the China Fashion Week in Beijing on September 4, 2022. (Photo by Wang Zhao/AFP Photo)

Argentine Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez arrives on September 1, 2022 for the screening of the film “Tar” presented in the Venezia 79 competition at the 79th Venice International Film Festival at Lido di Venezia in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)

Bob Woodward looks at the reconstruction he built of the Orpheus Pavement at Prinknash Abbey on March 31, 2010 in Gloucester, England. The replica mosiac, made of more than one-and-a-half million pieces of stone is described as one of the most significant archaeological projects of recent times. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Marilyn Monroe drinking a Coke and Jane Russell fixing her make-up during a break while filming “Genlemen Prefer Blondes”.

President Barack Obama speaks to the press in the Briefing Room of the White House April 27, 2011 in Washington, DC. US President Barack Obama released a long form version of his birth certificate after extended criticism by those who do not believe he was born in the United States. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

Shiite Muslim devotees reach to receive a blessing from the tomb of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Mohammed's grandson, at the Imam's shrine in Iraq's central holy city of Karbala on September 6, 2023, during the Arbaeen religious festival commemorating his seventh century killing. (Photo by Hussein Faleh/AFP Photo)