New Zealand Herald

6 April 2004

Hitler, Churchill a myth but Conan is kosher 06.04.2004 [Scanned by Lori] By CAHAL MILMO in London The Battle of Hastings never took place and Adolf Hitler is a fictional character. Robin Hood really existed, Harold Wilson saved Britain during World War II and Conan the Barbarian is a bona fide figure from early Nordic history. It might sound like the latest attempt by revisionist extremists to pervert the past but the reality is perhaps far more disturbing: this is how a significant chunk of the British population, confused by Hollywood and unmoved by academia, sees history. <snipped> Even the more outlandish creations of television fiction are thought by some to be founded in reality. At least 20 people approached by researchers said they thought Rowan Atkinson's Edmund Blackadder and Lucy Lawless' bodice-busting Xena Warrior Princess were real historical figures. Click on the thumbnails to read full article