Breakdown of Die Legende soll aus Spanien stammen.
aus
from / out of (made of)
Spanien
Spain
sollen
should / ought to
stammen
to originate
Questions & Answers about Die Legende soll aus Spanien stammen.
Why does soll mean "is said to" here instead of "should"?
This is the "subjective" use of sollen. While sollen usually means "should" (like an obligation), here it is used to report a rumor, hearsay, or something someone else claims. It is the German equivalent of saying "is said to" or "is rumored to."
Could I use kommen instead of stammen in this sentence?
Yes, Die Legende soll aus Spanien kommen would also be perfectly understood. However, stammen specifically means "to originate" or "to stem from." It sounds more natural and precise when talking about the historical origins of a legend, a family, or an artifact.
Why do we use aus Spanien and not von Spanien?
When talking about the geographic origin of something (like a country, city, or region), German always uses aus. You use von when talking about coming from a specific person, an event, or a general direction. Since Spain is a geographic origin, aus is the correct choice here.
How else could I express this "hearsay" meaning if I didn't want to use sollen?
You could use the adverb angeblich (allegedly/supposedly) and say: Die Legende stammt angeblich aus Spanien. Alternatively, you could use a phrase like Man sagt (People say): Man sagt, dass die Legende aus Spanien stammt. Using sollen is just a very common and compact way to do this in German!