"The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall." As perhaps one of the most celebrated historical figures of modern pop culture, Che Guevara's legacy lives beyond the exploits of the Cuban Revolution of 1953 - 59. The image of this revolutionary pervades commercial merchandise, philosophy, works of literature; yet, the man behind the communist masks a deeper, complex figure. There are many hidden secrets of Che's origins, journeys, influences, relationships and political legacy are much less remembered than his revolutionary exploits, yet, they are telling of a man who would wander down an inevitable path towards revolution.
10. His Real Name Was 'Ernesto Guevara De La Serna Lynch'
The most notable features about the revolutionary is the precise conscript of his name. 'Ernesto Guevara de la Serna Lynch'. So, where does 'Che' come from? And what on earth is a name like 'Lynch' doing there? To begin with, Mr Ernesto Guevara was the eldest five children, born to a family of Spanish Basque and, surprisingly, Irish descent. This offers a telling insight into the political sympathies of his family, with his father expressing empathy for the Spanish republicans in their war against General Franco. His father also expresses his son's affinity with the Irish republicans, fighting against British rule:
The first thing to note is that in my sons veins flowed the blood of the Irish rebels.
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As for his name, 'Che', Ernesto Guevara was soon to become known as 'Che Guevara' following his overuse of the colloquial term for 'friend'. Meaning any number of friendly variations, Che Guevara was one of those guys who called everybody 'man' or 'dude' or 'bro'. So, he can essentially be referred to as 'Bro Guevara'... Perhaps he would like that, though.