Fanciful stories of how the Kipferl — and so, ultimately, the croissant — was created are widespread and persistent culinary
legends, at least one going back to the 19th century.
[12] However, there are no contemporary sources for any of these stories, nor does an aristocratic writer, writing in 1799, mention the Kipferl in a long and extensive list of breakfast foods.
[13]
The legends include tales that it was invented in Europe to celebrate the defeat of the
Umayyad forces at the
Battle of Tours by the
Franks in 732, with the shape representing the Islamic
crescent;
[14] that it was invented in
Vienna in 1683 to celebrate the defeat of the
Ottomans by Christian forces in the
siege of the city, as a reference to the crescents on the
Ottoman flags, when bakers staying up all night heard the tunneling operation and gave the alarm.
[12] This has led to croissants being banned by some
Islamic fundementalists.
[15]