In a modern context it may seem like nobody could ever have believed Icarus, but that's unlikely. People look back on the 'great' thinkers for what they got right and ignore thinks like a great logician comparing volcanoes to the bowel movements of animals. Consider all of the outrageous things people firmly believe in a religious context (not pointing fingers there is plenty of things to go around even if you exclude whatever your personal faith is.)

So, unless you have very firm evidence the tale may have be out before the moral.

As to using the walking dead to make a point, think this through a little more. Because it's pure circular reasoning. A is true because of A.