[BruceCroucshs]

Interesting. On the historical note, there is some uncertainty as to how Constantine met his end, with a number of conflicting reports and traditions in existence. Some of them are quite astonishing. I quote http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_XI:

"Some sources record that he was killed, after he was recognized after battle by his purple boots. Another source records that the Turks were never able to identify his body, and so the last Roman Emperor was buried in a mass grave along with his soldiers. Concerning about his occultation, legend has it, that when the Ottomans entered the city, an angel rescued the emperor, turned him into marble and placed him in a cave under the earth near the Golden Gate, where he waits to be brought to life again."

Another legend, similar to the last one, was told to my family by a Greek family from the island of Samos. Supposedly Constantine was celebrating the Liturgy with the Patriarch in Hagia Sophia when the Turks burst into the cathedral - at which point the emporer and the patriarch, still holding the Eucharist, walked "into" the wall and were never seen again! The family went on to tell us of a Turkish boy of Constantinople who, during the last century, disappeared while his parents (Moslems) were at prayer at Hagia Sofia and then reappeared four years later in the same place where his parents had left him. When questioned as to where he had been, he answered in surprise that he had only been away a few minutes, and pointed to the "door" through which he had passed (his parents could see nothing but a blank wall)! When questioned further, he said that he had seen "people in rich, shining robes," (among them, presumably the emporer) and heard beautiful music and chanting - that of the old Byzantine liturgy.

An interesting story, but in all probability nothing more. I haven't heard of it anywhere else, and there doesn't seem to be any reason to doubt that Constantine fell in defense of his city.