EPIC HERO

An 'epic hero' is a larger-than-life figure from a history or legend, usually favored by or even partially descended from deities, but aligned more closely with mortal figures in popular portrayals. The hero participates in a cyclical journey or quest, faces adversaries that try to defeat him in his journey, and returns home significantly transformed by his journey. The epic hero illustrates traits, performs deeds, and exemplifies certain morals that are valued by the society from which the epic originates. Many epic heroes are recurring characters in the legends of their native culture.

Contents

Epic heroes throughout history

Examples of Epic Heroes

See Also

Epic heroes throughout history

The earliest stories of epic heroes were almost positively passed down by word-of-mouth back when writing had yet to be invented; to this day oral transmission still contributes significantly to the spreading of these tales. This method of communication relied on rote memorization, so small details or even major arcs were sometimes added or removed by the next generation in line to pass down the story.
After writing was invented and became widespread in the Old World, the stories containing these epics were committed to paper and gained a degree of solidity. Nevertheless, many interpretations on the nature and motives of certain epic heroes still run abuzz.
Stories involving epic heroes tend to be long poems recited in a rhythmic manner. The use of repetition in the elements of the story as well as the rhythm allowed storytellers to better memorize the contents of the story before writing became widespread.

Examples of Epic Heroes

★ Gilgamesh

★ Siegfried

★ Beowulf

★ Odysseus

★ Achilles

★ Hercules

★ Aeneas

See Also

★ epic poetry