Epic hero

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Väinämöinen, hero from the Finnish national epic Kalevala, fights to free the Sampo from the clutches of the evil Louhi

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.

[edit] Epic heroes throughout history

The earliest stories of epic heroes were almost certainly 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 solidarity. 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.

[edit] Examples of epic heroes

In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is the epic hero of the story.
The epic poem Gilgamesh about a king of Uruk in what is now Iraq, is the oldest know epic in Western civlization.
The Finnish national epic Kalevala contains Väinämöinen, who is the direct son of the creator-goddess Ilmatar and protector of Finland.
In Beowulf by an unknown author, Beowulf is the epic hero of the story. The poem is the oldest literature in England.
In The Iliad by Homer, Achilles is the epic hero of this story, along with Hector.≠