Epic hero

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Väinämöinen, hero from the Finnish national epic Kalevala, fights to free the Sampo from the clutches of the evil Louhi
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, gathers allies along 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. They usually embody cultural and religious beliefs of the people. Many epic heroes are recurring characters in the legends of their native culture. Epic heroes are superhuman in that they are smarter, stronger, and braver than average humans. An epic hero can also be a warrior of some sort who performs extraordinary tasks that most find difficult. This hero is strong, smart, and brave.

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[edit] Epic heroes throughout history

The earliest stories of epic heroes were predominantly passed down by word-of-mouth, due to the impracticality of recording such lengthy works; and 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 the advent of printing, 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 are still mooted.

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, allows storytellers to memorize the story in a more reliable manner.

[edit] Examples of Epic Heroes

[edit] Epic heroes in Video Games

Epic heroes are commonly used as the main character in many video games, such as games like Legend of Zelda, Halo, and God of War. Sometimes they begin corrupt or end up corrupt.

Some examples are:

[edit] Epic heroes in film

There are many epic tales (Beowulf, Hercules, etc.) that have been made into films, and normally make a lot of money; though some epic heroes are created or formed, such as King Leonidas was formed to be what seemed to be a war/superhuman hero.

[edit] See also