What+are+Epic+and+Legendary+Heroes?

What are Epic and Legendary Heroes?
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//Added by Pat Henderson//  Epic and legendary heroes are often exaggerated and larger than life, and appear in poems, legends, or folktales. They may possess extraordinary strength, bravery, or intelligence, but are usually mortal beings reflecting the values of their culture. Their stories may be simple or very grand in scale, and may involve supernatural forces, astonishing deeds, or the fate of the world. In some cases, the hero faces a mission or quest, gathers allies along the way, displays skills, and returns home with greater knowledge of himself.  Some heroes are known for their quests: Odysseus, Jason, Gilgamesh, Achilles, Lancelot.  Some heroes are kings or warriors: King Arthur, Beowulf, Thor, Hercules, Finn MacCool, Yi, Rama.   Some heroes are known through legends and folktales, and are believed to have some basis in historical fact: Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, John Henry, Robin Hood, William Tell, Zorro.   Other heroes are known through myths or fairy tales and are considered fictional: Pecos Bill, the Little Mermaid, Quetzalcoatl, Kokopelli, Cinderella.   Heroes exist in stories to validate our existence and knowledge of the universe. They are winners at times, tragic at other times, and through their victories, foibles, and wanderings, we learn from them and we need them to acknowledge our human condition.  Sources: ODLIS: Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science MythWeb.com MythEncyclopedia.com

//Added by Audrey Alenson:// Epic myths and legends have great power of meaning for the cultures in which they were developed, and for this reason they are told again and again, sometimes for thousands of years. The heroes of these stories may have been real people who were admired for being unusually brave or strong or selfless, but over time and with countless retellings, the heroes’ traits are exaggerated and their deeds embellished. The heroes of these stories take on symbolic significance. Some, like Paul Bunyan or John Henry, may lose their human-scale entirely as they become larger than life. Epic heroes may have some connection to the gods, but they are eminently human. Like Odysseus and Achilles, their superiority is significant //because// they are mortals who have been tested and prevailed. Epic and legendary heroes are the realizations of their culture’s ideals – they represent an ideal type whose abilities and accomplishments transcend those of ordinary people.  References: Mades, Leonard. "Hero and Heroine." Encyclopedia Americana. 2009. Grolier Online. 19 Sept. 2009 . Morgan, Mia. "Traditional Literature." PowerPoint for LBS 803 (Fall 2009).