National epic
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A national epic is an epic poem or similar work which seeks or is believed to capture and express the essence or spirit of a particular nation; not necessarily a nation-state, but at least an ethnic or linguistic group with aspirations to independence or . National epics frequently recount the origin of a nation, a part of its history, or a crucial event in the development of national identity such as other national symbols. In a broader sense, a national epic may simply be an epic in the national language which the people or government of that nation are particularly proud of.
Some consider the national epic to be a product of Romantic nationalism. Where no obvious national epic existed, the "Romantic spirit" was motivated to fill it. An early example of poetry that was invented to fill a perceived gap in "national" myth is Ossian, the narrator and supposed author of a cycle of poems by James Macpherson, which Macpherson claimed to have translated from ancient sources in the Scots Gaelic. However, many national epics (including Macpherson's Ossian) antedate 19th-century romanticism.
Examples of epics that have been enlisted as "national" include
Poetic epics
Western
- Albania - Lahuta e Malcís (The Highland Lute) by Gjergj Fishta
- Ancient Rome - Aeneid
- Anglo-Saxons - Beowulf
- Croatia - Smrt Smail-age Čengića by Ivan Mažuranić
- England - Beowulf
- Estonia - Kalevipoeg
- Finland - Kalevala
- *Despite the similar names and close linguistic and cultural ties between Finland and Estonia, Kalevala and Kalevipoeg are two completely separate works.
- France - Song of Roland (about Roland/Orlando)
- Germany - Nibelungenlied
- Greece, Ancient (Hellas and Mediterranean Greek colonies) - Iliad and Odyssey
- Greece (Byzantine Empire) - Digenis Acritas
- Hungary -
- *Peril of Sziget (Szigeti Veszedelem)
- Latvia - Lāčplēsis
- Portugal - Os Lusíadas ("The Lusiads")
- Poland - Pan Tadeusz
- Sorbs - Nawozenja
- Spain - Cantar de Mio Cid (about the early Reconquista)
Eastern
- India -
- *Mahabharata
- *Ramayana
- Kipchaks (e.g. in Tatarstan) - [Chora Batir]
- Kirghiz - Manas
- Malaysia -
- *Sejarah Melayu
- *Hikayat Hang Tuah
- Mongols (Kalmyks and Oirats) - Jangar
- Persian speakers in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan - Shahnameh
- Tibetans - Gesar
- Thailand - Ramakien
- Vietnam -
- *Au Lac myths
- *The Tale of Kieu
Prose Epics
Some prose works, while not strictly epic poetry, have an important place in the national consciousness of their nations. These include the following:Western
- Britain - Historia Regum Britanniae
- Flanders (Flemish-speaking part of Belgium) - De Leeuw van Vlaanderen ("The Lion of Flanders") ,
- Ireland - Táin Bó Cúailnge (Prose narration with poetic interludes)
- Russia -
- *Tale of Igor's Campaign
- *Zadonshchina
- [Tatar 'CHORA BATIR' http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/paksoy-6/cae07.html]
- United States of America - The Red Badge of Courage
- Wales - Mabinogion
Eastern
- China -
- *Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji)
- *Huainanzi
- *Pantheon of Zhou
- *Romance of the Three Kingdoms (novel)
- *Journey to the West (novel)
- *Water Margin (novel)
- *The Story of the Stone (novel)
- Ethiopia - Kebra Nagast
- Israel - Tanakh (prose with songs)
- Japan -
- *Kojiki
- *Nihongi (prose with songs)
- Korea - Samguk Yusa (prose with songs)
- Mayans - Popol Vuh
- Mongolia -
- *Borte Chino
- *The Secret History of the Mongols (Genghis Khan's biography)
- Turkic peoples -
- *[Alpamysh] (all Central Asia)
- *Book of Dede Korkut (Oghuz nations: Azerbaijan, Turkey, Turkmenistan)
- *Ergenekon (Turkey)
See also
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