National epic
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
autonomy. 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
Western
*
Albania -
Lahuta e Malcís (The Highland Lute) by
Gjergj Fishta*
Ancient Rome -
Aeneid*
Anglo-Saxons -
Beowulf*
Argentina -
Martín Fierro by
José Hernández*
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 -
Lāčpl"sis*
Portugal -
Os Lusíadas ("The Lusiads")
*
Poland -
Pan Tadeusz*
Sorbs -
Nawozenja*
Spain -
Cantar de Mio Cid (about the early
Reconquista)
Eastern
*
India -
**
Mahabharat**
Ramayan *
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 KieuSome 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 -
MabinogionEastern
*
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)
**
Dream of the red Chamber (
novel)
*
Ethiopia -
Kebra Nagast*
Israel -
Tanakh (prose with songs)
*
Japan -
**
Kojiki**
Nihongi (prose with songs)
*
Korea -
Samguk Yusa (prose with songs)
*
Mali -
Epic of Sundiata*
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)
*
Epic poetry*
List of world folk-epics*
National myth*
Founding myth*
Civil religion*
Full text epics in the orginal languages
