From the Greek cognate ηρως, in mythology and folklore, a hero (male) or heroine (female) is an eminent character who quintessentially embodies key traits valued by its originating culture. The hero commonly possesses superhuman capabilities or idealized character traits which enable him or her to perform extraordinary, beneficial deeds (i.e., a "heroic deed") for which he or she is famous (compare villain). Hero - Overview. A person normally becomes a hero by performing an extraord ...

Including:

• Hero - Overview
• Hero - The Greek Hero
• Hero - Nature of hero cult
• Hero - Types of hero cult
• Hero - Heroes politics and gods
• Hero - Later European History
• Hero - Operatic Hero
• Hero - The Modern Fictional Hero

Read more here: » Hero: Encyclopedia - Hero

Homer applies the Greek word ηρως to all free men who were fighting in the Trojan War. Another epic poet, Hesiod, uses it in the context of the Fourth Age of Men. The most common mythological meaning comes from the Greek poet Pindar, who presents them as the offspring of mortals and the gods or those who had done a great service to mankind.[1] Hero - Nature of hero cult. Hero cults were one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion. Greek hero-cults were distinct from ancestor worship: they were usually a civic rather than familial affair, and in many cases none of the worshipers ...

See also:

Hero, Hero - Overview, Hero - The Greek Hero, Hero - Nature of hero cult, Hero - Types of hero cult, Hero - Heroes politics and gods, Hero - Later European History, Hero - Operatic Hero, Hero - The Modern Fictional Hero

Read more here: » Hero: Encyclopedia II - Hero - The Greek Hero

A person normally becomes a hero by performing an extraordinary and praiseworthy deed. Traditional deeds are slaying of monsters and saving people from certain death. A hero normally fulfills the definitions of what is considered good and noble in the originating culture. However, in literature, particularly in tragedy, the hero may also have serious flaws which lead to a downfall, e.g. Hamlet. Such heroes are often referred to as tragic heroes and have a stron ...

See also:

Hero, Hero - Overview, Hero - The Greek Hero, Hero - Nature of hero cult, Hero - Types of hero cult, Hero - Heroes politics and gods, Hero - Later European History, Hero - Operatic Hero, Hero - The Modern Fictional Hero

Read more here: » Hero: Encyclopedia II - Hero - Overview

The classic hero often came with what Lord Raglan (a descendant of the FitzRoy Somerset, Lord Raglan) termed a "potted biography" made up of some two dozen common traditions that ignored the line between historical fact and mythology. For example, the circumstances of the hero's conception are unusual; an attempt is made by a powerful male at his birth to kill him; he is spirited away; reared by foster-parents in a far country. Routinely the hero meets with a mysterious death, often at the top of a hill; his body is not buried; he leaves no ...

See also:

Hero, Hero - Overview, Hero - The Greek Hero, Hero - Nature of hero cult, Hero - Types of hero cult, Hero - Heroes politics and gods, Hero - Later European History, Hero - Operatic Hero, Hero - The Modern Fictional Hero

Read more here: » Hero: Encyclopedia II - Hero - Later European History