EPIC TALES IN THE WORLD

The epic poem, begins with the invocation to the Muse, where he presented the subject of the poem. The epic is the first form of narrative, and also constitutes a kind of encyclopedia of knowledge, in verse recounting the story of a glorious past adventures. It was transmitted orally from poet-singers, with musical accompaniment. An epic poem recounts the exploits (historical or legendary), a hero or a people, by which handed down the identity of a civilization. The poem features two recurring moments: the mimetic (the dialogues of the characters), and diegetic (that is, the third-person narrative). The Book of Arda Viraf, Beowulf and the Song of Roland, are three famous examples of epic poems.

The Book of Arda Viraf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st3aXBtgHBc The work (a religious text that describes the journey of a devotee in the hereafter), were compared to Dante’s Divine Comedy. You do not know the date of the drafting of the text, but it is believed to date back to Sassanid when Zoroastrianism had a period of rebirth. Viraf – chosen for its religiosity – embarks on a journey into the underworld in order to prove the truth of the teachings of Zoroaster. After drinking a hallucinogenic substance, his soul reaches the afterlife, where he was greeted by a beautiful woman (who represents faith and virtue). Chinvat crossed the bridge, he is led through the path of the stars. In Heaven, he encounters the god Ahura Mazda, who shows him the souls of the blessed. In hell, he knows the punishment reserved for the damned. At the end of his journey, Ahura Mazda reveals that the Zoroastrian faith is the only source of truth. https://www.amazon.it/Book-Arda-Viraf-Martin-Haug/dp/1314851853

Beowulf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTmIKkWBgPY The poem opens with the construction of a huge mansion on the orders of the Danish king Hrothgar to Heorot. It is possible that the author of the Old English poem, has reworked the legendary material of Nordic origin, creating an original work based on a heritage passed down orally. With its 3182 verses, it is the longest Anglo-Saxon poem. This is an anonymous epic poem, written in Old English West Saxon variant. Its date is uncertain, but the evidence collected would tend to place it in the mid-eighth century. Beowulf is a story of warriors, as the poem based on the archetype of the battle between the hero and the monster. Beowulf, it was one of the sources of inspiration for Tolkien’s work. https://www.amazon.com/Beowulf-Signet-Classics/dp/0451530969/ref=pd_sbs_14_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3FASGGYTBZPXHD8WBQ9N

Chanson de Roland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9m8rYgXLNc The values that characterize the Chanson de Roland is fidelity to the Lord, the Christian faith, honor and heroism. Written around the second half of the eleventh century, this poem (considered among the most significant works of medieval French literature), belongs to the Carolingian cycle. It is inspired by the battle of Roncesvalles (which took place on August 15 778), when Charlemagne’s rearguard was attacked and destroyed by the Basques (in the epic rewriting turned into Saracens). The poem there is handed down by nine manuscripts (the most important and preserved in Oxford, in Anglo-Norman language), but the original text was written in the vernacular of northern France. https://www.amazon.com/Chanson-Roland/dp/2070371506

To pursue this issue, you can also read:

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