The short epics They are longer narrative poems. They usually deal with issues or details that have to do with heroic tasks and important events of a culture or nation.
The epics have been part of literature since the beginning of it. Covering almost four millennia, each of the classic works of this genre speaks of the human condition.
Orlando Furioso
They also talk about the nature of heroism and the struggle to overcome the dark forces of the world.
In these pieces of literature, complex elements of language are usually combined with themes such as war, betrayal, romance, adventure and reflection. Epics can be semi-true stories or satires of historical events.
In most works a muse is invoked; additionally, the epics usually start in the middle of the story and not tell from the beginning.
It is also common to narrate battles and have ambiguous analogies or fantasy elements.
The 10 most outstanding short epics
1- Epic of Gilgamesh - Anonymous
It is often considered as the oldest literature work that has survived until the Modern Age; It is more than 4000 years old.
It was composed in ancient Mesopotamia and tells the story of King Gilgamesh (based on a king of Assyria), who embarks on a quest for eternal life.
Gilgamesh confronts themes common to this genre, such as the human / deity division, mortality, seduction and legacy.
As a young king god, his arrogant practices cause problems to the population until Endiku, a savage created by a god, faces his power.
This epic follows the thoughts of the king after the death of Endiku. It is about how to become human, with a great emphasis on immortality.
2- The odyssey - Homer
This epic of Ancient Greece tells the story of the warrior Odysseus, who tries to find his way home from Troy through the Peloponnesian Sea.
Not only must he fight against the malevolence of the gods and Calypso's seduction, but he must also come home before his wife's suitors convince her to marry any of them.
Many narrative and poetic elements of this epic have influenced many modern works of western literature.
3- Beowulf - Anonymous
It is a national text in most of the Nordic countries and in England. It tells the story of Beowulf, the hero of the story and the strongest man who has ever lived.
He is hired by Hrothgar to protect his domain from a grotesque swamp creature called Grendel.
Not only does this defeat him, but in the end he also ended up confronting his mother, other horrible creatures and a dragon that breathes fire.
4- The Song of Rolando - Anonymous
This epic was written during the 11th and 12th centuries. It tells the story of the battles of the eighteenth century between the conquering Muslims and the Franks who defended the territory; this fight was for the region of Iberia and the Pyrenees.
This narrative piece reinforces many of the values of the knights, such as gallantry and martyrdom.
5- Orlando Furioso - Ludovico Ariosto
This narration continues the tradition of interpreting the battles between the Franks and the Saracens.
Furious was a brave warrior in charge of saving his people, but is distracted by an attack of madness caused by the seductions of Angelica.
This story juxtaposes the duty of being brave with passionate love, but also idealizes love by comparing it with a type of madness that overthrows the identity.
But at the end of the epic it is recognized that passion is a weakness for knights, and that duty is the most important thing.
6- Lost paradise - John Milton
This religious epic, published in 1667, tells the story of the fall of Satan from heaven (it is the antihero and fallen angel) and the fall of man, when Adam and Eve eat the forbidden apple.
It is a story with rather strange descriptions; a narration of angels with flatulence is included.
It is considered a re-writing of the fall of Adam and Eve from the book of Genesis, since Milton describes Satan as a seductive and charismatic villain in a brutal war with God.
7- The Divine Comedy - Dante
It is an imaginative and allegorical view of life after death according to the Christian religion.
This epic is written in the first person and tells the journey of Dante through the three planes of death.
The poet Virgil guides him through hell and purgatory, while Beatrice (the ideal woman of Dante) guides him in heaven.
Although it seemed somewhat dark, the Divine Comedy It is characterized by its jocular details. It is also noted for its description of hell: a lake of excrement with demons passing gas.
8- The Aeneid - Virgil
It is an epic written in the 1st century BC. C. in which the legend of Aeneas is narrated, a Trojan who traveled to Italy and became the ancestor of the Romans.
The first part of the story tells the story of the Trojan wanderings to Italy, including an affair with Queen Dido; and the second part speaks of the victory of the Trojans over the Latins.
In the end his descendant, Romolus, founds the Italian city that bears his name.
9- The Iliad - Homer
This epic tells the story of the Trojan War between the Greeks and the Trojans, after the abduction of Helen of Troy by Paris, the Prince of Troy.
Surprisingly many of the popular myths about this event, such as the Trojan Horse and the Achilles Heel, do not appear in history.
The story narrates only a few weeks in the final part of the war and focuses on the individual characters who participated in it: Achilles, Ajax, Agamemnon, Hector, Helena and Melenao.
10- The Song of the Nibelungos
This epic written in the thirteenth century revived the Teutonic mythology in Germany. It is about the slow decline of the Burgundians of the North Atlantic.
Specifically tells the story of Siegfried, a figure similar to Achilles who fights with dragons, conquers the Nibelungs and uses his invisible cloak to defeat enemies.
It was in this story that composer Richard Wagner was inspired to produce his material The Ring of the Nibelungo .
References
- The 20 greatest epic poems of all time (2013). Retrieved from qwiklit.com
- 10 of the best epic poems everyone should read. Recovered from interestingliterature.com
- Top 10 greatest epic poems (2008). Recovered from listverse.com
- Epic poetry. Retrieved from wikipedia.org
- Epic poems. Retrieved from ranker.com