An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, although even the works of such great poets as Homer, Dante Alighieri, and John Milton would be unlikely to have survived without being written down. The first epics are known as primary, or original, epics. Epics that attempt to imitate these like Virgil's The Aeneid and John Milton's Paradise Lost are known as literary, or secondary, epics. One such epic is the Anglo-Saxon story Beowulf. Another type of epic poetry is epyllion (plural: epyllia) which is a brief narrative poem with a romantic or mythological theme. The term, which means 'little epic', came in use in the Nineteenth century. It refers primarily to the type of erotic and mythological long elegy of which Ovid remains the master; to a lesser degree, the term includes some poems of the English Renaissance, particularly those influenced by Ovid. One suggested example of classical epyllion may be seen in the story of Nisus and Euryalus in Book IX of The Aeneid.
Oral epics or world folk epics : The first epics were products of preliterate societies and oral poetic traditions. In these traditions, poetry is transmitted to the audience and from performer to performer by purely oral means.
Early twentieth-century studies of living oral epic traditions in the Balkans by Milman Parry and Albert Lord demonstrated the paratactic model used for composing these poems. What they demonstrated was that oral epics tend to be constructed in short episodes, each of equal status, interest and importance. This facilitates memorization, as the poet is recalling each episode in turn and using the completed episodes to recreate the entire epic as he performs it.
Parry and Lord also showed that the most likely source for written texts of the epics of Homer was dictation from an oral performance.
Epic: a long narrative poem in elevated stature presenting characters of high position in adventures forming an organic whole through their relation to a central heroic figure and through their development of episodes important to the history of a nation or race.
Epics have nine main characteristics:
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The setting is vast, covering many nations, the world, or the universe.
begins with an invocation to a muse
starts with a statement of the theme
the use of epithets.
includes long lists.
features long and formal speeches.
shows divine intervention on human affairs.
"STAR" heroes that embody the values of the civilization.
The hero generally participates in a cyclical journey or quest, faces adversaries that try to defeat him in his journey, and returns home significantly transformed by his journey. The epic hero illustrates traits, performs deeds, and exemplifies certain morals that are valued by the society from which the epic originates. Many epic heroes are recurring characters in the legends of their native culture.
The murals and tangka paintings hanging in the monasteries of Shannan embody a local style of painting. The subjects include legends, religious themes, and production and life activities from the Tubo period to the Ming and Qing dynasties. They vividly describe the Tibetan people's social and religious history, as well as daily life and the means of production. The murals in the Woze Hall of the Samye Monastery, for example, not only include the Epic Painting of Tibet, the Epic Painting of Samye, and the Biography of Padmasambhava, but also Dances and Acrobatics, Weightlifting and Judo, Track and Field Competitions and Horse racing. They are vivid depiction of Tibetan historical development. The murals in the Buddhist Hall of the Zhatang Monastery, which was built in the 11th century, are reasonably arranged. The colors are faded simple, and the style and character resemble those found in the Dunhuang Grottoes. This style is rarely seen in Tibetan painting and therefore possesses great value to the study of Tibetan history, the Yarlung Culture, and the development of Tibetan Buddhism. |
