EPICS OF

THE
WORLD
 Submitted to:
Mrs. Ariann De Guzman

Submitted by:
Lycksele M. Rodulfa
ABM 12 - Smith
 Illiad and Odyssey
Homer

History and Background

These epic stories are about the Mycenaean or Bronze Age, ancient Greeks, who flourished from
about 1600-1100 BC. This is roughly about the time Moses led the Israelites from Egypt through the time
David ruled a united Jewish nation; by most accounts, Moses led the Jews out of Egypt and Troy fell
somewhere around 1300-1200 BCE.

These "Greeks" are relative late-comers to the area we now call "Greece" and likely originated to
the East of Black Sea, around the area now called the Caucasus (between the Black and Caspian seas,
where Russia, Turkey and N. Iran meet). The story of Prometheus -- shackled to mount Caucus -- shows
strong connections between their original culture and that of the Sumerians etc. These people also
probably invaded India, to the East/South at roughly the same time (discuss Pramantha/Prometheus
mythology). So these Mycenaean people were both influenced by and influenced other great civilizations
even before there was written history (or, for that matter, writing).

Before the Mycenaeans arrived in the region, earlier "Greek" cultures worshipped ancient fertility
goddesses probably related to Ishtar, Aphrodite, even Athena and Hera, and appear to have lived a rather
peaceable, agricultural lifestyle (we assume this because archeological digs show these pre-Mycenaean
people lived without military weapons or fortifications...until they were invaded by the Mycanaeans).

In contrast to "the locals", the Greek legends we read celebrate war; this is the literature of
military conquerors, so the Mycenaean people had as much in common with, say, the later Vikings as with
the later philosophical, "civilized" Greeks: this is a culture of raiders, of looters and pillagers. From this
perspective, The Iliad is a work of military propaganda that justifies Mycenaen control of the most valuable
sea passage of age (the Bosporus), and The Odyssey justifies colonizing Italy and Sicily to the West.

So, like the Hebrew scriptures -- or our own "Westerns" (cowboys/us vs. Indians/them) -- these
Greek legends justify the invasion and domination of earlier "native" inhabitants.

These Ancient (and even Classical) Greeks are best viewed as a culture rather than as a unified
people or "nation". When we speak of "the Ancient Greeks" it's the same way we view “Western Culture”
as referring to Europe, Britain, the USA, Canada, Australia. Achilles is a king in his own right, as is Odysseus,
Menaleaus, Agamemnon etc., and Achilles goes to great lengths to point out that Agamemnon is not his
king; Agamemnon is simply the commander of a federation of independent city states. This distinction is
important to understanding the Iliad: Achilles rightfully sees himself as Agamemnon's equal.

Troy is believed to have fallen around 1184 BC and The Iliad and Odyssey were not written down
until c.800-700 BC, so although they are based on vaguely real historical events and actual historical
characters, they are events that transpired hundreds of years before the author even lived; they are
history that has morphed into mythology. We still say they were written by the blind poet Homer, but
that’s as much myth as the stories themselves; there’s really no reason to believe that a man named
Homer ever wrote any of these stories, or that he was blind. We can assume that this is a compilation of
various oral tales and that much of the narration describes what Greek life and warfare was like in 750
BCE, not 1184 BCE.
 Summary of Iliad
In the tenth year of the Trojan War, tensions are running high among the Achaians (a super-
ancient name for the Ancient Greeks). First, the priest Chryses comes to ask their leader, King
Agamemnon, to release his daughter, whom Agamemnon was holding captive. When Agamemnon
refuses, the priest prays to the god Apollo to send a plague against the Achaians.

After nine days of plague, the Achaians assemble again and demand that Agamemnon give the
girl back. Agamemnon eventually agrees, but only if he gets to take Briseis, the girlfriend of Achilleus, the
greatest warrior of the Achaians. Even though Achilleus gives her up, he becomes so enraged that he
refuses to fight any more. That and he prays to his mother, Thetis, who happens to be a goddess, to pull
some strings with the other gods so that the Achaians will start getting defeated in battle and realize how
much they depend on him.

Achilleus's mom definitely spoils him. She gets Zeus, the king of the gods, to agree to Achilleus's
request. Sure enough, the next day the Trojans make a successful counterattack, led by Hektor, their
greatest warrior. Several days of violent fighting follow, at the end of which the Trojans have the Achaians
pinned against the beach, and are threatening to burn their ships.

At this point, Achilleus's best friend Patroklos asks for permission to go into battle in Achilleus's
place. Achilleus grants Patroklos's request, and even lets him wear his armor. Patroklos's gambit is
successful —when the Trojans see him, they think he must be Achilleus and become absolutely terrified.
The plan goes off the rails, however, when Hektor kills Patroklos—with the help of the god Apollo and a
minor Trojan warrior named Euphorbos. Hektor then takes the armor off Patroklos's body.

When Achilleus learns of the death of his friend, he experiences terrible grief and swears revenge.
He sends his mother, Thetis, to get a new suit of armor made especially for him by the fire-god,
Hephaistos. The next day, Achilleus rejoins the battle and kills many Trojans, including Hektor in a one-
on-one battle.

But Achilleus isn't satisfied. For the next few days, he continually abuses Hektor's body in
gruesome ways, even after Patroklos has received a proper funeral. The gods don't like this, and send a
message down to Achilleus telling him to give up the body. When the Trojan King Priam—Hektor's father—
comes unarmed, by night, to ask for his son's body, Achilleus agrees. The two men eat together and
experience a moment of shared humanity. Achilleus grants the Trojans a grace period to perform their
funeral rituals. The poem ends with the funeral of Hektor—though we know that soon Achilleus will die
and Troy will be captured.

Summary of Odyssey
Years after the end of the Trojan War, the Greek hero Odysseus still hasn't come home to Ithaka.
Most people figure he's dead. But we don't: Homer lets us know right away that Odysseus is being held
as a (willing) sex captive on the island of the goddess Kalypso. Oh, and sea god Poseidon is ticked off at
Odysseus, and sees no reason to let him get home.

Back in Ithaka, Odysseus' wife Penelope is getting swarmed by a horde of unwanted suitors.
Odysseus and Penelope's son, Telemachos, now a typically moody teenager, gets a visit from the goddess
Athene (who was always chummy with Odysseus). She tells him to go looking for news of his missing
father, so he heads to Pylos to visit King Nestor. Nestor takes him in, gives him a dinner—and then tells
him to go see King Menelaos in Sparta. Once again, he does as he's told.

In Sparta, Telemachos learns from Menelaos that Odysseus is alive and…well, being held captive
on Kalypso's island. Menelaos also tells Telemachos about how his bro, King Agamemnon, was murdered
when he got home from Troy by his unfaithful wife, Klytaimestra, and her lover, Aigisthos. It's cool,
though: Agamemnon's son Orestes killed the murderers. This fun story raises the question of whether
Odysseus will be killed when he gets home, and, if so, whether Telemachos will step up to avenge his
father's death. Meanwhile, back in Ithaka, Penelope's suitors plot to ambush and kill Telemachos when
he returns home. Oh, the tension!

Up on Mount Olympos, where the gods all hang out, the goddess Athene asks her father, Zeus,
the King of the gods, to have mercy on Odysseus and force Kalpyso to release him. Zeus says whatevs, and
in no time, Odysseus sails off on a makeshift raft.

Unfortunately, Poseidon whips up some storms, and instead of getting home, Odysseus washes
ashore in the land of the Phaiakians. Fortunately, Athene makes the resident princess, Nausikaa, develop
a crush on him. Nausikaa takes him home to meet her parents, the King and Queen of Phaiakia. In return
for their hospitality, Odysseus tells them (and us) everything that's happened to him since the end of the
Trojan War, which is this:

Odysseus left Troy with a ship of his Ithakan men. At their first stop, they plundered the locals'
stuff. Several storm-tossed days later, they landed on the island of the Lotus-eaters. A few guys ate the
lotus flower (i.e. every drug your parents have ever warned you about), forgot their homes and families,
and had to be taken back to the ship by force.

Next, Odysseus and his men came to the land of the giant one-eyed Cyclopes. They stumbled into
a Cyclops cave, and the resident Cyclops (Polyphemos) sealed the entrance to the cave with a huge
boulder and ate a few of the Ithakans. Not cool. Odysseus did some of his patented trickery and managed
to blind the monster; the next morning, he and his men escaped by riding under the bellies of Polyphemos'
flock of sheep.

But as Odysseus was sailing away with his men, his ego got the better of him. He taunted the
Cyclops, telling him his real name. Turns out, Polyphemos was the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea.
Oops. Guess this is why Poseidon hates our hero so much.

Next, Odysseus and his men came to the island of Aiolos, god of the wind. He helped Odysseus
out by putting all the winds—except for the westbound breeze they needed—into a nice little bag.
Unfortunately, Odysseus didn't tell his men what's in the bag. On the way home, they opened it up,
thinking it was full of treasure. Big mistake. All the winds jumped out and ran riot, thus driving them to
the island of sorceress Circe, who turned many of the men into pigs.

With the help of the gods, Odysseus got his men turned back into humans and had sex with Circe.
For a year. Finally, one of his men said, "Can we get going already?," and Odysseus said, "OK." Wait—first
they had to go the Underworld and get advice from the prophet Teiresias. (Just don't ask Apple Maps for
directions.)
 At the Underworld, Teiresias prophesied that Odysseus would make it home, but not without
difficulty. Odysseus spoke to several other famous dead people (like his war buddies Achilleus and
Agamemnon). He also met the ghost of his mother, Antikleia, who had died of grief over her son's
prolonged absence. Then, after a quick pit stop back at Circe's island for more directions (who says men
don't ask for directions?), Odysseus and his men sailed on for a series of adventures:

(1) When they passed by the Sirens, monstrous women with beautiful voices who try to lure
sailors to their deaths, Odysseus made his men plug their ears and tie him to the mast so he could listen
to the song without chasing after it. He became the only man to hear the Sirens' song and survive.

(2) Next, they met two horrible monsters (curiously, also female) named Skylla and Charybdis. As
predicted by Circe, Skylla (who has six heads) ate six Ithakans; the rest barely escaped Charybdis (a giant
vortex who sucks up the sea and vomits it back out again).

(3) Next, they landed on the island of Helios, the sun god, where his very special cattle were kept.
Despite having been warned by Teiresias and Circe not to eat the cattle, Odysseus' men couldn't control
their hunger. Bad call. Not long afterward, everyone died in a storm—except for Odysseus.

(4) But he was in for his own bad luck: winding up on Kalypso's island to be held prisoner for seven
years—before getting free to shipwreck with the Phaiakians, where he's telling this story.

And that's it for Odysseus' story to the Phaiakians. They're so moved by his suffering that they
load him up with treasure and ferry him back to Ithaka. (Unfortunately, in return for their trouble, the god
Poseidon turns them and their ship into stone.) But the fun isn't over yet—he still has all those pesky
suitors to deal with.

Once Odysseus gets home, Athene disguises him as a beggar so he can scope out the situation.
Odysseus then recruits the assistance of the swineherd, Eumaios, who puts him up for the night while
Athene flies to Sparta to retrieve Telemachos. When Telemachos gets back, Odysseus reveals himself to
his son and then heads to the palace, still disguised as a beggar. Without revealing his true identity, he
tries to convince Penelope that Odysseus is on his way home and susses out which of his servants are still
loyal to the household and which have joined the suitors.

By now, Penelope decides to take action: she'll marry the winner of a content of physical prowess.
The challenge? String Odysseus' old bow and shoot it through the heads of twelve axes. You can guess the
rest: everyone tries and fails, until the beggar (Odysseus in disguise) steps up. He succeeds, drops the
disguise, and, with the help of Telemachos, several loyal servants, and Athene's protection, kills all the
suitors in a massive and bloody slaughter. Odysseus reunites with his wife, and everything is back to
normal—except that he's just killed all the young noblemen of Ithaka and their parents are furious.

The next morning, Odysseus leaves the palace, reunites with his father Laertes, and lays low while
the angry moms and dads start looking for vengeance. Just when it looks like more violence is on the way,
Athene appears and asks why we can't all get along. This sounds like a great idea to everyone, and peace
is restored in Ithaka.

Analysis of Iliad and Odyssey

 Iliad is more on war and Odyssey is more on Odysseus ventures. In Iliad, Odysseus is not truly
revealed while in Odyssey, Odysseus is the principal persona. Iliad and Odyssey likewise possess their
connection. Both epics state misery and end of associates. In Iliad, humans should strive to conquer the
battle between Greek and Trojans. Also in Odyssey, Odysseus and his fellows should be strong in all their
provocations to return in their community.

Both epics also reveal their bravery and intrepidity on meeting all trials in life. Iliad and Odyssey’s
similarities and differences are essential because it carries ethical values that we can associate in certainty.
It states that we should master how to endure and fight to succeed.

El Cid
Unknown - Spain

History and Background

The Cantar de mio Cid (El Cid) recounts the heroic deeds of the Cid, an exiled member of the lower
nobility who wins back his king’s favor by battling the Islamic inhabitants of Spain. Based on the exploits
of a historical personage, Rodrigo (Ruy) Diaz de Vivar, who lived from 1040-1099, this epic offers an
important example of the interaction of history and literature in the Middle Ages.

The Cid is best known for its interweaving of irony, heroic drama, and a rare strain of realism that
incorporates multifaceted portraits of Moors, Jews, and Christians. One of the oldest Spanish documents
in existence; it is also the only Spanish epic to have survived almost intact. It is contained in a fourteenth-
century manuscript, which bears the date 1207, most likely referring to an earlier version of the poem
that was copied in the later book. Several accounts of the Cid’s life, however, exist before this epic poem
was written in manuscript form. Two Latin poems, one written before the Cid’s death, and the other just
after, chronicle his life. He is mentioned in Arabic sources, and his fame endured throughout the Middle
Ages, in works of varying quality.

Summary of El Cid
The hero of El Cid is a Castilian soldier, Rodrigo Dias de Bivar, who is known by the Arabic title of
Sidi or El Cid. The poem begins with the exile of the Cid as a result of intrigues and slander by means of
which an enemy, Count Garcia Ordoňez, turns the king against him. He leaves his wife and two daughters
in a monastery. To raise money, he tricks two Jews of Burgos by selling them a chest which he claims to
be full of gold and jewels but which in reality is filled with sand.

He sets out with three hundred faithful followers to gain his living in the small Moorish state of
Aragon. Here he prospers well. He wins battle after battle and accumulates booty and ransom from the
Moors. His fame attracts more followers, and with his invincible army he even defeats in battle the
powerful count of Barcelona and acquires the great city of Valencia. He sends for his wife and daughters.
His wealth and fame return him into King Alfonso’s favor.
The king offers to marry his two daughters to two noblemen (ricos hombres), the Infantes de
Carreon, relatives of his old enemy, Count Garcia Ordonez, to which the Cid agrees. His sons-in-law are
proud and insolent and marry his daughters (whom they consider beneath their rank) only because of the
wealthy dowry the Cid gives them.

After the marriage, the Infantes obtain permission from the Cid to take their wives home; but
away from the Cid, the bridegrooms strip their bodies naked, beat them, and run away with their dowries.
They leave their young wives in the depth of the forest.

The Cid appeals to King Alfonso for justice. The king summons a court at Toledo and the cid
appears before it. He demands the return of his two famous swords which the Infantes have taken. The
request is granted. He demands the restoration of his daughters’ dowries. This is also granted. The third
demand is the right to defend his honor by fighting the two Infantes in a single combat. While the court
debates this request, two messengers arrive from the King of Aragon and the king of Navarre requesting
the hands of his daughters in marriage. The Cid’s two nephews, who are present, challenge the Infantes
de Carreon in single combat. The story ends with the defeat of the Infantes and the complete restoration
of the Cid’s wealth and honor.

Analysis of El Cid
Upon reading the epic, it focuses on how El Cid conquers and wins over people with power despite
of not being the most powerful in their place. He is a smart and wise man that could trick people around
him. The epic primarily states how sharpness of mind and strength of a person could allow them to be
one of the greatest human beings in the world.

Through bravery, the protagonist in the story showed how he succeeded in life. It is a great epic
to be read since moral values and good qualities are shown in the epic. The Cid is best recognized for its
interweaving of humor, heroic drama, and a unique twist of reality that combines multifaceted
representations of Moors, Jews, and Christians.

Nibelunginlied
Unknown - Germany

History and Background

Translated into English, the title of this epic Germanic poem means “Song of the Nibelungs.” A
fact that is utterly meaningless, of course, unless you know that the Nibelungs were an ancient dynasty
whose conquering by the hero is the subject of the narrative. That hero goes by the name Siegfried. As
for the song part of the poem, that refers to the last four letters of the title proper: The Nibelungenlied.
“Lied” means song or, less precisely, poem or epic tale in lyric.

The Nibelungenlied can be found in various libraries around the world in at least 35 different
manuscripts, which all vary from one another from very slightly to significantly. The story that is most
often told—including the one told in Wagner’s extraordinarily long opera featuring the famous “Ride of
the Valkyries” used in the helicopter cavalry attack in Apocalypse Now are primarily derives from three of
those versions. In addition to being translated into opera, some of those editions transform the tale from
epic poetry into epic prose.

While not exactly based on verified historical events, like many folk tales, legends and myths, The
Nibelungenlied does have some basis in fact. Around 437 A.D., the Huns arrived in the kingdom of
Burgundy situated on the Rhine and lay waste. Characters that routinely show in those three most
common versions are also historically situated: the king of Burgundy was named Gunther and it is
routinely assumed that Theodoric the Ostrogoth is the model for the character of Dietrich. And, most
famous, Etzel the Hun is none other than Attila the Hun.

Summary of Nibelunginlied
Siegfrid, heir to the throne of the Netherland, has gained possession of the Nibelung hoard which
is guarded by Alberich. He mounts his steed to ride Kriemhild, Princess of Burgundy, with the intent to
woo. Her brother Gunther has been warned by the Burgundian retainer, Hagen, against allowing Kriemhild
to enter into such a union, but the thing is done and as such the hoard is handed over to Kriemhild as part
of the marriage bargain.

Another part of the bargain is that Siegfrid agrees to help Gunther in his pursuit to pitch woo at
the very beautiful and very strong Brunhild, Queen of Iceland. The winning of Brunhild requires that
Siegfrid reveal his fitfulness for marriage through a series of exhibitions of his strength. Gunther manages
to succeed in these trials, but only with the assistance of Siegfrid hidden behind a cloak of invisibility.
Brunhild remains suspicious and not particularly excited about the marriage to Gunther, but the double-
wedding goes off as planned. When it comes time for consummation, Gunther is forced to turn once again
to Siegfried for assistance and while so engage, Siegfried dares to steal Brunhild’s ring and girdle. Even
worse from Brunhild’s perspective: he hands these prizes over to his lady love, Kriemhild.

Much, much worse from Siegfrid’s perspective is that during a quarrel between the two queens,
Kriemhild lets slip what occurred in her wedding chamber and this stimulates Hagen to kill Siegfrid on the
assumption that Gunther’s honor has been shamed by this act of treachery.

Later, the now-widowed Kriemhild remarries. The groom this time around is none other than a
Hun named Etzel although he is much better known outside the realm of this saga as Attila. Kriemhild has
married the king of the Huns expressly for the purpose of realizing her revenge plot against Hagen and to
secure once against possession of the hoard which have in the interim sunk to the bottom of the Rhine
courtesy of her own brothers. Kriemhild arranges for her brothers to visit the court of Etzel the Hun where
they are immediately attacked. Despite being outnumbered and overcome, however, they remain
surprisingly tight-lipped in regard to the where they hid the hoard. And so they are killed.

Hagen is the last remaining survivor who is aware of the exact location of the hiding place of the
hoard, but he, too, is killed. In fact, he dies at the hand of Kriemhild using the sword of the Hagen killed:
her dead husband Siegfrid. In turn, Kriemhild is slain by Hildebrand, retainer in the service of the Hun,
Etzel.

Analysis of Nibelungenlied
 The Nibelungenlied, as an epic, honors the accomplishments, experiences, and encounters of
various fearless personalities. It also contains components of the romance genre as well, and involves
stories of aristocrats, elegant style, and courtesy. The Nibelungenlied forms on memoir, belief, and legend
for its features. It embraces ideas such as strength, feudalism, equity and hate, righteousness, integrity,
betrayal, and visions.

The "meaning" of the Nibelungenlied is hard to ascertain. It does not have a clearly-defined moral
advice for the reader. Nevertheless, it suggests significant issues about the nature of duty, faith, and what
establishes failure. It also draws knowledge and explanation merely based on its skillful literary
characteristics, such as its construction, character development, and the use of foreshadowing.

The Shahnama
Ferdowsi Tousi

History and Background

The Shahnama or Book of Kings is an epic poem written in 1010 and containing about 60,000
couplets. Its author was Abu Al-Qasim Firdausi. Unique and lavish renditions of this story have been
created for several centuries Books were collected luxury items for the wealthy. Many rulers had
manuscripts created in which their regime took on the heroic qualities of the characters in this epic. The
Safavids were no different. The Shanameh of Shah Tahmasp was begun about 1522. It took many painters,
calligraphers, illuminators, and their assistants to construct this beautiful book. The book demonstrates
experimentation in style and influence from China as well as from Western Europe. The iconography in
these books is not derived from one single source; each book creates its own iconography to depict the
scene. The scene we will discuss is the day Faridun is restored to the throne after defeating the evil king,
Zahhak. His mother celebrates the beginning of his kind rule. She has lavish gifts sent from her treasury.
Other important figures follow her example. In this manuscript page we see all the grand gifts coming into
Faridun's court.

Although the epic is centuries old, the Shhanameh of Shah Tahmasp is set in contemporary times.
Thus we have the opportunity learn about Safavid court life by observing this illustration. We can also
learn about the aesthetic and style of the art, another reflection on the court, which created this work.
This illustration is rich in pattern, architecture, calligraphy, and color. In the upper left there is a yurt, a
Central Asian tent structure. The intricate pattern on the roof of the yurt can be found on incised metal
containers, some of which were captured as booty in campaigns against other Central Asian kingdoms.
Patterns on the architecture can be found in ceramic tiles and Persian rugs. We can observe various luxury
objects as well as horses and camels, both valuable animals. The clouds have the swirl and design seen in
Chinese painting. The angel, who is dropping coins on Faridun, is wearing a Chinese style costume. A form
of angels can be found in both Western and Eastern cultures. In India this type of figure is known as an
apsara.

As we examine the faces of those present we realize that, except for the angels, they are all men.
The men and women of court rarely met for social functions. Each sex held it's own lavish activates. The
faces also reveal men from various cultures. Those with dark skin represent Indians. The rounded faces
and short necks are characteristic of Turkmen. The dress is contemporary to the time, which produced
lavish textiles. One of the most interesting aspects of this painting is the hat. It is these hats that put the
court in an Islamic setting. These hats represent the Safavid devotion to 'Ali. It is said that the design for
this turban came in a dream to an earlier Safavid ruler to be worn as proof of his devotion to Islam. The
hat, or taj, developed into a head covering with twelve folds around a long thin extension. The twelve
sections refer to the twelve imams of the Shiite belief. This pre Islamic tale now becomes Islamic and
reflects on the current Shah all the glory of past pre Islamic times. This fusion of past and present works
to legitimize a current rulers power.

The cypress trees represent strength and manliness. Notice how the artist has given a slight sway
to the vegetation to create the sense of a breeze. The skewed perspective allows us to see the most
important aspect of each object. This creates a sense of flattened space. The figures are out of scale to
the architecture, but this is not important, as they work to create a whole and gripping composition within
their setting. The asymmetry of the composition moves our eye at an angle to the Shah, giving us a sense
of grand scale. The complete and full use of space is unique and part of what the Iranians create as they
incorporate various foreign styles.

Calligraphy is incorporated within the picture plane. The writing itself is lyrical and sets a mood.
The words are floated within squares and feel like banners being placed in front of the scene. This
incorporation of text and image is also seen in Chinese and Japanese scroll paintings.

One of the most striking and important characteristics of manuscript painting from this time
period is the color. The color is rich and bright, often using gold; it is bold and joyous. The intricate linear
detail enhances this sense of something magical. Painters often used a brush with only one hair to create
this amount of detail.

Summary of The Shahnama

The Shahnameh recounts the history of Iran, beginning with the creation of the world and the
introduction of the arts of civilization (fire, cooking, metallurgy, law) to the Aryans and ends with the Arab
conquest of Persia. The work is not precisely chronological, but there is a general movement through time.
Some of the characters live for hundreds of years (as do some of the characters in the Bible), but most
have normal life spans. There are many shāhs who come and go, as well as heroes and villains, who also
come and go. The only lasting images are that of Greater Iran itself, and a succession of sunrises and
sunsets, no two ever exactly alike, yet illustrative of the passage of time.

Father Time, a Saturn-like image, is a reminder of the tragedy of death and loss, yet the next
sunrise comes, bringing with it hope of a new day. In the first cycle of creation, evil is external (the devil).
In the second cycle, we see the beginnings of family hatred, bad behavior, and evil permeating human
nature. Shāh Fereydūn's two eldest sons have greed and envy toward their innocent younger brother and,
thinking their father favors him, they murder him. The murdered prince's son avenges the murder, and all
are immersed in the cycle of murder and revenge, blood and more blood.

In the third cycle, we encounter a series of flawed shahs. There is a Phaedra-like story of Shāh Kay
Kāūs, his wife Sūdāba, and her passion and rejection by her stepson, Sīyāvash.

In the next cycle, all the players are unsympathetic and selfish and evil. This epic on the whole is
darker over all than most other epics, most of which have some sort of resolution and catharsis. This tone
seems reflective of two things, perhaps: the conquest of the Persians by the Arabs, and a reflection of the
last days of Persian Zoroastrianism. The old religion had been fraught with heresies, and somehow
Zoroaster's optimistic view of man's ability to choose had become life denying and negative of this world.
There is an enormous amount of bad luck and bad fate here.

It is only in the characterizations of the work's many figures, both male and female, that
Zoroaster's original view of the human condition comes through. Zoroaster emphasized human free will.
We find all of Ferdowsi's characters complex. Nobody is an archetype or a puppet. The best characters
have bad flaws, and the worst have moments of humanity.

Analysis of The Shahnama

Iran is frequently heading diplomacies. Very few people appreciate anything else about the
country. This book contributes a more advanced expression at what Iran has committed to [in terms of]
progress and gives a more comprehensive attention at its culture, art and history.

Readers will be recalled of other world mythologies. There’s a worldly feature to the text that
anyone can relate to. The stories, which go back thousands of years are interesting. There are heated
passion stories, well-known melodramas, a Herculean-type hero, Rostam, who directs the reader on
dangerous adventures. It’s a classic text for that reason. But it’s also the backbone of Persian literature
and an excellent foundation for someone unknown with the region. It’s fun and enjoyable to read.

The Divine Comedy

Dante Alighieri

History and Background

The Divine Comedy (Italian: Divina Commedia [diˈviːna komˈmɛːdja]) is a long Italian narrative
poem by Dante Alighieri, begun c. 1308 and completed in 1320, a year before his death in 1321. It is widely
considered to be the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of the greatest works of world
literature. The poem's imaginative vision of the afterlife is representative of the medieval world-view as
it had developed in the Western Church by the 14th century. It helped establish the Tuscan language, in
which it is written (also in most present-day Italian-market editions), as the standardized Italian language.
It is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.

The narrative describes Dante's travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise or Heaven, while
allegorically the poem represents the soul's journey towards God. Dante draws on medieval Christian
theology and philosophy, especially Thomistic philosophy derived from the Summa Theologica of Thomas
Aquinas. Consequently, the Divine Comedy has been called "the Summa in verse". In Dante's work, Virgil
is presented as human reason and Beatrice is presented as divine knowledge.

The work was originally simply titled Comedìa (pronounced [komeˈdiːa]; so also in the first printed
edition, published in 1472), Tuscan for "Comedy", later adjusted to the modern Italian Commedia. The
adjective Divina was added by Giovanni Boccaccio, and the first edition to name the poem Divina Comedia
in the title was that of the Venetian humanist Lodovico Dolce, published in 1555 by Gabriele Giolito de'
Ferrari.
 Summary of The Divine Comedy
In this three-part epic poem, Dante Alighieri takes his readers on a pilgrimage to Heaven via
journeys first through Hell and Purgatory. It is a spiritual journey expounding the evils of sin through the
first-person narration of the aptly named main character, Dante the Pilgrim. The title, The Divine Comedy,
is not an implication that the poem is humorous in nature. Rather, the poem is a “comedy” in that it is of
the classical style that existed in partnership with tragedy. Traditional tragedies had plotlines that began
with an optimistic, or positive, event but ended in sadness, death, or a downtrodden existence. Comedy,
considered a base genre, flowed in the opposite direction with tragedy, or at least unhappiness, reaching
a happy or optimistic culmination.

Pilgrim’s journey through the realms of the dead lasts from the eve of Good Friday to the
Wednesday following Easter in the year 1300. The Roman poet Virgil is Pilgrim’s guide through Hell and
Purgatory. Beatrice, who represents Dante’s ideal woman, leads passage through Heaven. Given its
religious significance, it is not surprising that The Divine Comedy is structured as a trinity. The three
sections in literary terms are known as canticas and total 14,233 lines. Each cantica is made up of thirty-
three cantos, once again giving significance to the number “three.” The poem has an introduction, which
is considered part of the first cantica, thus giving the work a total of one hundred cantos.

The opening section of the poem, Inferno, finds Dante lost in sin, symbolically depicted as a dark
wood. He is attacked by a lion, a leopard, and a she-wolf and cannot find a way out to safety, or in the
religious context of the poem, salvation. This situation is represented by a mountain obscuring the sun.
He is ultimately rescued by Virgil who guides them through the underworld. Every sin in Inferno has a
punishment that symbolically, even ironically, levels justice. As an example, sinful seers or fortune-tellers
are destined to walk with their heads attached facing backward to be unable to do what they did in life:
see what is yet to come. The three animals that attack Dante symbolize the sins of being self-indulgent,
violent, and malicious. Hell is structured as nine circles into which sinners are classified. Those suffering
from incontinence or lack of restraint fall into circles one through five. Pride or violence make up circles
six and seven. Fraud and malice are the sins connected to circles eight and nine. Each of the circles signifies
deeper and deeper evil ending in the earth’s core, the realm of Satan. The punishments for the sins of
each circle vary.

After surviving the journey through Hell, Virgil leads Dante to Purgatory, a mountain on the far
side of the world that was formed upon Hell’s creation. The mountain has seven terraces representing the
seven deadly sins. In the realm of Purgatory, sins are classified more based on one’s motives than on one’s
actions. Theologically, there is a Christian basis although Dante does not rely exclusively on the Bible. Love
is a significant theme in The Divine Comedy. Love becomes sinful when driven by pride, envy, or wrath. It
is also sinful when it is sloth or weak, or too strong via lust, gluttony, or greed. An additional region of
Purgatory is the Ante-Purgatory home of those excommunicated from the church and those who died
who may have been repentant but had not received rites. Purgatory is an allegory for the Christian life.
Souls are escorted there by angels with the hope that they might attain divine grace. The structure of
Purgatory from a scientific perspective shows a medieval knowledge of the Earth as a sphere.

On the final leg of his pilgrimage, Beatrice escorts Dante through Paradiso, that is, Heaven. She
guides him through the nine celestial spheres of Heaven. While Hell and Purgatory were based on
classifications of sin, Heaven is structured around the four cardinal virtues and the three theological
virtues. The initial seven spheres of Heaven are concerned with the cardinal virtues of prudence, fortitude,
justice, and temperance and are where those embodying said virtues find themselves. The eighth sphere
contains those who achieved faith, hope, and love, which are considered the theological virtues and
represent the achievement of human perfection. The ninth circle of Heaven is the place of angels, the
beings never touched by sin. A final level, which in a sense brings the total to ten, is the Empyrean wherein
lies the essence of God. Paradiso is of a more spiritual nature than the other two regions of The Divine
Comedy. Dante interacts with several saints there including Thomas Aquinas, and Saints Peter and John.
At the end of the text, Dante has an epiphany, which although he cannot fully explain, unravels for him
the mystery of Christ, and he feels himself as one with God.

Analysis of The Divine Comedy

For Dante, individuals must constantly strive to discover the proper way to live and to do good
deeds. Dante is attempting to win a valid way by choosing the easy alternative.

Dante’s Inferno summary is regarding Dante's existing life of wrongdoing. He has turned from the
correct way. Dante depicts the minority of the nation. These people are all gathered and executed. It
occurs when Dante is in his midlife at the age of 35 years. It is not apparent if by getting lost in the forest,
he is pointing to the earthly or the religious place but the forest represents Dante’s parting from God.
Seldom, a man shifts to immersed in their everyday activities that they neglect God.

Beowulf
Unknown - England

History and Background

Beowulf is an epic poem composed in Old English consisting of 3,182 lines. It is written in the
alliterative verse style, which is common for Old English poetry as well as works written in languages such
as Old High German, Old Saxon, and Old Norse. Beowulf is considered one of the oldest surviving poems
in the English language. The author of the poem is unknown and is generally referred to simply as the
“Beowulf Poet.” The date of the poem’s composition is also unknown. Arguments have been made for an
origin as early as the 7th century CE. The poem concerns the legendary figure Beowulf, a hero of the Geats
who were a North Germanic people inhabiting modern-day Gotaland in southern Sweden. Beowulf fights
a series of monsters and also rules as King of the Geats for approximately 50 years.

Summary of Beowulf
King Hrothgar, the ruler of the Danes, is troubled by the rampages of a demon named Grendel.
Every night, Grendel attacks King Hrothgar's wealthy mead-hall, Heorot, killing Danish warriors and
sometimes even eating them.

Hrothgar was a great warrior in his time, but now he's an old king and can't seem to protect his
people. Fortunately, a young Geat warrior named Beowulf travels to Heorot Hall from his own lands
overseas to lend a helping hand—literally.
 After explaining that he owes Hrothgar a favor because Hrothgar helped out his father, Beowulf
offers to fight Grendel himself. King Hrothgar gratefully accepts his offer. The next time Grendel attacks
Heorot Hall, Beowulf is waiting for him. Choosing to fight Grendel in hand-to-hand combat, Beowulf
wrestles the demon into submission and eventually tears off his arm at the shoulder. Mortally wounded,
Grendel flees into the wilderness and dies. Beowulf, Hrothgar, and their followers throw a wild party to
celebrate. Hrothgar also gives Beowulf many presents and treasures to reward him for his heroic defeat
of the demon.

Unfortunately, Grendel has an overprotective mother who decides to avenge her son. While all
the warriors are sleeping off the party, she attacks Heorot Hall. But when the warriors wake up, she panics
and flees back to her lair, a cave underneath a nearby lake.

Beowulf, his Geatish warriors, and some of Hrothgar's Danish warriors track her there. Beowulf
dives into the lake and finds the cave, where he takes on Grendel's mother in another one-on-one battle.
Seizing a nearby sword from Grendel's mother's stash of treasure, he slays her, even though her poisonous
demon blood melts the blade. When Beowulf returns to the surface, carrying the sword hilt and Grendel's
severed head, the Danish warriors have given him up for dead, but his own Geatish followers are still
waiting patiently. When everyone sees that Beowulf has survived this second challenge, there's even more
partying and gift-giving.

Finally, the Geats take their leave of the Danes; Beowulf says goodbye to King Hrothgar and sails
back to Geatland, where he is a lord in the court of King Hygelac. Eventually, Hygelac and all his relatives
are killed in different blood-feuds, and Beowulf becomes the King of the Geats. Beowulf reigns as king for
fifty years, protecting the Geats from all the other tribes around them, especially the Swedes. He is an
honorable and heroic warrior-king, rewarding his loyal thanes (warrior lords) and taking care of his people.

But one day, Beowulf finally meets his match: a dragon, woken by a thief stealing a goblet, begins
attacking the Geats, burning villages and slaughtering people. Beowulf takes a group of eleven trusty
warriors, plus the thief who knows where the dragon's lair is, to the barrow for a final showdown with the
monster. When they see the dragon, all but one of the warriors flee in terror. Only one man, Wiglaf,
remains at Beowulf's side. With Wiglaf's help and encouragement, Beowulf is able to defeat the dragon,
but he is mortally wounded in the process.

After Beowulf's death, the Geats build an enormous funeral pyre for him, heaped with treasures.
Once the pyre has burned down, they spend ten days building an enormous barrow (a large mound of
earth filled with treasure) as a monument to their lost king.

Analysis of Beowulf
“Beowulf” is piece of the tradition of epic poetry that started with the poetry of Homer and Virgil,
and it deals with the functions and actions of heroic men, but, like its classical models, it does not endeavor
to represent a whole life chronologically. It also operates as a sort of history, combining past, present, and
future in a bizarre, all-encompassing approach.

In some ways, “Beowulf” denotes a connection between two ideas, the old pagan traditions
and the new traditions of the Christian religion. The poet, apparently himself a Christian, makes it obvious
that image worshipping is a clear menace to Christianity, although he decides to not elucidate
on Beowulf’s unchristian funeral ceremonies. The persona of Beowulf himself is not expressly concerned
with Christian values like humility and inadequacy and, although he desires to serve people, in a Christian
sort of action, his urge for doing so is difficult. Hrothgar is possibly the character who wicked matches into
the old pagan tradition, and some readers recognize him as shown after an “Old Testament” biblical king.

The Aenid
Virgil

History and Background

The Aeneid was modeled after The Odyssey and The Iliad, epic poems written by Greek poet
Homer. Like The Odyssey the first six books of The Aeneid describe the hero's quest for a home, although
in Homer's work Odysseus is trying to return home from the Trojan War, whereas Aeneas searches for a
new home. Like The Iliad, the second six books of The Aeneid describe events from the Trojan War. Homer
tells of the fall of Troy, whereas Virgil describes a Trojan victory.

Unlike Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, which exist mainly independent of historical context, The
Aeneid is intertwined with Roman history. There were very few historical records from the early days of
Rome, but the legend of Aeneas (a survivor of Troy) as Rome's ancestor had been developed through
previous centuries and was generally accepted by Romans as real. Virgil tied this belief together with
mythology and historical events to create a new legend of the destiny of Rome.

Summary of The Aenid

After the destruction of Troy, the Trojan prince Aeneas leads a small band of survivors in search
of a new home in Italy. Unfortunately, as they sail on their way, they get spotted by the goddess Juno.
Juno hates the Trojans because of an old grudge, and because they are destined to become the Romans,
who will destroy Carthage, her favorite city. Conspiring with the god of the winds, Juno whips up a storm,
forcing the Trojans to take refuge in – you guessed it – Carthage.

Luckily, Aeneas has connections. In fact, his mom, Venus, is the goddess of connections. She
introduces him to Dido, the beautiful queen of Carthage, who is recently widowed. Venus gets Amor, the
personification of love, to make Dido fall madly in love with Aeneas. That night, at a banquet in his honor,
Aeneas tells Dido the story of how Troy was captured, and how he escaped, carrying his father, Anchises,
on his back, and leading his son, Ascanius, by the hand. (His wife, Creusa, died in the chaos – making
Aeneas single, too.) Next, Aeneas recounts he and his fellow refugees' wanderings over the sea, including
their close encounters with various weird mythological creatures. Aeneas's story ends with the death of
his father, Anchises.

Aeneas and the Trojans end up wintering in Carthage, and he and Dido become an item. Then
Jupiter gets worried that Aeneas is abandoning his destiny of founding a new city. He sends the god
Mercury down to tell him to get moving. Aeneas does as he's told, and Dido kills herself.

A storm forces the Trojans to land in Sicily – at the exact place where they buried Anchises a year
before. While the Trojans hold athletic contests in the old man's honor, Juno convinces the Trojan women
to set fire to the ships. Realizing that not everyone is as jazzed about going to Italy as he is, Aeneas leaves
some people in Sicily and sails on to Italy with his A-team. Their first stop is Cumae, in the Bay of Naples,
where they visit the Sibyl, a prophetess. She leads Aeneas down to the underworld, where he sees a lot
of spooky stuff, talks with his father Anchises, and sees the spirits of future Roman heroes, waiting to be
born. He also encounters Dido. He tries to talk to her but she rejects him.

Fired up by what he has seen in the underworld, Aeneas sails to Latium. As it happens, Latinus,
the local king, has received an oracle saying his only child, Lavinia, must marry a foreign husband; he offers
her to Aeneas in marriage. The problem is that Amata, Latinus's wife, wants their daughter to marry the
local prince Turnus. Seeing her opportunity, Juno sends a Fury down to make both Amata and Turnus
crazed with rage. Then she tricks Ascanius to shoot a stag kept as a pet by Latinus's gamekeeper. This
provokes a war between the Italians and the Trojans.

While the Italians are gathering allies, the god of the River Tiber appears to Aeneas in a dream
and tells him to make an alliance with the Arcadian King Evander who lives upriver. Aeneas does as he's
told and Evander lends him some troops, including his own son, Pallas. He also tells Aeneas to join forces
with the Etruscans. After Aeneas sets out to speak to them, Venus comes down and gives him some armor
made by the god Vulcan. It is decorated with scenes from the glorious future of Rome.

Meanwhile, in Aeneas's absence, Turnus and his men attack the Trojan fort, but are unable to
capture it. That night, two Trojan warriors, Nisus and Euryalus, try to break through the Italian lines to
reach Aeneas, but end up being killed by an Italian patrol. Two days later, Aeneas arrives with his Arcadian
and Etruscan allies. In the battle that day, Turnus kills Pallas. The next day, Aeneas and the Italians agree
on a twelve-day truce to bury their dead, but it is broken three days later. The ensuing battle leads to the
death of Camilla, a warrior queen allied with Turnus.

That evening, Turnus decides to fight Aeneas one-on-one for Lavinia and the kingdom.
Unfortunately, the next day, when they are about to fight their duel, the nymph Juturna (Turnus's sister)
provokes one of the Italians to throw a spear at the Trojans, starting a new battle. After much fighting,
Aeneas finally comes head-to-head with Turnus and wounds him with his spear. As Turnus begs for mercy,
Aeneas considers sparing him – until he sees that Turnus is wearing a belt he stole from Pallas. Enraged,
Aeneas kills Turnus with his sword.

Analysis of The Aenid

More abstractly, the Aeneid is conclusively about morality: Aeneas is an idealized hero, nearly too
great to be genuine, who personifies almost all of the qualities most cherished by the Romans of Virgil's
day. Aeneas is brave, thoughtful, considerate of the gods and his predecessors, religious, an experienced
fighter, and an uplifting leader. The epic is not exclusively the tale of the heroic creations of the Roman
people, but also a story about the success of righteousness.

By crafting such a perfect hero, Virgil was acting straight to his listeners, embracing ere them a
sight of their exceptional, noble heritage. Although mainly imaginary, the narrative twists past details with
the famous mythology of the era - a way that converses to the poet's skill to convert the products of
creativity into commonly believed truth.

Mahabharata
Unknown - India
 History and Background
The Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic where the main story revolves around two branches
of a family - the Pandavas and Kauravas - who, in the Kurukshetra War, battle for the throne of
Hastinapura. Interwoven into this narrative are several smaller stories about people dead or living, and
philosophical discourses. Krishna-Dwaipayan Vyasa, himself a character in the epic, composed it; as,
according to tradition, he dictated the verses and Ganesha wrote them down.

At 100,000 verses, it is the longest epic poem ever written, generally thought to have been
composed in the 4th century BCE or earlier. The events in the epic play out in the Indian subcontinent and
surrounding areas. It was first narrated by a student of Vyasa at a snake-sacrifice of the great-grandson of
one of the major characters of the story. Including within it the Bhagavad Gita, the Mahabharata is one of
the most important texts of ancient Indian, indeed world, literature.

Summary of Mahabharata
King Santanu married a strange woman he found by the river. They had many children and she
drowned all of them (I told you she was strange). The king stopped her from downing the last child (a
boy). She then said she was a goddess and that this child was a god but had to remain on earth as
punishment for stealing a sacred cow in a past life. The child was named Devavratha, but to confuse you
he is called Bhishma (one of firm vow).

The goddess went back to wherever it is that goddesses go, and the king continued ruling. One
day he fell in love with a woman who ran a ferry; her name was Satyavathi. King Santanu asked her father
if he could marry her, and he said yes, but only if Satyavathi’s children inherit, leaving poor Bhishma out
in the cold. Bhishma was actually cool with this and said he would remain celibate so that he never had
children. Thus, King Santanu and ferry woman Satyavathi married. They had two boys: one had no children
and died in battle, and one (Vichitravirya) grew to adulthood and married two women (Ambika and
Ambalika). But before either of his wives had children, Vichitravirya died and not long after that King
Santanu also died. Thus, the only surviving member of the royal family was Bhishma who had taken a vow
of celibacy and refused to break it.

What Queen Satyavathis had not told anyone that before she was married she had actually been
born from a fish and had had an encounter with a sage and given birth to a son named Vyasa. So even
though Vyasa isn’t exactly the heir, he can still kind of inherit.

Everyone agreed that Vyasa should sleep with Vichitravirya’s two wives and their children would
inherit. Ambika gave birth to a boy named Dhritarashtra. He was a nice enough guy and should have
became king, but he was born blind. Meanwhile, Vichitravirya’s other wife got with Vyasa and she gave
birth to a boy named Pandu. Dhritarashtra, being blind, realizes he can’t really rule, so he gives his
kingdom to his brother Pandu.

Pandu is a pretty nice guy and loves to hunt. One day he is out hunting and he kills a deer while it
is in the middle of “love play.” Turns out this is no ordinary deer but a god who curses Pandu and says
essentially that since you interrupted me, I’m going to mess with you. The curse states that if you have
sex you’ll die. Pandu has no kids at this time, but he does have two wives: Kunthi and Madri. He decides
that he can’t rule, so he and his wives hang out in the woods.
 One day Kunthi (Pandu’s wife #1) calls out for the sun god. He actually appears and she is freaked
out. He says, don’t call me unless you want me. He essentially ravishes her, though it’s presented in the
book as somewhat consensual. She gives birth to a boy names Karna but sends him down the river in a
basket. He is discovered and raised by a soldier and his wife. He comes back later as a force to be reckoned
with.

Pandu thinks that maybe things will work for him if he plays the system. He tells Kunthi to have
relations with some other gods and have children. Kunthi gets with Yama (god of death and justice) and
she gives birth to Yudhistira. Then she gets with Vayu (god of the wind) and has Bhimasena. Finally she
does the deed with Indra (chief god) and gives birth to Arjuna. Meanwhile, Pandu’s second wife, Madri,
entices the gods Aswins and has twins Nakua and Sahadeva. They are all boys, they are all awesome and
they are collectively known as the Pandavas. The epic focuses on these guys.

Pandu just can’t resist his urges and tries to have sex with his wife Madri. He dies in her arms and
she flings herself on his funeral pyre. Kunthi (Pandu’s other wife) takes the boys to the blind brother of
Pandu, Dhritarashtra, so they can be raised to inherit the kingdom.

Meanwhile, Dhritarashtra (Pandu’s blind brother) married the princess Gandharai and becomes a
blind king (not a desirable leader but a nice enough guy). She blindfolds herself in sympathy of his
blindness and never sees again. While Pandu was out in the woods with his two wives avoiding sex,
Dhritarashtra became king, and he and Gandharai had 100 sons (I think they are all born from a metal ball
that she harbors in her womb for years. When the ball “drops” she wacks it with a stick and out pop the
boys). These sons are not good boys and fight with their cousins all the time. The oldest of these children
is named Duryodhana and he’s a real baddy. This collection of boys is called the Kauravas

All 105 boys are looked after by Bhishma who is constantly trying to train them and have them
get along. The epic is essentially an ongoing feud between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. If you haven’t
figured it out, the Pandavas are the good guys.

Analysis of Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is an epic which describes the certainty that life is a journey and its purpose is
in the application of dharma. Vice is settled down by the worldly equity and righteousness gains in the
conclusion. The elements of the world are perishable and human honor is short-lived. The additions that
one performs do not endure endless. Every growth has a decline. All connection terminates in division.
Life closes in death. Desire does not stop by satisfaction; on the other hand, it develops when it is
accomplished, alike fire over which ghee has been spilled.

All the resources of the world is not sufficient to meet the desires of yet one person; remembering
this, one should accomplish tranquility of mind. We had countless mothers and fathers, wives and children
in various periods. Mahabharata is the true representation of culture and progress which doesn’t appear
to contribute anywhere. The Mahabharata has excellent ascertainment of the obedience of four varnas.
This shows the artistic importance in the Mahabharata.

The Song of Roland

Unknown - France
 History and Background
The Song of Roland (French: La Chanson de Roland) is an epic poem (chanson de geste) based on
the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778, during the reign of Charlemagne. It is the oldest surviving major work
of French literature and exists in various manuscript versions, which testify to its enormous and enduring
popularity in the 12th to 14th centuries.

The date of composition is put in the period between 1040 and 1115: an early version beginning
around 1040 with additions and alterations made up until about 1115. The final text has about 4,000 lines
of poetry. The epic poem is the first and, along with The Poem of the Cid, one of the most outstanding
examples of the chanson de geste, a literary form that flourished between the 11th and 15th centuries
and celebrated legendary deeds.

Summary of The Song of Roland

Charlemagne's been fighting a 7-year war in Spain, conquering everything in sight for the glory of
God and his Frankish empire. The one city that remains untoppled is Saragossa, ruled by King Marsile. And
Marsile wants to keep it that way.

He holds a council to decide the best way of getting rid of the Frankish menace. When his trusted
knight Blancandrin suggests a ruse, Marsile is all ears. By pretending that Marsile wants to convert to
Christianity and become Charlemagne's feudal vassal, the Spanish will encourage Charlemagne to pack up
for France and leave him in peace.

Blancandrin travels to the Frankish camp and gives Charlemagne the deets. It sounds like a sweet
deal, but even though the Saracens (those are the non-Christian Spanish, also called "pagans") have
provided hostages, Charlemagne can't decide whether to take the bargain at face-value. Is Marsile
speaking for realz here or just pulling his leg? Count Roland, Charlemagne's nephew and favorite knight,
argues that it's a trick. His stepfather Ganelon, however, says it sounds sincere, and since he's backed up
by some other influential Franks, Charlemagne decides to accept the deal. Roland nominates Ganelon to
be the envoy back to Marsile, which makes him so worried and angry that he publicly threatens Roland
with revenge.

On the way back to Spain, Ganelon and Blancandrin plot to kill Roland. When Ganelon finds out
that Marsile is actually not interested in converting or being a vassal, he tells the King that he will definitely
be owned if he tries to fight Charlemagne. Instead, he recommends that Marsile attack the rearguard of
Charlemagne's army, conveniently led by Roland, and disable Charlemagne that way. Back in
Charlemagne's camp, Ganelon lies about the new plan and pretends that everything is peaceful and
hunky-dory.

Charlemagne ignores ominous dreams about Ganelon's possible treachery and leaves Roland to
lead 20,000 Franks through the Pyrenees in the rearguard. At least he has the oliphant to blow when
things get bad, right?

Ha, says Oliver, Roland's best friend who's with him in the rearguard. When he sees Marsile's
enormous army marching from the south to corner them in the mountain pass of Roncevaux, he begs
Roland to call for Charlemagne with the oliphant. But Roland refuses, anxious to do his duty as a faithful,
fearless Christian knight. As a result, the rearguard is massacred, as is most of Marsile's army (the Franks
are good fighters like that). Roland finally blows the horn to alert the rest of the Franks, but once they get
there, even Roland is dead, his brains bubbling out from the exertion of tooting so loud.

Charlemagne in a sorrowful rage pursues the remnants of Marsile's army until they drown in the
Ebro. Then he returns to Roncevaux to mourn the dead. Unfortunately, he can't linger long over the
funerals because the pagans are coming back, bigger and badder than ever. Since Marsile has died of
severed hand injuries, his overlord, the Emir Baligant, has come from Babylon with a ginormous army to
revenge his fellow non-Christians against the Franks.

Charlemagne is thinking along the same lines, only he wants to avenge the deaths of Roland and
his 20,000 knights. The two armies clash on a big battlefield. Although the Franks sustain losses, they also
enjoy the perks of angelic help and ultimately cream the enemy. Charlemagne kills the Emir in one-on-
one combat, and in victory the Franks overrun Saragossa, smashing idols and converting people.

When they return to France, Ganelon is put on trial for treason. His kinsman, Pinabel, defends
him in a trial by combat with Thierry, who wants Ganelon executed. Thierry is victorious and Ganelon is
torn into shreds. The poem ends just as Charlemagne is getting to bed. Good night, Moon, Good night,
King. But wait—isn't that an angel sitting by your bed? Gabriel is back with news that other Christians
need Charlemagne's help and pronto. Charlemagne weeps and tugs his beard but what God says goes.

Analysis of The Song of Roland

The technique of The Song of Roland was inspired by the Crusades because the technique applied was
a very popular style in the 1000's. The author, Turlord used the composition of an epic poem to formulate
his tale because it was the simplest way for people to recognize the story and transfer it along. The word
selection and the condition were also two popular motifs in the 1000's. The style of dull and
straightforward, and sort of tense, were used around the start of the Crusades to catch the overall
impression of the environment. I consider the technique improved people agree with what the people in
the narrative were thinking because they were considering it themselves.

In the epic poem, The Song of Roland, the technique and motifs were hugely influenced by the
Crusades. Faith and dependency, good versus evil and the generous God themes are shown completely
the tale with significant impacts due to the period. The technique of dull and right, the sentiments that
were widespread in the period encompassing the Crusades.

1. What is epic? What are the ten characteristics of an epic?

a. The word epic is derived from the Ancient Greek adjective, “epikos”, which means a poetic story.
In literature, an epic is a long narrative poem, which is usually related to heroic deeds of a person
of an unusual courage and unparalleled bravery. In order to depict this bravery and courage, the
 epic uses grandiose style. The hero is usually the representative of the values of a certain culture,
race, nation or a religious group on whose victor of failure the destiny of the whole nation or
group depends. Therefore, certain supernatural forces, deus ex machina, help the hero, who
comes out victor at the end. An epic usually starts with an invocation to muse, but then picks up
the threads of the story from the middle and moves on to the end.

b. (1) It opens in medias res (in the middle of things). (2) The setting is vast and covers many nations,
the underworld and the universe. (3) It usually begins with an invocation to muse. (4) It starts with
a statement of theme. (5) The use of epithets. (6) It includes long lists. (7) It features long
speeches. (8) It features formal speeches. (9) It shows divine interventions on human affairs. (10)
The heroes embody the values of civilization.

2. How do the contexts of these epics differ from across the world?
a. The context of these epics differs from across the world because each epic is aligned with their
country’s culture and traditions. The Iliad and Odyssey focuses on wars of Greeks and Trojan and
Odyseus’s adventure. El Cid heroic drama, and a unique twist of reality that combines multifaceted
representations of Moors, Jews, and Christians. The Nibelungenlied, as an epic, honors the
accomplishments, experiences, and encounters of various fearless personalities. It also contains
components of the romance genre as well, and involves stories of aristocrats, elegant style, and
courtesy. The Shahnama are heated passion stories, well-known melodramas, a Herculean-type
hero, Rostam, who directs the reader on dangerous adventures. Dante’s Inferno summary is
regarding Dante's existing life of wrongdoing. He has turned from the correct way. Dante depicts
the minority of the nation. In some ways, “Beowulf” denotes a connection between two ideas,
the old pagan traditions and the new traditions of the Christian religion. the Aeneid is conclusively
about morality: Aeneas is an idealized hero, nearly too great to be genuine, who personifies almost
all of the qualities most cherished by the Romans of Virgil's day. The Mahabharata is an epic which
describes the certainty that life is a journey and its purpose is in the application of dharma. The
Song of Roland, the technique and motifs were hugely influenced by the Crusades.

3. Why is it important to be familiar with the different epics across the

world?
a. It is important to be familiar with the different epics across the world because the epics show us
what the proper way to live life is. It reveals the genuine purpose of life. They inform us what the
value of uttering honesty is. They teach a valuable education of life that we should take our task
without the greed of any compensation. The narratives in the epics enlighten us why we should
have those essential behaviors in ourselves in very satisfying means. These narratives include the
policies and education which are directed to the youngsters in our nation from adolescence. Epics
represent what occurred in the past. They inform us about the events that molded our culture.
Epics are the evidence of our culture. They put us about our history. Epics are the recordings of the
breakthroughs accomplished by our predecessors. Epics are a highly essential part of our growth.
They can describe to us the genuine significance of life. They can reveal to us what is beyond our
thought. They include the judgments for most of our inquiries. They can be a genuine motivation
to us. They can provide us hope when we seem lost. They assign us so many things that are just
ideal for our victorious living.