Epic Hero Profile

Many, but not all epic heroes have these qualities.

• The Hero’s mother is a royal virgin
• The Hero’s father is a king
• The Circumstances of the Hero’s birth are unusual
• The Hero is reputed to be the son of a god
• At the birth of the Hero there is often an attempt to kill him. He may be kidnapped or sent away for his protection
• The Hero is often reared by foster parents in a distant land
• The Hero is told nothing of his childhood
• When the Hero reaches adulthood, he/she returns or goes to a future kingdom
• After victory over a king, dragon, giant, or wild beast, he marries a princess
• The Hero then becomes the king
• The Epic Hero is larger than life and embodies the values of particular society
• The epic hero is on a quest for something of great value to him or to his people
• The divine world interferes with the human world
• The epic hero often experiences a symbolic death or has to travel to the underworld