Folk hero

Afolk heroornational herois a type ofhero– real, fictional ormythological– with their name, personality and deeds embedded in the popular consciousness of apeople,mentioned frequently infolk songs,folk tales and otherfolklore;and with moderntropestatus in literature, art and films.

Overview

Although some folk heroes are historical public figures, many are not. The lives of folk heroes are generally fictional, their characteristics and deeds often exaggerated to mythic proportions.

The folk hero often begins life as a normal person, but is transformed into someone extraordinary by significant life events, often in response to social injustice, and sometimes in response to natural disasters.

One major category of folk hero is the defender of the common people against the oppression or corruption of the established power structure. Members of this category of folk hero often, but not necessarily, liveoutside the lawin some way.

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  Joan of Arcdepicted onhorsebackin an illustration from a 1505 manuscript. The martyr and saint Joan of Arc is a national hero in France.
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  Giuseppe Garibaldi,one ofItaly's "fathers of the fatherland", is celebrated as one of the greatest generals of modern times,and as the "Hero of the Two Worlds" because of his military enterprises in South America and Europe.He fought in numerous military campaigns that led to theItalian unification
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  Davy Crockett,an American folk hero
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  Statue ofPier Gerlofs Donia,a Frisian folk hero
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  Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,aTurkishnational hero
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  El Santo,a Mexican folk hero
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  Ned Kelly,an Australian folk hero
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  Paul Revere,American Folk Hero depicted in his famousMidnight Ride

See also

• List of folk heroes
• Culture hero

Bibliography

• Seal, Graham.Encyclopedia of Folk Heroes.ABC-CLIO, 2001.