Folk Hero: Difference between revisions

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A folk hero is type of [[The Hero|hero]], real or mythological, who has become the stuff of legend through [[Oral Tradition|generations of retellings]]. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name, personality and deeds of the character [[Me Me|in the popular consciousness]]. This is evidenced by mention in folk songs, folk tales and other folklore. In modern times, folk heroes are also the subject of films, comic books and literature.
A folk hero is type of [[The Hero|hero]], real or mythological, who has become the stuff of legend through [[Oral Tradition|generations of retellings]]. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name, personality and deeds of the character [[Me Me|in the popular consciousness]]. This is evidenced by mention in folk songs, folk tales and other folklore. In modern times, folk heroes are also the subject of films, comic books and literature.


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* [[Hattori Hanzo]]
* [[Hattori Hanzo]]
* [[Harriet Tubman]]
* [[Harriet Tubman]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hernan_Cortes Hernán Cortés] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Malinche La Malinche]
* [[wikipedia:Hernan Cortes|Hernán Cortés]] and [[wikipedia:La Malinche|La Malinche]]
* Jánošík / Janoszik
* Jánošík / Janoszik
* Jesse James
* Jesse James
* Joan of Arc
* Joan of Arc
* [[Ned Kelly]]
* [[Ned Kelly]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Ludd Ned Ludd]
* [[wikipedia:Ned Ludd|Ned Ludd]]
* [[The Bible (Literature)|Judas Maccabeus]]
* [[The Bible (Literature)|Judas Maccabeus]]
* Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary
* Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary
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== Possibly Apocryphal Folk Heroes ==
== Possibly Apocryphal Folk Heroes ==
* [[King Arthur]]
* [[King Arthur]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_(folklore) John Henry]
* [[wikipedia:John Henry (folklore)|John Henry]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hua_Mulan Hua Mulan]
* [[wikipedia:Hua Mulan|Hua Mulan]]
* Sarutobi Sasuke
* Sarutobi Sasuke
* [[Robin Hood]]
* [[Robin Hood]]
* [[William Tell]]
* [[William Tell]]
* Spring-Heeled Jack
* Spring-Heeled Jack
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalli Lalli] (though more like folk anti-hero)
* [[wikipedia:Lalli|Lalli]] (though more like folk anti-hero)
* [[Ara the Handsome (Literature)|Ara the Handsome]]
* [[Ara the Handsome (Literature)|Ara the Handsome]]


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== Folklore ==
== Folklore ==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bunyan_(lumberjack) Paul Bunyan]
* [[wikipedia:Paul Bunyan (lumberjack)|Paul Bunyan]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecos_Bill Pecos Bill]
* [[wikipedia:Pecos Bill|Pecos Bill]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiraiya Jiraiya and Tsunade]
* [[wikipedia:Jiraiya|Jiraiya and Tsunade]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigurd Sigurd]
* [[wikipedia:Sigurd|Sigurd]]
* Big Joe Mufferaw
* Big Joe Mufferaw
* Joe Magarac
* Joe Magarac
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{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Folk Hero]]
[[Category:Folk Hero]]
[[Category:Pages needing more categories]]

Revision as of 05:36, 8 February 2014

A folk hero is type of hero, real or mythological, who has become the stuff of legend through generations of retellings. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name, personality and deeds of the character in the popular consciousness. This is evidenced by mention in folk songs, folk tales and other folklore. In modern times, folk heroes are also the subject of films, comic books and literature.

Although some folk heroes are historical public figures, they generally aren't, and even if they are they won't bear much resemblance to the real person. Because the lives of folk heroes are generally not based on historical documents, the characteristics and deeds of a folk hero are 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, live outside the law in some way. There is a strong tendency for them to be Guile Heroes.

The tradition is carried on nowadays in an "ironic" fashion in the form of the Memetic Badass - games of one-upmanship involving Chuck Norris or Bruce Campbell only really differ from embellishing the exploits of Cu Chulainn or Paul Bunyan in the fact that they're about living people, and as such are obviously fake.

See also King in The Mountain.

Historically Documented Folk Heroes

Possibly Apocryphal Folk Heroes

Fictional Folk Heroes

Comic Books

Film

Live Action TV

Folklore

Literature

Web Original

Western Animation

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