The Medieval hero: A Comparative Study in Indo-European Tradition

The Indo-European Hero is a complex figure, a combination of the best and worst parts of human nature. Heroes often represent the noblest qualities of their cultures, but also possess violent instincts that make them dangerous even to their own people. In The Medieval Hero, Dr Connell Monette surveys a wide range of heroic tales from Celtic, Persian, and Anglo-Saxon tradition to decode the hidden truths about Heroes: their origins, their strengths and weaknesses, the source of their powers, and the Heroic Code. Monette demonstrates an impressive command of historical languages, and gives the reader both original passages and English translations of texts in Classical Persian, Old Irish, Old English, and Classical Greek. This book will enable the reader to better understand the Hero in ancient and medieval epics, and to correctly identify the dominant themes in modern adaptations of the heroic genre.