National epic

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A National epic is an epic poem or a literary work of epic scope which seeks or is believed to capture and express the essence or spirit of a particular nation. In a broader sense, a national epic may simply be an epic in the national language which the people or government of that nation are particularly very proud of respectively.

Usually most national epics frequently recount the origin of a nation, a part of its history, or a crucial event in the development of national identity such as other national symbols.

List of national personifications[change | change source]

Location Image Epic
 Bangladesh The Triumph of the Snake Goddess (lit. Manasa)
 India Mahabharata ("Poem of Greater India")
 Palestine The Book of One Thousand and One Nights
 Pakistan Hamzanama
 United Kingdom The Canterbury Tales (British Epic)
 United States The Columbiad