Short description: None

World folk-epics are those epics which are not just literary masterpieces but also an integral part of the worldview of a people. They were originally oral literatures, which were later written down by either single author or several writers.

African languages

  • Bayajidda, a West African epic
  • Eri, a West African epic
  • Kebra Nagast, an Ethiopian epic
  • Lianja, a Central African epic
  • Mwindo, a Central African epic
  • Oduduwa, a West African epic
  • Silamaka, a West African epic
  • Epic of Sundiata, a West African epic

American languages

  • La Araucana, an American Spanish epic
  • Popol Vuh, a Maya K'ich'e epic
  • Diné Bahaneʼ, a Navajo epic

Southwest Asian languages

  • Bahman Nama, a Persian epic about the story of Bahman son of Isfandyar
  • Banu Goshasp Nama, a Persian epic about the daughter of Rustam
  • Kush Nama, a Persian epic recounting the story of Kush the Tusked and Abtin.
  • Taghribat Bani Hilal, an Arabic epic recounting the journeys and conquests of the Bani Hilal tribe
  • The Daredevils of Sassoun or Davit of Sassoun. an Armenian folk epic
  • The Knight in the Panther's Skin, a Georgian epic poem
  • Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest epic of the world from Mesopotamia
  • Faramarz Nama, a story about the Persian hero Faramarz
  • Garshasp Nama, a Persian epic about the hero Garshasp
  • Shahnameh, the Persian "Book of Kings" by Ferdowsi, national epic of Greater Iran and world's longest epic poetry written by one poet
  • The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of stories from mostly Persian and Arabic sources

East and Central Asian Languages

  • Epic of King Gesar, a Tibetan epic, generally considered the longest in the world
  • Heike Monogatari (The Tale of the Heike), a Japan ese epic
  • Jewang ungi, a Korean epic
  • King Dongmyeong, a Korean epic
  • Irk Bitig, a book about Turkic legends from Dunhuang, China
  • Alpamysh, a Turkic epic from Central Asia
  • Alp Er Tunga an ancient epic from Turkic people
  • Manas, a Turkic epic from East Asia
  • Book of Dede Korkut (Korkut Ata), an epic from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and other Turkic nations
  • Oghuz-nameh, an epic from Oghuz Turkic nations (Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, as well as Turcomans of Iraq)
  • Kutadgu Bilig, an epic from Central Asia, Uighurs and other Turkic nations
  • Journey to the West (also known as "Monkey"), a Chinese novel
  • Mupamipa, an epic of the Lahu ethnic group of China

South Asian languages

  • Khamba Thoibi, a Manipuri epic poem from India.
  • Meghnad Badh Kavya, a Bengali language epic from India by Michael Madhusudan Dutt.
  • Numit Kappa, a 1st-century Manipuri epic poetry from India.
  • Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic from India; known as Bharatayuddha in Indonesia and the longest epic in the world.
  • Ramayana, a Sanskrit epic from India.
  • Panchatantra, a Sanskrit epic of animal folktales from India.
  • Epic of Siri, in Tulu language from Karnataka, India
  • The Five Great Epics of Tamil Literature, India:
  • Mailaralingana Kavya, in Kannada language, India
  • Manteswamy Kavya, in Kannada language, India
  • Malemahadeshwara kavya, in Kannada language, India
  • Siri and Kotichennayya avali kavya, in Tulu language, Karnataka, India

Southeast Asian languages

  • Hikayat Hang Tuah, a Malaccan, and Malay epic
  • Bidasari, a Malay epic
  • Biag ni Lam-Ang (Life of Lam-Ang), an epic of the Ilocano of northern Luzon, the Philippines
  • Darangen, an epic of the Maranao of Mindanao, the Philippines . Derived from the Ramayana
  • Hinilawod, an epic of the Panay-Bukidnons of Panay, the Visayas, central Philippines .
  • Ibalong Epic, a 60-stanza fragment of a Bicolano full-length folk epic of Bicol Region of the Philippines.
  • The Tale of Kiều, a Vietnamese epic poem in lục bát.
  • Ibong Adarna, a Spanish-era Tagalog epic
  • Klei khan Y Dam San, an epic of Ede people in Central Highland (Tây Nguyên), Vietnam.
  • Nagarakertagama, an Indonesian epic
  • Sepha Khun Chang Khun Phaen, a Thai epic about the adventures of Khun Phaen, a Siamese folk hero.
  • La Galigo, also known as Sureq Galigo or La Galigo, is an epic creation myth of the Buginese people from South Sulawesi, Indonesia Written in an Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) language, it is the longest epic in the world.

European languages

  • Cikli i Kreshnikëve, an Albanian epic
  • Kalevala, a Finland epic
  • Kalevipoeg, an Estonian epic
  • Lāčplēsis, a Latvian epic

Greek language

Italic and Romance Languages

  • Aeneid, a Roman epic
  • Os Lusíadas, a Portuguese literary epic
  • The Lay of the Cid, a mediaeval Spain epic
  • The Song of Roland, a mediaeval France epic

Celtic languages

  • Mabinogion, a compilation of Welsh myths and legends
  • Matter of Britain, a compilation of Welsh myths and legends
  • Mythological Cycle, a compilation of Irish myths and legends
  • Ulster Cycle, a compilation of Irish myths and legends
  • Fenian Cycle, a compilation of Irish myths and legends
  • Cycles of the Kings, a compilation of Irish myths and legends
  • Táin Bó Cúailnge, an Irish epic
  • Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire, an Irish lament

Germanic Languages

  • Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon epic written in Old English
  • Edda, a collection of Icelandic poems
  • Le Morte d'Arthur, a collection of Arthurian legends in Middle English
  • Nibelungenlied, a German epic poem
  • Njál's saga, an Icelandic saga
  • Volsunga saga, a Scandinavian saga
  • The Lion of Flanders, a Flemish national epic

Slavic Languages

  • The Baptism on the Savica, a Slovene literary epic
  • The Mountain Wreath, a Montenegrin epic poem
  • Epic of the Forgotten, a Bulgarian poetic saga
  • Judita, a Croatian epic
  • On the Track of the Sun – The Red Warriors from Chorasmia, a Croatian epic
  • Pan Tadeusz, a Polish literary epic
  • The Tale of Igor's Campaign, an East Slavic epic

Serbian language

See also



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