Culture hero
143364
223804131
2008-07-05T22:04:40Z
Nikola Smolenski
11304
/* Slavic mythology */
{{unreferenced|date=December 2006}}
A '''culture hero''' is a [[mythological]] [[hero]] specific to some group ([[culture|cultural]], [[ethnic group|ethnic]], [[Race (classification of human beings)|racial]], [[religion|religious]], etc.) who changes the world through [[invention]] or [[discovery (observation)|discovery]]. A typical culture hero might be credited as the discoverer of [[fire]], or [[agriculture]], [[folk music|songs]], [[tradition]] and [[religion]], and is usually the most important legendary figure of a people, sometimes as the founder of its ruling [[dynasty]]. The hero is sometimes said to be still living, but is often instead a [[star]], [[constellation]] or purely spiritual in nature.
In many cultures, particularly [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]], the mythical figure of the [[trickster]] and the culture hero are combined. To illustrate, [[Prometheus]], in [[Greek mythology]], stole fire from the gods to give it to humans. He is more of a culture hero than a trickster. In many Native American mythologies and beliefs, the [[coyote]] spirit stole fire from the gods (or stars or sun) and is more of a trickster than a culture hero. Natives from the Southeastern United States typically saw a [[rabbit]] trickster/culture hero. The [[Western Africa]]n trickster [[spider]] [[Ananse]] is also widely disseminated.
In some cultures, there are dualistic myths, featuring two culture heroes arranging the world in a complementary manner. [[Dualistic cosmology|Dualistic cosmologies]] are present in all inhabited continents<ref>Zolotarjov 1980: 54</ref> and show great diversity: they may feature culture heroes, but also [[demiurge]]s (exemplifying dualistic [[creation myth]]s in the latter case), or other beings; the two heroes may compete or collaborate; they may be conceived as neutral or contrasted as good versus evil; be of the same importance or distinguished as powerful versus weak; be brothers (even twins) or be not relatives at all.<ref>Zolotarjov 180: 40–43</ref>
The term is sometimes used to describe great authors or artists in a metaphorical sense (i.e. [[Mzwakhe Mbuli]], a [[South Africa]]n poet [http://www.mzwakhe.org/CULTURE.HTM]).
==Partial list==
===[[Abenaki mythology]]===
*[[Bedig-wajo]] (western)
*[[Ktaden]] (eastern)
*[[Glooscap]]
===[[Australian Aboriginal mythology]]===
*[[Bunjil]]
*[[I'wai]]
*[[Wurrunna]]
===[[Abrahamic mythology]] ([[Judaism]], [[Christianity]], [[Islam]])===
* [[Noah]]
* [[Abraham]]
* [[Isaac]]
* [[Jacob]]
* [[Moses]]
* [[Jesus]]
* [[Mohammed]]
===[[Armenian mythology]]===
*[[Haik]]
*[[Vahagn]]
*[[Aramazd]]
*[[Anahit]]
===[[Ashanti mythology]]===
*[[Anansi]]
===[[Aztec mythology]]===
*[[Quetzalcoatl]]
===[[Banks Islander mythology]]===
*[[Qat (deity)|Qat]]
===[[Celtic mythology]] ([[Irish mythology|Irish]], [[Welsh mythology|Welsh]])===
*[[King Arthur]]
*[[Cúchulainn]]
*[[Lugh|Lug]]
*[[Fionn mac Cumhail|Fionn mac Cumhail (Finn McCool)]]
===[[Chinese mythology]]===
*[[Huang Di]]
*[[Yao (ruler)|Yao]]
*[[Shun (Chinese leader)|Shun]]
*[[Fu Xi]]
*[[Guan Yu]]
*[[Laozi]]
*[[Bodhidharma]]
*[[Zhang Sanfeng]]
===[[Egyptian mythology]]===
*[[Osiris]]
*[[Thoth]]
===[[English mythology]]===
*[[Sceaf]]
===[[Etruscan mythology]]===
*[[Tarchon]]
*[[Tyrrehenus]]
===[[Finnish mythology]]===
*[[Väinämöinen]]
*[[Ilmarinen]]
*[[Lemminkäinen]]
===[[Greek mythology]]===
*[[Cadmus]]
*[[Cecrops I|Cecrops]]
*[[Castor and Pollux]]
*[[Herakles]]
*[[Hermes]]
*[[Palamedes (Greek mythology)|Palamedes]]
*[[Perseus]]
*[[Phoroneus]]
*[[Prometheus]]
*[[Triptolemos]]
*[[Kratos]]
===[[Indian mythology]]===
*[[Rama]]
*[[Lakshman]]
*[[Krishna]]
*[[Balarama]]
*[[Hanuman]]
*[[Arjuna]]
*[[Bhima]]
*[[Yudhishtira]]
*[[Mamuni Mayan]]
===[[Inuit mythology]]===
*[[Apanuugak]]
===[[Lakota mythology]]===
*[[Iktomi]]
===[[Māori mythology]]===
*[[Tangaroa]]
*[[Māui]]
===[[Maya mythology]]===
*[[Gukumatz]]
*[[Maya Hero Twins]]
===[[Mesopotamian mythology]]===
*[[Gilgamesh]]
*[[Enkidu]]
*[[Utnapishtim|Ziusudra]]
===[[Ohlone mythology]]===
*[[Kaknu]]
===[[Navaho mythology]]===
*[[Changing Woman]]
*The [[Diyin dine]]
===[[Norse mythology]]===
*[[Sigurd|Sigurd Fafnersbane]]
*[[Beowulf (hero)|Beowulf]]
*[[Starkad]]
===[[Ojibwe]] mythology===
*[[Nanabozho]]
===[[Persian mythology]]===
* [[Rostam]]
* [[Sohrab]]
===[[Polynesian mythology]]===
*[[Atonga]]
===[[Roman mythology]]===
*[[Hercules]]
*[[Janus (mythology)|Janus]]
*[[Romulus and Remus|Romulus]]/[[Quirinus]]
*[[Aeneas]]
===[[Serbian mythology]]===
*[[Saint Sava]]
===[[Slavic mythology]]===
*[[Dazbog]]
===[[Solomon Islander mythology]]===
*[[To-Kabinana]]
===[[Folklore of the United States|Mythology of the United States]]===
*[[Daniel Boone]]
*[[Johnny Appleseed]]
*[[Christopher Columbus]]
*[[Pilgrims]]
*[[George Washington]]
===[[Ute mythology]]===
*[[Cin-an-ev]]
===[[Weenhayek mythology]]===
*[[Ahutsetajwaj]]
*[[Tapiatsa]]
===[[Wikipedian mythology]]===
*[[Jimbo Wales]]
*[[Ayn Rand]]
===[[Zuni mythology]]===
*[[Yanauluha]]
==External links==
*http://www.antro.uu.se/acta/sample_trickster.html
*http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/om/om12.htm
== Notes ==
<references/>
== References ==
* {{cite book |last=Zolotarjov |first=A.M. |chapter=Társadalomszervezet és dualisztikus teremtésmítoszok Szibériában |editor=Hoppál, Mihály |title=A Tejút fiai. Tanulmányok a finnugor népek hitvilágáról |pages=29–58 |publisher=Európa Könyvkiadó |location=Budapest |year=1980 |language=Hungarian |isbn= 963 07 2187 2}} Chapter means: "Social structure and dualistic creation myths in Siberia"; title means: "The sons of Milky Way. Studies on the belief systems of Finno-Ugric peoples".
[[Category:Culture heroes| ]]
[[it:Eroe culturale]]
[[nl:Cultuurheld]]
[[ja:文化英雄]]
[[ru:Культурный герой]]
[[zh:文化英雄]]