Perseus – Founder of lion-gated Mycenae and the first great Greek hero. Perseus slayed the notorious Medusa, a female monster whose mere glance turned men to stone. He also fought and defeated a gargantuan sea monster to save the life of Andromeda, who had been presented as a sacrifice.
Beowulf – Scandinavian warrior from the land of the Geats, or ancient southern Sweden. Not only was he exceedingly strong, killing dragons, monsters, and sea serpents, but he was also a superb tactician. Beowulf studied his enemies to discover their weaknesses and then used those flaws against them. His honor lives on in the great Anglo-Saxon narrative poem named after him.
Hercules – Son of Zeus who was known as the strongest hero of ancient times. After being tricked by the goddess Hera into murdering his wife and children, he set out in penance to perform the purportedly impossible tasks that came to be called the Twelve Labors of Hercules.
Through strength and unprecedented courage, he succeeded in working through all his labors.
Jason – Famed leader of the band of warrior adventurers known as the Argonauts. To regain his throne, Jason set forth with his men across a dark and dangerous sea to obtain the legendary Golden Fleece. Along the way the fierce seamen fought numerous monsters and supernatural creatures.
Red Horn – Great Sioux mythical hero sent by his father, Creator, to rescue mankind. Red Horn led war parties to fight the giants, monsters, and evil spirits existing on earth. His very interesting epithet is Wears Faces on His Ears. The nickname came about due to the living faces that appeared on his earlobes. Another description was that when he placed certain ear ornaments, bobs, or devices on his ears, they came to life with men’s faces. This aspect has an extraterrestrial feel to me. I picture an astronaut with audio / visual earphones on his head.
Let’s all send out good thoughts for our veterans and their families. I hope you enjoyed our nine mythological warriors and will share the names of other mythic war heroes that strike your fancy or sing in your heart. Which are you most drawn to?
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Paranormal Romance
A wonderful and timely post, Flossie. One of my favourites is Alexander the Great. He did so much in his short life.
Alexander certainly led an amazing life. Great choice, Daisy.
This is great. Thanks for sharing! Perfect for this week.
Thanks so much, Vicki!
There are war heroes all over the world in the history of mankind, either mythical or real.I will mention here the last King of Dacia, the legendary Decebal. A fascinating man, as much loved today by Romanians as Vlad III Basarab, the Impaler.
Thank you for sharing about Decebal, Carmen. I will add him to my “master list.”
Love your look at these war heroes, Flossie. What a perfectly timed Mythic Monday post. Three others I adore are King David, King Arthur and Robin Hood!
Those are great adds, Mae! King David’s story certainly strikes a resonant note. King Arthur remained steadfast despite real and supernatural enemies. Robin Hood was always a favorite of mine. As a child the old British version with Richard Greene came on Saturdays.