{"product_id":"the-epic-hero-9780801862397","title":"The Epic Hero","description":"\u003cp\u003eSelected by Choice Magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title From Odysseus to Aeneas  from Beowulf to King Arthur  from the Mahbhrata to the Ossetian \"Nart\" tales  epic heroes and their stories have symbolized the power of the human imagination. Drawing on diverse disciplines including classics  anthropology  psychology  and literary studies  this product of twenty years scholarship provides a detailed typology of the hero in Western myth: birth  parentage  familial ties  sexuality  character  deeds  death  and afterlife. Dean A. Miller examines the place of the hero in the physical world (wilderness  castle  prison cell) and in society (among monarchs  fools  shamans  rivals  and gods). He looks at the hero in battle and quest; at his political status; and at his relationship to established religion. The book spans Western epic traditions  including Greek  Roman  Nordic  and Celtic  as well as the Indian and Persian legacies. A large section of the book also examines the figures who modify or accompany the hero: partners  helpers (animals and sometimes monsters)  foes  foils  and even antitypes. The Epic Hero provides a comprehensive and provocative guide to epic heroes  and to the richly imaginative tales they inhabit.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67904724893749,"sku":"ByrdShop_0801862396","price":65.66,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780801862397.jpg?v=1793851016","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-epic-hero-9780801862397","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}