An epic (from the Ancient Greek adjective ἐπικός (epikos), from ἔπος (epos) "word, story, poem") is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation.Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form. Nonetheless, epics have been written down at least since the works of Virgil, Dante Alighieri, and John Milton. Many probably would not have survived if not written down. The first epics are known as primary, or original, epics. One such epic is the Old English story Beowulf. Epics that attempt to imitate these like Milton's Paradise Lost are known as literary, or secondary, epics. Another type of epic poetry is epyllion (plural: epyllia), which is a brief narrative poem with a romantic or mythological theme. The term, which means 'little epic', came into use in the nineteenth century. It refers primarily to the erudite, shorter hexameter poems of the Hellenistic period and the similar works composed at Rome from the age of the neoterics; to a lesser degree, the term includes some poems of the English Renaissance, particularly those influenced by Ovid.^{[citation needed]} The most famous example of classical epyllion is perhaps Catullus 64.

Heȟáka Sápa (Black Elk) (December 1863-August 19, 1950) was a famous Wičháša Wakȟáŋ (Medicine Man or Holy Man) of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux). He was Heyoka and a second cousin of Crazy Horse.

Black Elk said that during his life, he had several visions in which he learned things that would help his people. In his "great vision," at the age of nine, he said he met the spirit that guided the universe and saw a great tree that symbolized the life of the earth and of the Indian people. He did not speak of this to anyone until he was much older, but his family apparently understood he was clairvoyant after his supposed "illness".

Black Elk was involved in several battles with the U.S. cavalry. He participated, at about the age of twelve, in the Battle of Little Big Horn of 1876, and was injured in the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890.

In 1887, Black Elk traveled to England with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, an unpleasant experience he described in chapter 20 of Black Elk Speaks. On May 11, 1887, the troop put on a command performance for Queen Victoria, whom they called "Grandmother England." He also described being in the crowd at her Golden Jubilee. He and Red Shirt officiated Surrounded By the Enemy's funeral in London. The interment was at Brompton Cemetery.

Chief Seattle (an Anglicization of Si'ahl), (Lushootseed pronunciation: [ˈsiʔaːɬ], originally [ˈsiʔaːtɬʼ]; c. 1780 - June 7, 1866) was a Dkhw’Duw’Absh (Duwamish) chief, also known as Sealth, Seathle, Seathl, or See-ahth. A prominent figure among his people, he pursued a path of accommodation to white settlers, forming a personal relationship with David Swinson "Doc" Maynard. The city of Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington, was named after him. A widely publicized speech arguing in favor of ecological responsibility and respect of native Americans' land rights has been attributed to him; however there is controversy about what, if anything, he actually said.

Si’ahl's mother Sholeetsa was Dkhw’Duw’Absh (Duwamish) and his father Shweabe was chief of the Dkhw’Suqw'Absh (the Suquamish tribe). Si’ahl was born around 1780 on or near Blake Island, Washington. One source cites his mother's name as Wood-sho-lit-sa. The Duwamish tradition is that Si’ahl was born at his mother's Dkh^w’Duw’Absh village of Stuk^w on the Black River, in what is now the city of Kent, and that Si'ahl grew up speaking both the Dkhw’Duw’Absh and Dkhw’Suqw'Absh dialects of Lushootseed. Because Native descent among the Salish peoples was not solely patrilineal, Si'ahl inherited his position as chief of the Dkhw’Duw’Absh or Suquamish Tribe from his maternal uncle. In later years, Si’ahl claimed to have seen the ships of the Vancouver Expedition as they explored Puget Sound.

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Charles Rowan KCB (circa 1782–8 May 1852) was an officer in the British Army, serving in the Peninsular War and Waterloo and the joint first Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, head of the London Metropolitan Police.

Rowan was born in County Antrim, fifth of the ten sons of Robert Rowan, an impoverished landowner of Scottish descent. He went to school in Carrickfergus. In 1797, he was commissioned an Ensign in the 52nd Regiment of Foot. He was promoted Paymaster in 1798, Lieutenant in 1799,Captain in 1803,Brevet Major in 1809, Major in 1811, Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in 1812, and finally Lieutenant-Colonel - all his promotions above Captain were field promotions, not purchases. His younger brother, William, was later commissioned into the same regiment and eventually achieved the rank of Field Marshal. Charles' eldest brother was the well-regarded Major John Rowan (1778–1855), a soldier in the Antrim Militia regiment, and later High Sheriff of County Antrim (1814). John also became chair of Ireland's Justices of the Peace Association, and later the first chair of the Board of Guardians, a body that overseen the running of the Poor Houses in Belfast, in 1839.