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I was just on the bus, minding my own business when I heard a magical phrase "he knew 2 dozen languages and numerous dialects"; I just had to speak up because there is only one person in history who could fit that phrase:
My hero, Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton. He was an explorer, diplomat, linguist, author, translator - he was 6'4" tall, with broad shoulders, narrow hips, and had this wonderful scar on his cheek. The British army still use the manual he wrote on how to fight with a bayonet, his "Book of Swords" is a master work, he was the original translator of the "One Thousand Nights and One Night" in 10 volumes with 7 volumes of notes anthropological and explanatory. He had himself circumcised in order to get into the Medina area and into Mecca. He could enter a completely unknown country and within a year, be indistinguishable from a native in dress, language and behavior.

Yes, I have many of his books and a copy of the 17 volume "Burton Society" 1001 Arabian Nights set, and a copy of his book of poetry. Did you know he came to the US, studies the Sioux language and tried to convince Brigham Young that he had converted to Mormonism (Brigham Young had many of Burton's books so he didn't fall for it).

Who is your hero and why?

Edited by GrimJack because: an extra touch
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susheelsundar commented: ....British explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat.....< Wowww :) +0

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Member Avatar for Shanti C

Well , me historical hero is Annamayya.
His full name is Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya from INDIA.
He was the official songmaster of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple.
He was one of the first few who opposed the social stigma towards the untouchable castes in his era,with his sankeertanas explaining that the relationship between God and human is the same irrespective of the latters' color, caste and financial status.
His choice of words gives a mellifluous tone to his songs, charming the listener. His prodigious literary career earned him a place among the all-time greats of Telugu literature.

Member Avatar for vegaseat

George Washington with his bright red hair.

Member Avatar for jon.kiparsky

Talleyrand - the smartest man in Europe in his day. Managed to keep himself on top from monarchy to revolution to Terror to Napoleon, and did it in style.

Member Avatar for AndreRet

Nelson Mandela, took South Africa to new heights, dissolved apartheid, Combined ethnic groups as one united ed nation, got the entire world to look at us with a new perspective.

Member Avatar for diafol

I love old-time pirates, so it would have to be Barti Ddu and Harri Morgan (Black Bart and Capt. Henry Morgan). Not in the same league as Mandela and Gandhi I admit, but if I had to live a life in somebody else's shoes, gimme the cutlass you wretched swabs!

Member Avatar for AndreRet

Like so Welsh spoken.;)

GIVE THAT MAN A BELLS....

Edited by AndreRet because: n/a
Member Avatar for JamieLynnSEO

Hands down, Aleister Crowley ^_^

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I read a biography on Aleister Crowley by Some guy called Wilson about 20-odd years back. Hilarious - especially the bit about the meeting with Gurdijeff. Do what thou wilt JL.

Member Avatar for JamieLynnSEO

Lol right? dude was nuts. I love it. And his writing is interesting to read... and he STILL has an epic following today. I love it! Anyone with that much influential power is A-OK in my book :) I don't exactly "worship" him, or agree with all of his views, but i love the way he went about establishing them.

Member Avatar for Sadun89

........historical hero.........

It depend on mainly culture & the person knowledge about him or her....
So can we make one hero for all universe?
We can't,can we?

Do you know why i say like that..i don't know some of heros mention above this...
So how i can tell my hero better than other...
I can mention who is my hero....But i don't know whose want it ??.....

That why I say Can we make one hero for universe.....


Its only an Idea......
:idea:

Member Avatar for cyrilruiz

My favourite history hero is Mahatma Gandhi. He was born on 2 October and death on 30 January. He was father of the whole country. He like to live peaceful life. He was help to our country for freedom. I am proud of this person.

Member Avatar for abelLazm

It depend on mainly culture & the person kn.....

Yes you are right Sudan89 ..... My hero is Muhammad PBUH And I think he is worth to be hero :) (that what I think)

Edited by abelLazm because: n/a
commented: tum bhi na :) +0
Member Avatar for Dean_Grobler

Mine would have to be Jedi Jesus.

jedi-jesus.jpg 77.69 KB
commented: Lord Jesus Rocks :) +0
commented: Nice, but i thought the cross should be the other way round. Like a sword +0
Member Avatar for jingda

Julius Caesar, he loves rome until he is willing to die for it

Member Avatar for tomato.pgn

For me ,It's 2PAC who gave a new singing style (rap) to this world....
And Mahatma Gandhi who used non-violence as his sword to fight for humanity....
....

Edited by tomato.pgn because: n/a
Member Avatar for HiHe

Albert Einstein, he was so ugly that he was cute!

Member Avatar for GrimJack

........historical hero.........

It depend on mainly culture & the person knowledge about him or her....
So can we make one hero for all universe?
We can't,can we?

Do you know why i say like that..i don't know some of heros mention above this...
So how i can tell my hero better than other...
I can mention who is my hero....But i don't know whose want it ??.....

That why I say Can we make one hero for universe.....


Its only an Idea......
:idea:

Just to clarify my purpose in starting this thread - I am not looking for 'a historical hero', I am looking for your historical hero. I am an American citizen with a western point of view; I know that every culture has its heroes, I am looking for pointers to people I have never heard of or not heard enough about. Looking back at mythical heroes like Nimrod, Gilgamesh, Hercules, Joan of Arc, Buddha, et c. - I imagine that they were real people who inspired stories that entered the realm of legend.

Member Avatar for Arbus

Alexander the great and Porus- the king of kings who fought against Alexander the great, are my historical heroes.

Member Avatar for jingda

Alexander the great and Porus- the king of kings who fought against Alexander the great, are my historical heroes.

Hey i like ALexandar the great too. I like confucians and his teachings. Very meaningful and inspiring in life.

Edited by jingda because: n/a
Member Avatar for Arbus

Aryabhata- the great Indian mathematician is also my historical hero.

Edited by Arbus because: n/a
commented: yes..he was a great mathematician +0
Member Avatar for jingda

Armstrong is my historical hero. The first person who land on the moon

Member Avatar for GrimJack

Aryabhata- the great Indian mathematician is also my historical hero.

Reminded me of Srinivasa Ramanujan - it has been years since I thought of him. He died too young.

Member Avatar for GrimJack

King Dutugamanu is my hero.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutthagamani_of_Sri_Lanka

Due north of Sri Lanka (on the other side of India) and about 2,000 years later in Moghulistan lived the first Moghul emperor Babur who wrote a book The Baburnama which is the first autobiography in Islamic culture. The book is engrossing and surprisingly readable and details people, places, flora and fauna of the time. He ended up invading India from Kabul and founding an empire that his descendents ruled for about 3 centuries. The 5th emperor after Babur was Shah Jahan who is the emperor who built the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his wife who had 14 children. Shah Jahan had his own book The Shah Jahan Nama

The book ends mid-sentence.

It gives an interesting perspective on how things in that area are the way they are today.

Edited by GrimJack because: I have no idea what he is saying but it sounds interesting
Member Avatar for jingda

Jesus Christ is my hero

Member Avatar for NicAx64

Due north of Sri Lanka (on the other side of India) and about 2,000 years later in Moghulistan lived the first Moghul emperor Babur who wrote a book The Baburnama which is the first autobiography in Islamic culture. The book is engrossing and surprisingly readable and details people, places, flora and fauna of the time. He ended up invading India from Kabul and founding an empire that his descendents ruled for about 3 centuries. The 5th emperor after Babur was Shah Jahan who is the emperor who built the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his wife who had 14 children. Shah Jahan had his own book The Shah Jahan Nama

The book ends mid-sentence.

It gives an interesting perspective on how things in that area are the way they are today.

India is a mistrious country, they had magical and more advanced civilizations
unlike us, unlike us , they had more than 100 different types of acient
civilizations, and there were great ancient wars happened. Some civilizations
are destroyed completely due to the wars, and libraries are burned and
about some civilizations there are no record exists , we even don't know such
a civilization have existed there even. So their technology and their advanced
civilizations are completely a mystery today.Modern science have many
things to learn by reverse engineering ancient India.


The history have records about advanced technologies they have used in the war.
The great Islamic religion and the emperior have invaded all the south Asia,
except the countries like Israel, Burama , ThaiLand China and also Sri Lanka
who have able to maintain their independence from them. That's why still
King Dutugamanu is a hero of our ppl even after more than 1000 years have left.
No matter how much technology and man power they had King Dutugamanu easily
defeated the king Elara and honorably dispose his body with a respect of a
true warrior ,in the name of hornblende fight /honor of the war. (the
respect that he had for his enemy fighter).And the history says that he have
build a structure to honor king Elara from the Sinhalese tax payers money
, Following links is a wikipedia picture to that structure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dakkhinatupa.jpg

so it's the heroic story of our King Dutugamanu anyway.

because of the position of Sri Lanka it implicitly able to maintain it's peace
and independence, Ancient Sinhalese are peaceful ppl who are Buddhists, unlike us, India
(south to SL) who have great civilizations and ancient technology , who had hell bloody
fights/regional wars etc. Technologies developed with the wars !

Even today india is a mystery place,see,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sathya_Sai_Baba

someday I hope mankind will be able to reverse engineer their technology and understand
and rebuild machines and make human life more comfortable and make the technology
easy and affordable thing for sure. I heard that some of the top universities like
MIT is adding the reverse-engineering ancient technologies into their courses.

Member Avatar for sneekula

Crazy Horse the great leader and warrior of the Teton Sioux.

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