An epic poem is a lengthy narrative poem that tells the story of heroic deeds, normally accomplished by more-than-human characters. These long poems typically detail extraordinary feats and adventures of characters from a specific culture or society. Epic poetry has been and continues to be used by peoples all over the world to transmit their traditions from one generation to another, without the aid of writing. The prime examples of the oral epic are Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. The elements that typically distinguish epics include superhuman deeds, fabulous adventures, highly stylized language, and a blending of lyrical and dramatic traditions, which also extend to defining heroic verse. Many of the world’s oldest written narratives are in epic form, including the Babylonian Gilgamesh, the Sanskrit Mahâbhârata, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, and Virgil’s Aeneid.