Longest living literary heroes. I say Roland who is

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

Currently the hero of King's Gunslinger series with direct lineage through Browning's Wasteland to the 11th century Chanson de geste, Song of Roland which, in turn, is most likely due to the 9th century history by Eginhardt who mentions Roland duke of the Marches of Britainy and his death in 778.

He's close to a tie with Arthur who, while supposedly living in the 6th century, was not embellished until the 11th century and not in the epic form that would occur later. Therefore the qualifier "literary hero" in the sense of embellishment and fictionalization.

And to the REAL historians out there (of which I am not), please don't flame us plebes. Just wanted to get a good Saturday conversation going and maybe learn a thing or two along the way. I'm better equipped to discuss King's work than Chaucer :evilgrin: .

[oldleftguy]

1. Roland fought a rear guard action againest the Moors for..

..Charlemagne. Before his death fighting the Moors, Roland broke his own sword on a bolder to assure his blade would never be used againest his beloved King. Bummer.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

2. "Bummer...." I think those were his last words....

Well, at least one person doesn't have me on ignore :evilgrin:

[baldguy]

3. Mel Brooks' 2000-year-old man.

or Robert Heinleins Lazarus Long.

[Bossy Monkey]

4. I'm thinking Gilgamesh (n/t)

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

5. Wow. Only by about three thousand years....

Maybe I should have qualified it by saying Western or European literary hero. I didn't even consider Gilgamesh or any of the Greek or Roman heros.