culture hero
- noun
- /ˈkʌl.tʃər ˈhɪə.roʊ/
:
héroe cultural
- Among these, figures of Chibinda Ilunga, honored as a culture hero and civilizing force, introduce the idea of a role model for Chokwe men.
And to quote my culture hero Anton Chekhov, he said.
- And to quote my culture hero Anton Chekhov, he said.
Examples
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Local communities might celebrate their culture heroes during festivals to honor their impactful contributions.
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It extols Chibinda Ilunga as a hunter-culture hero and male role model for the Chokwe.
Academic text (1999) -
The importance that culture heroes possess for us is significant.
Academic text (1990) -
To the Manam, he is both a culture hero and an anti-hero.
Academic text (1990) -
At present, some Manam, especially in Baliau, still regard Irakau as a local culture hero.
Academic text (1990) -
Ghesar, the name of the Tamang shaman's High God, is also the name of a Tibetan culture hero and mythical warrior king, as well as the title of a famous Tibetan epic.
Academic text (1990) -
Christopher Vecsey explains that Nanabozho "was known as a model, an ideal for customs, a true culture hero, yet he was also known as a buffoon, a sorcerer, a breaker of laws."
Academic text (2017) -
Here, the traditional Ojibwe trickster/culture hero Nanabozho is featured, though in this episode, he is more a benevolent Great Spirit than a typical trickster (Nanabozho's nature is variable traditionally).
Academic text (2017) -
Many people consider Martin Luther King Jr. a culture hero for his contributions to civil rights.
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In folklore, a culture hero often embodies the ideals and values of a society.
Synonyms
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1.1
A person admired for brave actions and good qualities
256
3.5
A very famous person admired for great achievements
1
7.2
A person who is very famous and admired while still alive
How Admired
5
4.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a person admired for contributions to culture' is directly and compositionally derivable from 'culture' (shared customs/arts) + 'hero' (an admired individual), so a B1 learner knowing both words can infer the sense. This modifier–noun compound follows ordinary English compounding patterns and has close parallels in other languages (e.g., héroe cultural, héroi cultural), supporting high transparency.
Etymology
Culture hero comes from old stories about a hero who gave people useful things or skills, like fire, farming, or laws, and so changed their culture. So today, a culture hero is someone people admire for making big changes to art, ideas, or society.