# Ossian — Essays character guide

> Ossian in Essays by Henry David Thoreau.

**Role:** minor

**First appearance:** 0015-ossian

## Who they are

Legendary Gaelic bard; subject of a comparative essay.

## Relationships

### [The Hero](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/essays_2_se/characters/the_hero)

_psychological_

Ossian, a legendary bard, is connected to the Hero through mythic narrative, representing an idealized heroic past.

## In the story

### [Essays](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/essays_2_se/chapters/essays)

Subject of Thoreau's essay on Ossian.

### [Homer; Ossian; Chaucer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/essays_2_se/chapters/homer-ossian-chaucer)

Examined for his wild, melancholic, and sublime poetry, rooted in the natural landscape of the Scottish Highlands.

### [Ossian](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/essays_2_se/chapters/ossian)

Central figure of the chapter; his poetry is analyzed and praised for its heroic and elemental qualities.

### [Chaucer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/essays_2_se/chapters/chaucer)

Contrasted with Chaucer; his poetry is stern, desolate, and misty, representing an older, heroic bardic tradition.

### [Night and Moonlight](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/essays_2_se/chapters/night-and-moonlight)

Quoted in an address to the Sun, asking about the dwelling of darkness and the stars.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/essays_2_se/characters/ossian
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/essays_2_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/essays_2_se/characters