World folk-epics are those epics which are not just literary masterpieces but also an integral part of the worldview of a people. They were originally oral literatures, which were later written down by either single author or several writers.

African languages

• Bayajidda, a West African epic
• Eri, a West African epic
• Kebra Nagast, an Ethiopian epic
• Lianja, a Central African epic
• Mwindo, a Central African epic
• Oduduwa, a West African epic
• Silamaka, a West African epic
• Epic of Sundiata, a West African epic

American languages

• La Araucana, an American Spanish epic
• Popol Vuh, a Maya K'ich'e epic
• Diné Bahaneʼ, a Navajo epic

Southwest Asian languages

• Bahman Nama, a Persian epic about the story of Bahman son of Isfandyar
• Banu Goshasp Nama, a Persian epic about the daughter of Rustam
• Kush Nama, a Persian epic recounting the story of Kush the Tusked and Abtin.
• Mem and Zin, a Kurdish folk and love epic
• Taghribat Bani Hilal, an Arabic epic recounting the journeys and conquests of the Bani Hilal tribe
• The Daredevils of Sassoun or Davit of Sassoun. an Armenian folk epic
• The Knight in the Panther's Skin, a Georgian epic poem
• Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest epic of the world from Mesopotamia
• Faramarz Nama, a story about the Persian hero Faramarz
• Garshasp Nama, a Persian epic about the hero Garshasp
• Shahnameh, the Persian "Book of Kings" by Ferdowsi, national epic of Greater Iran and world's longest epic poetry written by one poet
• The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of stories from mostly Persian and Arabic sources
• The Hebrew Bible

East and Central Asian Languages

• Epic of King Gesar, a Tibetan epic, generally considered the longest in the world
• Heike Monogatari (The Tale of the Heike), a Japanese epic
• Jewang ungi, a Korean epic
• King Dongmyeong, a Korean epic
• Irk Bitig, a book about Turkic legends from Dunhuang, China
• Alpamysh, a Turkic epic from Central Asia
• Alp Er Tunga an ancient epic from Turkic people
• Manas, a Turkic epic from East Asia
• Book of Dede Korkut (Korkut Ata), an epic from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and other Turkic nations
• Oghuz-nameh, an epic from Oghuz Turkic nations (Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, as well as Turcomans of Iraq)
• Kutadgu Bilig, an epic from Central Asia, Uighurs and other Turkic nations
• Mupamipa, an epic of the Lahu ethnic group of China
• Olonkho, an epic from the Sakha people in Yakutia.

South Asian languages

• Khamba Thoibi Sheireng, a Meitei language epic poem, consisting of 39,000 lines, based on the story of Khamba and Thoibi, from India.
• Meghnad Badh Kavya, a Bengali language epic from India by Michael Madhusudan Dutt.
• Numit Kappa, a 1st-century Meitei language epic poetry from India.
• Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic from India; known as Bharatayuddha in Indonesia and the longest epic in the world.
• Ramayana, a Sanskrit epic from India.
• Panchatantra, a Sanskrit epic of animal folktales from India.
• Epic of Siri, in Tulu language from Karnataka, India
• The Five Great Epics of Tamil Literature, India:
  • Silappatikaram
  • Manimekalai
  • Cīvaka Cintāmaṇi
  • Valayapathi
  • Kundalakesi
• Mailaralingana Kavya, in Kannada language, India
• Manteswamy Kavya, in Kannada language, India
• Malemahadeshwara kavya, in Kannada language, India
• Sarala Mahabharata, an Odia language epic, India
• Jagamohana Ramayana, an Odia language epic poem, India
• Siri and Kotichennayya avali kavya, in Tulu language, Karnataka, India

Southeast Asian languages

• Hikayat Hang Tuah, a Malaccan, and Malay epic
• Bidasari, a Malay epic
• Biag ni Lam-Ang (Life of Lam-Ang), an epic of the Ilocano of northern Luzon, the Philippines
• Darangen, an epic of the Maranao of Mindanao, the Philippines. Derived from the Ramayana
• Hinilawod, an epic of the Panay-Bukidnons of Panay, the Visayas, central Philippines.
• Ibalong Epic, a 60-stanza fragment of a Bicolano full-length folk epic of Bicol Region of the Philippines.
• The Tale of Kiều, a Vietnamese epic poem in lục bát.
• Ibong Adarna, a Spanish-era Tagalog epic
• Klei khan Y Dam San, an epic of Rade people in Central Highland (Tây Nguyên), Vietnam.
• Nagarakertagama, an Indonesian epic
• Sepha Khun Chang Khun Phaen, a Thai epic about the adventures of Khun Phaen, a Siamese folk hero.
• La Galigo, also known as Sureq Galigo or La Galigo, is an epic creation myth of the Buginese people from South Sulawesi, Indonesia Written in an Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) language, it is the longest epic in the world.
• Lục Vân Tiên, a Vietnamese epic poem in lục bát.

European languages

• Cikli i Kreshnikëve, an Albanian epic
• Kalevala, a Finnish epic
• Kalevipoeg, an Estonian epic
• Lāčplēsis, a Latvian epic

Greek language

• Iliad, an Ancient Greek epic
• Odyssey, an Ancient Greek epic
• On Jerusalem an epic written in Greek based on the Old Testament characters of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph
• Theogony, an Ancient Greek epic

Italic and Romance Languages

• Aeneid, a Roman epic
• Os Lusíadas, a Portuguese literary epic
• The Lay of the Cid, a mediaeval Spanish epic
• The Song of Roland, a mediaeval French epic

Celtic languages

• Mabinogion, a compilation of Welsh myths and legends
• Matter of Britain, a compilation of Welsh myths and legends
• Mythological Cycle, a compilation of Irish myths and legends
• Ulster Cycle, a compilation of Irish myths and legends
• Fenian Cycle, a compilation of Irish myths and legends
• Cycles of the Kings, a compilation of Irish myths and legends
• Táin Bó Cúailnge, an Irish epic
• Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire, an Irish lament

Germanic Languages

• Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon epic written in Old English
• Edda, a collection of Icelandic poems
• Le Morte d'Arthur, a collection of Arthurian legends in Middle English
• Nibelungenlied, a German epic poem
• Njál's saga, an Icelandic saga
• Volsunga saga, a Scandinavian saga
• The Lion of Flanders, a Flemish national epic

Slavic Languages

• The Baptism on the Savica, a Slovene literary epic
• The Mountain Wreath, a Montenegrin epic poem
• Epic of the Forgotten, a Bulgarian poetic saga
• Judita, a Croatian epic
• On the Track of the Sun – The Red Warriors from Chorasmia, a Croatian epic
• Pan Tadeusz, a Polish literary epic
• The Tale of Igor's Campaign, an East Slavic epic

Serbian language