culture hero

noun

a mythical or mythicized historical figure who embodies the aspirations or ideals of a society.
a mythical figure considered by a people to have furnished it the means of existence or survival, as by inventing their alphabet, teaching them husbandry, or stealing fire from the gods for them.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for culture hero

Historical Examples of culture hero

He also acted as a "culture-hero," introducing the first arts.
Myth, Ritual, and Religion, Vol. 1
Andrew Lang
Nuada of the Silver Hand is a culture-hero and a cunning craftsman.
An Introduction to Mythology
Lewis Spence
The "culture-hero" thus seems to be a natural product of incipient civilization.
Introduction to the History of Religions
Crawford Howell Toy
He once lived on earth, and there was a culture-hero, inventing magic and spells.
Myth, Ritual And Religion, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Andrew Lang
Pundjel, the Eagle Hawk, is the demiurge and "culture-hero" of several Australian tribes.
Ballades and Verses Vain
Andrew Lang