Karna is one of the most celebrated heroes of the Mahabharata. Born to an unwed princess, Kunti, through a boon granted by Rishi Durvasa, Karna was abandoned at birth. Kunti placed him in a basket along with some riches and set the basket adrift in a river. He was discovered by a charioteer named Adhiratha, who raised him as his own son. The boy grew to be Karna, renowned for his valour and generosity. After challenging the Kuru prince Arjuna in an arena, Karna was crowned as the King of Anga by Duryodhana. Remarkably, Karna is not the only mythological hero with such a birth narrative; many cultures possess similar tales of origin for their heroes.

From one of the earliest places to have a civilisation, Mesopotamia, comes the story of Sargon of Akkad, the first ruler of the Akkadian empire. Sargon was the illegitimate son of a priestess in the city of Azupiranu. She placed the baby in a basket, sealed its mouth with bitumen and cast it into the river. The river carried the basket until it was seen by Akki, the water drawer. Akki brought the baby up as his own son. Sargon first became the cup-bearer to Ur-Zababa, King of Kish. After several life-and-death incidents, he finally became the king.

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