Nevermind the Simpsons: Homer is also the name attributed to the epic poet whose two poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey stand as the basis of three thousand years of European culture.
This other Homer was said to be a blind poet who travelled the hellenic world sometime between 1600 BC and 650 BC, reciting his poetry in the courts of ancient nobles. While the personality of Homer is a point of contention among scholars, evidence from the poems indicates that whoever composed them was illiterate. A fact especially remarkable when you consider that public performances of the complete Iliad in Athens were said to last a full 24 hours.
Argue as we may about the Literary Canon, in the end one can't help but be amazed at Oral Tradition, and the power of Mnemosyne.