Here I sit, writing in Whole Foods. By choice, no, but this is the last of my children’s tutorial sessions this summer which happen to take place near a Whole Foods, so I’ll soak it in one last time as their summer draws to an end. I won’t be here again until next June. My kids will be one grade higher, and I’ll be one year closer to the fire. Such thoughts drag me toward more universal truths and icons which will outlast us all. Such as the flashy, victorious, confused and tormented but always hopeful… hero.
When you think of a hero what comes to mind? Do you think of a real person like some founding father or William Wallace or does your mind drift toward mythical personalities like Odysseus, Bilbo, or Spiderman? What about heroes living in our current moment? Is a nurse working in the ER in a third world country a hero to you or a mother who saves her child from a flood? I’m sure some people consider dedicated politicians, police officers, or soldiers returning from conflict zones real heroes.
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These last three characters are less likely to do it for me, which brings up the issue of how one person’s hero could be another’s villain, or at least an individual not deserving hero status. For example, I’m sure Thomas Jefferson is a hero to many. He helped found this country and worked on the development of the constitution. Yet to others he would be considered backwards and villainous because he enslaved other humans.
The first step in defining a hero might have to begin with what you consider a hero to be. No one thinks heroes must be perfect. Even in the stories of Jesus, he murders another child in the book of Enoch. So, what does a hero have to be/have?
Here are some heroic archetypes:
- Clever
- Intelligent
- Helps Others
- Strong
- Agile
- Seeks Innovative Solutions
- Fights for the Downtrodden
- Travels
- Combats Evil
- Fights Malign Monsters
- Gains wisdom and Strength Through Challenges
- The Apprentice Becomes the Master
- Becomes Famous
- Goes up Numerous Levels
- Helps Heal the Sick
- Fights Lost Causes
- Fulfills a Destiny
This list is just off the cuff, I’m not trying to go all Joesph Campbell on you. Once you figure out what characteristics a hero should have, the next step would be to decide what a hero needs to have in your eyes. Once you figure it out, then you could see what figures meet your expectations and then this would be a hero for you.
Then the next step would be decide what works best for you; real living examples, mythological archetypes/fictional heroes, or perhaps a bit of both.
I’ll pick one of each who does it for me.
William Wallace:
He was a real person defending his land from oppressive tyranny. William Wallace went into a keep which was part of his culture’s territory with two friends. They were just trying to take care of normal business but when they returned to his horses William found an Englishman, who was an enemy of his, cutting the tail of his horse as an insult. The Englishman called for Wallace’s death but met his own instead, while William and his two friends had to flee.
Finding their lord dead, 20 English soldiers chased after the three Scotsmen. During the chase William Wallace’s horse broke a leg and he was thrown from his steed. Drawing his Claymore, he stood to go down fighting, but soon it was the English who rushed at him which went down.
His two friends turned and thought, hell, we must help our brother and rushed back to assist their friend. Together William’s Claymore and his two allies won the day. After gutting the soldiers, they returned and claimed the keep for their own.
Score one for the good guys.
Sometimes fantasy stories hit strong because they dive deeper into the source of human needs and the archetypes of our existence can be represented symbolically. Fantasy stories, like the fairy tales of our ancestors, hit the deeper buried motivations of our species. They are closer to the human archetypes and touch on the core meaning of existence which flows through all humanity. In my opinion the universal archetypes are the closest humanity ever comes to interacting with gods or a uniting aspect of the multiverse.
Odysseus:
Case in point the story of Odysseus. Unlike other older myths such as Beowulf, Odysseus doesn’t always win just by being the strongest or able to fight well. Five avoided battles are equal to one win, when it comes to keeping yourself and your allies alive.
Odysseus understood the best way to survive a battle is not to have one. There are always other ways to win and drawing one’s sword should be the last option. Odysseus is the evolved man, emerging from a primitive, more beastlike state, into a human whose problems can be solved with our minds, and we can move past the battle of fang and claw.
Personal Hero
When it comes to picking the kind of hero you admire, most often we tend to pick a figure with talents we wish we had. Either they have obtained attributes we’re lacking or wish we possessed to a higher degree.
Which figure nails this for you? If you could create your perfect hero, what would it look like?
If I might digress a moment, this is one of the reasons playing a game like Dungeons and Dragons can become so interesting. Instead of being locked into one worldview, this game lets you explore your ethics and morals from multiple points of view. Hell, you can even play the evil guy. I’m not sure what else in life gives you such an opportunity other than writing.
Have you ever explored your own hero? What heroic things have you done for yourself and others. Does something stand out the second you read this. For me it could be me charging a mountain lion, who was trying to hunt down my baby son, with only a sword in my hand.
It ran away.
What would the perfect hero be? I think it must be close to what our ideal vision of ourselves would be. So obviously it would be different for each of us. Some might see the hero as a rich character while this would only be mildly important for others. Strong, clever, quick? Yes please. Charismatic… a must.
Would a female hero be different? I would think so. Perhaps more nurturing and a need to protect others could become more important. Also, they should be able to do that scorpion kick thing.
Feel free to tell me your version of your own blend of hero. I’ll be here sharpening my dice.
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WildernessPunk 