Thank you, Erin , for inviting me onto your discussion on Heroes,
during my book tour.
What is a
hero? Definition from the - A man with superhuman strength, courage or ability, favoured by the gods; a demigod.
- Man/woman distinguished by the performance of extraordinarily brave or noble deeds; such as an illustrious warrior
- Man/woman admired, venerated for achievements and noble qualities in any field
- Chief male character in a poem, story or play.
As spinners of yarns we need
heroes to lead our plots but which ones do we choose? How are we influenced by our pasts to form
their characters?
When I was young I relished the
‘myths and legend’-type heroes from the Greek and Norse lands such as Jason and
Beowulf. All through my childhood I learnt
to admire knights and buccaneers, the Lancelot’s and Francis Drake’s of
history. Then there were the red-coated
brigade of derring-do of the Victorian era. It doesn't do to examine these
heroes too closely though. Those Greeks and Norsemen were not particular whom
they raped and murdered. What is a knight
of old except a killing machine, enjoying murder, rape and conquest? The buccaneers
were only pirates by another name – Johnny Depp’s character is Hollywood
When I was young my real life
heroes were the Edwardian explorers such as Shackleton and Scott of Antarctica.
I drew up my code of conduct for life
from them. Truth, honesty, loyalty and
the value of friendships; a stiff upper lip just get on with it without
complaint principle. Whether or not they
lived up to these ideals isn’t really the point, as it never has been. Heroes are people you look up to. They are of their time. All those above reflect the events at their
time.
But do we need heroes? It seems we do. They have been with us I
suspect since storytelling began. Look
under the gloss, under the mire, and a pattern becomes apparent. We believe the myth of them. The killers are defending or enriching their
own, the looters are doing the same. In
an uncertain existence the ordinary downtrodden people of each place want to
feel someone cares about their problems. We all have this need.
Rulers/politicians don't seem to
hit the right note in this respect! We
want to know Robin Hood stole from the rich to give it all TO US. We want to know dragon-slayers would ride to
lay down his life FOR US if the need arose. The knights’ code of honour was designed to
make women feel safer in a world where they were worth less than a side of
venison. The buccaneers brought their
looted gold back TO OUR country. As the
Victorians did with their exploited looting and hey, if all these heroes killed
and maimed on the way, they were doing it TO THEM, ‘them’ have always been a
threat. Modern day heroes are those who
show social mobility is within our reach. Talent, luck and charm can take us up there
with the super rich and if you're super rich you need not fear anyone – right? Wrong.
One day you will want a hero of your own.
So who to choose amongst this
motley band of ne’er do wells? After all
we want our readers to like our heroes so we must create unrealistic ones. The motif of a hero if you like, not the
reality. So the story becomes a fiction,
rewritten to begin life again. Now the
motifs of the above include charm, native wit and intelligence, courage in
bucketfuls.
The knights’ code of honour is
still respected today, we 'know' they were 'parfit, gentil' men sworn to
protect the weak. But they really do not need to be dashing, they could be
ordinary men. The explorer can go armed
with cameras instead of guns. The
sailors can win races instead of despoiling.
So in The Sefuty Chronicles I
choose the 'ordinary men' to be the local heroes. Those who stepped up to the mark when the
going got tough. I also have an intrepid
band who are the legends and demigods of the future (they are actually quite
ordinary also!).
PS: We should throw in good looks
and a six pack as well; young ladies have a subtext for their heroes:
strong/good looking = virile = fertile = able to protect. Like the peacock's
tail proves nothing.
Young men have
a similar subtext for heroines: beautiful/fit = fertile = his genes more likely
to succeed.
Am I a cynic?
Where to find Alberta Ross & The Sefuty Chronicles
- Blogging about anything she fancies http://www.didyoueverkissafrog.typepad.com
- Alberta can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/albertaross
Posts
Hi Alberta, Thanks for guest blogging.
ReplyDeleteI found this a really interesting and inspiring piece to read. I don't think your cynical at all. I love all the comparisons you've made between the contrasting heroes. I love this!
Thanks again
Erin x