“Where have all the good men gone?” asks Bonnie Tyler in her song, “I Need a Hero”.  Good question Bonnie.  See, the title of her track isn’t just catchy it’s true.  We all need heroes and stories would be poorer without them.  I have written before about fairy tale villains and the modern anti hero’s role in stories but where would they be without a good old fashioned hero to foil them?  The tug of war between good and evil and right and wrong has manifested itself in countless ways through time.  Be it a Knight in shining armour sent to battle a dragon or a humble servant/beggar who’ll save the Kingdom and marry a Princess (the premise of many a pantomime) we need a hero.  What are their qualities and their relationships with their followers and loved ones and what can we learn from their adventures?

The hero.  The warrior, the conqueror, the vanquisher, the heartthrob.  Archetypally the hero is male although not always.  For every Aladdin there is a Scheherazade who demonstrates the qualities of heroism.  The hero is generally young or youthful.  The hero is bold; strong both in body and mind and is respected widely for their strength.    Many heroes represent change and vibrant progressiveness which will shake up a stagnating world.

I have recently been exploring epic poetry and for the purpose of this blog we’ll consider Odysseus, King of Ithaca and the warrior Beowulf.  Both men are legendary figures, first appearing many thousands of years ago with their exploits translated and reinterpreted over time since.  Odysseus the Greek and Beowulf the Scandinavian come from very different traditions but they are both heroes.  Both are bold warriors and leaders of men who have not just defeated mortal armies but monsters too (Odysseus blinding Polyphemus the Cyclops and Beowulf slaying the beast Grendel and his Mother).  They have demonstrated great intelligence and cunning through their various adventures but they are not without falls.  It is Odysseus’ arrogance which leads Poseidon to seek vengeance against his entire crew.  It might be argued that Beowulf dies because he is too proud to ask his younger warriors to fight with him.

What of their followers?  Despite gifts and praise, when Beowulf’s followers are faced with a Dragon fear gets the better of them.  At many stages of The Odyssey, Odysseus’ crew verge on mutiny and in finally disobeying his will, they doom themselves.  That I suppose is the point.  The fallibility of their followers is in sharp contrast to the quick wits and mental toughness displayed by the hero.  Our heroes inspire ordinary men to be better than themselves and rise above their weaknesses (in 1001 Nights, the heroine, Scheherazade inspires King Shahryar with her skill as storyteller).

As we remember The Great War I am struck by the relationship between Hero and follower, their relationship with conflict and sacrifice and the parallels with modern conflict and soldiering.  Odysseus is reluctant to go to Troy but his contribution once there is invaluable whilst Beowulf offers his men to aid another Kingdom.  How many brave and loyal men died at Troy, following their leader’s orders, so that King Menelaus could retrieve Helen?  How many brave and loyal men were prepared to lay down their lives because their leader said so, to fight somebody else’s dragon.  Stories and their meanings can be disputed but I think that this is an interesting perspective that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Without meaning to continue the Great War analogy too far, for the hero there is a Home Front.  It is from here that a hero will often find purpose for it is here that they know love.  Odysseus spends time with Circe and Calypso but has a deep and faithful bond with Penelope who steadfastly waits for his return.  After his success, Beowulf is received by Hygelac, King of the Geats and his people with warmth, love and adoration.   It is in the reconciliation of love that we see the hero’s actions have been for a selfless cause.  The hero is rewarded but really everybody’s a winner (Odysseus reclaims his Kingdom and family, Beowulf strengthens the bond with another country and consolidates his position and again, our heroine Scheherazade spares the people of her city any further misery by changing the heart of King Shahryar).  Our hero must understand love and it’s influence on their actions.  A strong moral compass is important to a hero because if they are seen to act out of greed or for individual gain they would be viewed quite differently (Robin Hood is a hero for redistributing his loot not for keeping it!).

It isn’t just love and new found riches that our hero will enjoy.  It isn’t uncommon for them to live long and prosperous lives and sometimes to even achieve further greatness.  Now what do they call that?  Oh yes… “They all lived happily ever after!”