Excellence in Hero Myths Around

¶ … Excellence" in Hero Myths around the World

The "Excellent" Hero

The myths and legends of years past tell of luminous men and demigods who conquered great monsters, gods, and evil men. They are reminders of the honor and humility which as once so desired in ancient leaders. Within the context of these myths come informative tales of how the earth was made, and how we as humans should act / in these myths, which span across national and generational borders, the excellent hero is used as a tool to both explain the natural and human world along with providing examples of true heroism and honor.

There is a pattern in the theme of excellence that covers a wide plethora of different cultures and their myths. This may be based on the idea that legends are constantly adapted and reworked by proceeding cultures throughout the centuries. It seems that the excellent hero in most cases comes from similar stock. In many cases, the excellent hero is born a rarity -- either a god himself or in somehow related to divine lineage. His title is achieved through some feat of strength, normally one that is believed to be unattainable by most mortal men. Yet even the demigods of ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian legends have trouble facing such challenges -- which shows the desired humility within he excellent hero. He must face the unthinkable -- the challenges which no one else will dare face. He normally fights a god or goddess, showing his own above human strength, whether he is part god himself or whether he is a mere mortal such as the Greek Odysseus. The typical pattern has him facing a multitude of formidable adversaries; from evil schemers, unnatural monsters, divine gods and goddesses who aim to gain power and suffer from greed, lust, or anger. Yet, in despite of such adversity, the excellent hero is allowed to prevail -- whether it is in life or in death. The essence of the excellent hero is the conquest of all that is bad in both the natural ad human worlds. This represents the hero's ability to transcend his flawed mortal state and set an example for his constituents and future fans throughout the generations.

This is the case in Marduk, one of the earliest excellent heroes in this review. He was "greatly exalted was he above them, exceeding and throughout" from the very day of his birth (Rosenberg 4). Marduk faces the angry goddess Tiamat in her rage for the revenge of her husband's death. In this rage, she had made the land barren and no one could defeat her. In their quest for safety, the gods turned to Marduk to help them kill Tiamat. Against all odds, Marduk defeats her and earns his place as an excellent hero. And so Marduk embodies the hero who is given the seemingly unattainable task and still succeeds despite all odds. I this victory he becomes the excellent hero. Yet his character also serves as a learning tool, just like other typical excellent heroes. His story is a creation myth; Marduk creates the earth and sky when he divides Tiamat's corpse. It serves not only as an example of exemplary human achievements, but also as an explanation for the happenings in the natural world.

Another early, yet major excellent hero is the ancient king Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is the greatest of all kings, and so his kingdom has huge expectations of his success. He is actually only one third human, and so shares the divine blood that most excellent heroes have within them. After learning the value of humility and honor, essential for proving himself an example and thus a true excellent hero, Gilgamesh is allowed to move past his selfish ways and into the realm of heroes. He later shows his honor when he enemies the advances of the goddess Ishtar. His humility is once again proved through his devotion to his friend Enkidu. After Enkidu is punished with death for Gilgamesh's adventures, the hero king mourns his friend with true sincerity. Gilgamesh is a first to show a great king in the midst of a crisis, who is abusing his power, and therefore creating unhappiness in his kingdom. The myth tells of harshness, abuse, and rape as some of his offenses in this cloudy time. However, he is later stopped by the goddess Aruru, the goddess of creation, when she explains the ramifications of his behavior, (Rosenberg 33). He is forced to learn mercy and true honor -- major development in the creation of the excellent hero. Yet his tale also represents a traditional theme in hero stories when it describes how the Syria Mountains were separated from Lebanon in his fight with the demon Humbaba. This continues the development of the hero myth as an explanation of the natural world. Yet, Gilgamesh is a failure -- much unlike other mythic heroes. He cannot save his friend Enkidu, nor can he successfully complete the two tasks Utanpishtim gives him to earn mortality. He fails to stay awake for seven days and looses the sacred boxthorn. However, rather than being defeated by these failures, Gilgamesh learns from them and goes on to live a long life as king.

Osiris proves another excellent hero who seems to have found some rewards in his failures, ultimately showing humanity that not all heroes need to be super human in strength -- only in will. Osiris gains the title of excellent hero, for he is able to overcome death and is revived thanks to the efforts of his wife Isis. After being murdered and dismembered, Osiris still overcomes when he is resurrected and rewarded with the title of the God of the Afterlife. In this case, it is still an honorable birthright, Osiris was king, but he is later exalted to god for his trials and tribulations. The myth of Osiris is also a myth meant in some ways to explain the natural happenings of the world. The fourteen pieces his body was cut into by Set represents fourteen full moons of the year -- there is normally around thirteen, which is significant because Isis found thirteen pieces of Osiris' body, (Rosenberg 18). Thus Osiris embodies the role of explaining the world around the story tellers, as traditional excellent heroes do.

In the Greek myths, there is a wider variety of heroes which still embody aspects of the excellent hero. One of the most memorable figures of Homer's the Iliad is the super human warrior Achilles. He is the son of a demigod, and therefore is able to elude mortal harm except for one vulnerable spot -- his heal. At birth he was dipped by his mother to protect his body, and only the spot she held him from now presented him mortal danger. He, like the other major hero of the work Odysseus, did not want to engage in the Trojan War but was forced by the disrespectful Agamemnon. The fact that these two heroes wanted nothing to do with the boisterous war shows their true heroic nature. They both understood how unnecessary so many Greek and Trojan deaths were, but had no choice but to obey their king in fear of retribution. Achilles goes to war knowing that he will die -- a true sign of a hero in search of everlasting glory. His prowess as a warrior and his respect for King Priam who comes to retrieve his son Hector after he is defeated by Achilles shows his true heroic nature. Yet, in his case Achilles' true embodiment as a hero is tied to his death. He goes to war knowing he will die, therefore presenting his king the ultimate sacrifice, which is rewarded for eternal glory.