Heroes, Hoards, and Handgrips
What makes a hero a hero?
This week, we turn from villains to heroes. We begin with one from an old poem and end in our modern age, where heroes can look a little different.
By the way, an experience I had while writing this week's column got me to thinking about AI (again). Yes, it can do some impressive things, but its breadth of knowledge is, well, not so broad. When I was dictating part of the column, I said the word Beowulf and AI came up with Baywolf (and later "bail Wolf"). Apparently, AI flunked high school English. A savant in some subjects, such as math, AI seems to be about as cosmopolitan as Bill and Ted.
What makes a hero a hero?
In at least one respect, this question is a little trickier than last week's question about making villains. We can examine the factors that lead a person to become hero, just as we can speculate on those that turn people into villains, but first we need to define the term. What exactly is a "hero"?
Technically, we have to define "villain," too, but most of us — except maybe some of the villains themselves — would agree that a person who hurts and destroys other people is a villain.
There would be, I think, less agreement in regard to what a person must do to earn the title of "hero."
As I did last week, I will answer my question with some material from Beowulf, a poem composed in the first millennium A.D. (perhaps in the eighth century).
The Qualities of a Hero — for Some
Beowulf, the Geatish warrior who takes on not one but two enemies of the Danes (as well as a dragon later in the poem), seems to be regarded as a hero by the anonymous author (or authors) of the poem, although no Old English equivalent of the Latinate word hero is never assigned to him. For example, the poem says that Beowulf "trusted his strength, / the might of his handgrip — as a man should do / if by his warfare he thinks to win / long-lasting praise" (lines 1533-1536). Later in the poem, Hrothgar, the Danish king whom Beowulf serves by taking on the two enemies — namely the man/monster Grendel and his mother — says, "Beowulf my friend, / your glory is exalted throughout the world" (1704). Even if we don't call someone a hero, the association of both praise and glory would seem to indicate that Beowulf has achieved that status.
If these references to praise and glory suggest that Beowulf was indeed regarded as a hero, then what characteristics or feats earned him this status?
The first quotation clearly indicates one quality: physical prowess. Elsewhere we learn that Beowulf "was of mankind the strongest of might / in those days of this life, / noble and mighty" (196-197) and that he "Has thirty / men's strength, strong in battle, / in his handgrip" (378-379). (By the way, as a gym rat myself, I can appreciate feats of strength, but the obsession with, of all things, "handgrip," is a little comical to me. It comes up repeatedly in the poem while biceps, triceps, pecs, quads — all so prized today — get no respect, no respect at all. Forget about the bench press; for these warriors, it was all about the firm handshake.)
The heroism of Beowulf goes beyond physical potency, however. He puts his strength to work to serve others. He crosses the sea to the land of the Danes because he has heard of the murderous Grendel and offers up his services to end the horrors for Hrothgar and his thanes. Indeed, after he succeeds in one endeavor, he tells the Danes that they now may "sleep without care" (1672). He also looks out for his own men. Before heading into the fray, he calls on King Hrothgar to be a "protector" to his men if he dies in combat and cannot return.
Then there were all the gifts. Yep, Beowulf also gave people stuff — cool stuff, too, not just coffee cups (or mead mugs, rather). When Beowulf starts to feel the heat from a fire-breathing dragon, one of his thanes comes to his rescue. Later, this thane scolds his fellow so-called warriors, who ran away in the face of danger, reminding them of the goodies they got from Beowulf:
I remember the time that we took mead together,
when we made promises to our prince
in the beer-hall — he gave us these rings —
that we would pay him back for this battle-gear,
these helmets and hard swords, if such a need
as this ever befell him.
Clearly, giving generously from one's "hoard" is something a leader does. It may not make him a hero, but it certainly made him popular, and it helped secure allegiance and support (unless you were stuck with some feckless thanes who ran from a battle and took their gifts with them).
The Eye of the Beholder
Heroism is, like beauty, in the eye of the beholder. Physical prowess, altruism, and largesse all counted for something in the age of Beowulf.
They still count for something among many of us, but times and values change. Today, some leaders still reward their supporters — not with rings and fancy swords, however, but with prestigious political appointments.
Furthermore, just as heroic values can change over the ages, they can vary among individuals, especially those shaped by different cultures. For some, heroes are outspoken; for others, they are quiet and humble. Some of us still appreciate physical strength, as evidenced by Americans' fascination with superheroes, but many also appreciate other kinds of strength.
I personally put a lot of stock in mental strength, particularly self-discipline and resilience. In our ordinary lives, these qualities typically take us much further than physical strength. Think, for example, of what it takes to raise a well-adjusted child or to overcome the scourges of hate, intolerance, oppression, and exploitation throughout the world.
I have more regard for the the single parent deftly balancing a challenging career with child-rearing than I do for any muscle-bound giant, no matter how cool his gifts are.
Your Turn
Would you like to be a hero? First, you need to figure out what being a hero means to you. What qualities do you value? What achievements will serve as metrics for you? Your culture surely will help to shape your definition of a hero, but you can craft your own definition. Once you have decided what a hero looks like to you, you can work on developing the appropriate qualities and accomplishing the appropriate achievements. You can be a hero — to the masses or to the people close to you: your family, your friends, your co-workers, any of the human beings who live in your part of the world and will benefit from your heroism.
Oh, one more thing: go get yourself a couple of tennis balls. You'll want to work on your handgrip.