Dr. J. Michael Stitt
phone: 702 895-3909
fax: 702 895-4801
e-mail:
jmstitt@unlv.nevada.edu
Northrup Frye, Anatomy of Criticism
i The hero is by nature superior to the reader and to the laws of nature; this genre is called myth.
ii The hero is by degree superior to the reader and to the laws of nature; this genre is called legend or fairytale.
iii The hero is by degree superior to the reader but not to the laws of nature; this is the high mimetic genre.
iv The hero is on a basis of equality with the reader and the laws of nature; this is the low mimetic genre.
v The hero is inferior to the reader; this is the genre of irony.
The Indo-European Hero (see especially Dumezil, The Destiny of the Warrior)
*ser-, to protect, is the probable Indo-European root of hero
As a protector, the warrior-hero has obligations not only to his own warrior class, but to both the ruling class and the peasant class. In Destiny, Dumezil argues that a major literary theme involves placing the hero in a series of situations in which he must violate his code of obligations to each of the three classes.
Jaan Puhvel, in his introduction to Destiny, suggests that the warrior-hero is caught in a "nature-culture dichotomy."
Lord Raglan, The Hero. Raglan discerned a life-pattern for heroes that he believed derived from an ancient and widespread ritual drama. Very few people today accept this explanation; further, the pattern works best for Indo-European materials and thus is largely culture-specific. But, while the pattern clearly exists, why it exists and what (if anything) it means are not clear.
1. The hero's mother is a royal virgin;
2. His father is a king, and
3. Often a near relative of his mother, but
4. The circumstances of his conception are unusual, and
5. He is often reputed to be the son of a god.
6. At birth an attempt is made, usually by his father or his maternal grandfather, to kill him, but
7. He is spirited away, and
8. Reared by foster-parents in a far country.
9. We are told nothing of his childhood, but
10. On reaching manhood he returns or goes to his future kingdom.
11. After a victory over the king and/or a giant, dragon, or wild beast,
12. He marries a princess, often a daughter of his predecessor, and
13. Becomes king.
14. For a time he reigns uneventfully, and
15. Prescribes laws, but
16. Later he loses favour with the gods and/or his subjects, and
17. Is driven from the throne and city, after which
18. He meets with a mysterious death, often
19. At the top of a hill.
20. His children, if any, do not succeed him.
21. His body is not buried, but nevertheless
22. He has one or more holy sepulchres.
