Posted by mazadan
on Tue 17 Jul 07, 4:46 PM to mazadan's blog.
Across the land there are children and adults alike sweating with anticipation? Waiting for this weekend and the final book and chapter in the phenomenon called Harry Potter. What started as a story being written in a café has become rather a good little earner for J.K.Rowling. I thin some £545 million in franchises and the like. And I do not begrudge her the money it is dammed hard to write a story and even harder to continue it for a set of seven books. Though I have only ever seen the films my nephew has read the books.
I think she has done very well. Though I wonder what she will do to fill her life now writing like that takes up a fair bit of time.
I must admit I am more of a Tolkien man myself though before I had read the hobbit and LOTR I had read the saga of the Volsungs and a few others back in the dawn of time lol. He based a lot of his writing on Norse mythology.
In fact Gandalf along with all the dwarves that are named in the hobbit appear in the prose Edda a hand book so to speak on skaldic poetry written by Snorri Sturluson in the 11 Century.
From ancient times stories we read will often follow similar themes even star wars is really a modern retelling of ancient tales. More can be found in The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949) the seminal work of comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell. In this text Campbell discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world mythologies and religions.
I have not read this but most of the stories I read are of this type the hero goes out to right a wrong . In a well-known quote from the introduction to The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell wrote: A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.
I feel we lack good hero stories these days the classics are full of them but are often poo, pooed! by the hoi polloi as being to highbrow but they are in the end just stories.
And whether it is Achilles, or a hobbit called Bilbo Baggins, or even Harry Potter.
We all need a hero in our lives sadly most of the real life ones seem to quest for the acquisition of monies and set a bad example.
I suppose this would be a good time for you to say who your hero is or heroes . Mine are the Dalai Lama, my dad, JJ Johnson and a few others who I shant identify to save them embarrassment.
Be well dear hero worshippers and blessings. Time for tea and cake I think. Blessed be peter XXXXX
| 17 Jul 07, 4:54 PM mini_velvet UK(EH), 6 yrs  |
I am insanely excited about the publication of the final Harry Potter book. Am rereading the last one in anticipation and my best friend and I are meeting for prepublication coffee, cake and discussion on friday afternoon.
And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. |
| 17 Jul 07, 5:20 PM Original_Rebel UK(CT), 10 yrs |
Mine would be Ghandi, Michael Foot and my dad. He's not the Messiah he's a very Naughty Switch |
| 17 Jul 07, 5:32 PM katie_may UK, 7 yrs |
fictionally would have to be Polgara in reality would have to be my Grandmother, she was some woman |
| 17 Jul 07, 6:00 PM SquireRaglan UK(SW), 6 yrs |
My Scoutmaster. I really do take my hat off to him for the hard work he put in to the Scout Troop, and I have enduring very positive memories of my Scouting activities as a counterbalance to my otherwise bookworm-ish youth as a Bright Lad at grammar school.
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| 17 Jul 07, 6:53 PM bohemian 8 yrs |
Caratacus for his courage in the face of adversity. William Morris and Pugin for their tireless creativity.
Tony Benn for his services to Glastonbury amongst other stuff All along the ancient wastes the thin reflections spin, that gather up the time and tide at once we loved within... |
| 17 Jul 07, 7:02 PM ghost666 6 yrs |
my Grandad and my daughter. torn between being here for one and joining the other it is better to ask forgivness, than to ask for permission |
| 17 Jul 07, 8:44 PM toytiger GI, 8 yrs |
Dangermouse Never Back Trap 7 In A Six Dog Race |
| 17 Jul 07, 10:01 PM attica UK, 9 yrs |
I'm at a loss to find a true hero; certainly to find one for the world today. My dad's a hero, these days, as is The Man. Otherwise, what constitutes a hero? Bravery, courage, sustaining, managing? ok, it's either Harrison Ford or Sean Connery (in character, of course). Shaggability has nothing to do with it. More seriously: all the small people we don't hear about, who stand up to oppression. Aung San Kuu Kyi get in Burma gets my vote. Why not have a heroine! don't shake if you don't want spice |
| 18 Jul 07, 6:44 AM katie_may UK, 7 yrs |
poledra only outranks her because shes her mother when it comes to heroism material polgara has to be admired more than her mother |
| 18 Jul 07, 5:15 PM MistressBloke 5 yrs |
Probably Homer Simpson or Daffy Duck - something like that. Laurel and Hardy were pretty cool too. I hope the meaning of the above remarks can be understood even if the thoughts motivating them remain unknowable. |
