The Unlikely Hero
The stage is set, the spot light is on, the audience sits in eager anticipation. Suddenly, the trumpets sound, the curtains roll back, and the hero walks out on stage.
A roar of applause fills the air and the audience stands in thunderous ovation. But wait… This is the hero? Instead of shining armor, he is dressed in simple cotton clothes. Instead of a royal robe, he wears a woven green cloak, fastened at his throat with a leaf shaped broach. A short sword hangs at his waist. He doesn’t look like a hero…
And in any case, isn’t he too small?
Frodo Baggins was as unlikely a hero as his uncle Bilbo Baggins was before him. But it is because they are such unlikely heroes, that they are so near and dear to our hearts.
An unlikely hero is a person you would not ordinarily expect to accomplish great and heroic deeds in view of their stature, condition, personality, character, or circumstances, etc.
The unlikely hero is a well known figure in the fantasy world. In the Lord of the Rings, the four main Hobbit characters are all unlikely heroes in their own way. Their height (or rather, lack of it), their love for peace and quiet, and the simplicity of their lives in the carefree Shire, are not exactly factors conducive to forming brave hero stock.
Other unlikely heroes in fantasy include the four Pevensie children from the Chronicles of Narnia, Reepicheep from the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Aidan from The Door Within Trilogy by Wayne Thomas Batson, and Taran the Assistant Pig Keeper from Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain, to mention just a few. From folk lore, we have the tale of the little Dutch boy who held back the sea by plugging the leak in the dyke with his finger and so saved his city from destruction.
In most stories, the unlikely hero is thrown into events beyond his/her control and far out of his/her comfort zone and is forced to either sink or swim. I cannot help thinking of poor Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, thrust out of Bag End to participate in a quest he did not even care about, only to discover that he had forgotten his pocket handkerchief!
“To the end of his days Bilbo could never remember how he found himself outside, without a hat, a walking-stick, or any money, or anything that he usually took when he went out; leaving his second breakfast half-finished and quite unwashed-up, pushing his key into Gandalf’s hands, and running as fast as his furry feet could carry him down the lane, past the great Mill, across The Water, and then on for a mile or more.
Very puffed he was, when he got to Bywater just on the stroke of eleven, and found he had come without a pocket handkerchief!” (The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien)
It is often the unlikely hero in fiction and fantasy that we find it the easiest to relate to. The unlikely hero is usually an ordinary person, thrust into most extraordinary circumstances, who manages to respond in a heroic way.
History is as full of unlikely heroes as fantasy and legend.
For example, think of Sergeant Alvin York. One of the most highly decorated American soldiers of World War I, he was born in the backwoods of Tennessee, became a devout Christian in 1915, and prior to being drafted was a pacifist! After he was denied exemption as a conscientious objector, Alvin went on to study his Bible and pray and became convinced that he should fight. He was awarded the medal of honor for his actions on October 18th, 1918, when:
“After his platoon suffered heavy casualties and 3 other noncomissioned officers had become casualties, Cpl. York assumed command. Fearlessly leading 7 men, he charged with great daring a machine gun nest which was pouring deadly and incessant fire upon his platoon. In this heroic feat the machine gun nest was taken, together with 4 officers and 128 men and several gun.” (Quotation from York’s Medal of Honor citation)
There are many unlikely heroes in the Bible as well. The shepherd boy David, forgotten in the field while his father and brothers met with the prophet Samuel. Peter – an uneducated fisherman! Gideon. Even Paul!
Isn’t it interesting that God so often chooses an “unlikely hero” to accomplish His great plans! God uses the weak and foolish, the lowly things of this world, to accomplish His great purposes! Why was it the simple shepherd boy David who killed the giant Goliath? Were there no strong men around? Why was it Gideon with his three hundred men who routed the Midianite army with trumpets and torches? Why was it Peter, a man who had denied Christ three times, who was chosen to be the leader of the Church?
In The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo asks this very same question about himself.
“I wish had never seen the Ring! Why did it come to me? Why was I chosen?”
“Such questions cannot be answered,” said Gandalf. “You may be sure that it was not for any merit that others do not possess: not for power or wisdom, at any rate. But you have been chosen, and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have.“
In the Bible, however, we have a clearer answer than the one Gandalf gave:
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him. It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.‘” (I Corinthians 1:27-31)
So that through weak instruments great deeds would be accomplished and God’s name would be praised! Why does God use us? Like Frodo, it is not for any merit, no inherent righteousness or ability that we possess. But rather so that through our weakness, He would be shown to be strong!
How marvelous are the workings of our God! We should indeed be grateful that He choses to use us, unlikely, unskilled, weak as we are! May his name be praised!
I started to read through that passage in I Corinthians the other day and this post popped into my mind. So, what are some unlikely heroes you can think of – from fantasy, fiction, history, or the Bible?
~ A Servant of the King
On a side note, Song of Leira has reached the amazing length of 100,690 words! Not quite finished, but entering the homestretch! Almost there! Then come the inevitable red pen days… editing… cutting… revising!
Exploring the Realm of Fantasy – Post Two
One week… three epic stories… seven late nights of reading…
Ted Dekker’s Circle Trilogy: Black, Red, and White.
Yes, I blame Ted Dekker for my lack of sleep over the week in which I devoured his Circle Trilogy. It certainly was his fault for writing such a wonderful epic… rather than my lack of self-control in trying to get to bed at a reasonable hour!
The Circle Trilogy is now one of my favorite fantasy series! (The list keeps expanding!) It possesses all the necessary elements of good fantasy. It was both exciting and riveting – most nights I did not set the book down until 2:30am – definitely a page turner, with the perfect blend of likable characters and intense action.
At the same time, the story made me think. The questions Dekker asked – and didn’t always answer – are still relevant today! The themes of love – God’s love for us, Christ’s love for us, our love for others – resonate within. The symbolism and allegory were clear but well written, and so stirring! Sacrifice… hope… love…issues of faith and trust… all in all, the Circle Trilogy is an epic worth remembering!
For me this was both a Dr. Pepper and a hot coffee story. (See earlier Exploring the Realm of Fantasy post to understand!) Some parts I gulped down… other parts I savored, slowly tasting each word! In short, I loved it!
Black: When a blow to his head makes Thomas Hunter lose consciousness in our world, he awakes in another! When he falls asleep in the new world, he awakes in the old. Confused and bewildered, Thomas finds himself suddenly thrown into the midst of a violent struggle between good and evil in both worlds. The stakes increase, when Thomas discovers a secret about a mutant virus that threatens to destroy our world… and he alone can hope to stop it! But time is running short.
Red: The Raison Strain is unleashed upon the unsuspecting world. Thomas Hunter struggles to battle the virus while at the same time, in the alternate world, he is a mighty general fighting to save his people against the vastly greater army of the Horde… But strength cannot battle treachery, and treachery rules the day in Red.
White: The Circle, the last of Elyon’s faithful followers, flee to the desert with Thomas Hunter where they are constantly hunted by the Horde. Meanwhile, in our world, the Raison Strain rages on without a cure! Is the end truly coming, both for the Circle and the world as we know it?
WARNING: SPOILER ALERT BELOW!!!
I also read book zero: Green. This book ties the whole series together into a circle since it can serve as both the first book in the series or the last book in the series. The tone of Green seemed very different from the tone of the Circle Trilogy. It was darker and much of the story was written from the evil POV which resulted in a blacker, more unsettling story. It also included vampires, creatures that I do not like at all.
And while I think that the concept of a circular series is brilliant – I can’t imagine trying to fit it all together – there are aspects to it that I don’t like. The idea of a constantly repeating circular history is somewhat reminiscent of Eastern mysticism. Also, I like stories that end well. Because Green makes the trilogy into a cricle, there is no real conclusion… the series just repeats itself over and over again. Also, if you look at it that way, then there was no way that anything Thomas did changed history because (since it’s a circle) when he goes back to change “history” he simply repeats everything he did before in the series. With Green as a beginning and end, it just wasn’t satisfying – at least not to me.
Green answered many of the questions I still had at the end of White and in that aspect, it was interesting. However, the negative elements really turned me off from the story and I didn’t come away with the same feeling that I had after I finished the Circle Trilogy.
END SPOILER ALERT
So, in conclusion, I can’t honestly say that I had a favorite of the three books Black, Red, and White… they all fit together so well, that it seemed like one big book rather than three separate books. I definitely recommend these stories to any fantasy lover, but would warn that these books are written for adults and evil is clearly shown as evil and it’s not a pretty sight.
The Circle Trilogy belongs on my favorite fantasy shelf! It is definitely one that I will read and re-read over and over again. A heart stirring, thought provoking, page turning, knuckle gripping epic!
Now, off to write my own novel…
~ A Servant of the King
Exploring the Realm of Fantasy
There’s nothing cozier than curling up in a blanket beside a blazing fire, a mug of hot chocolate on hand, the “arctic” wind outside, and a good book in my hand.
I’ve been reading a lot lately… and writing a lot. Somehow reading always inspires me to write, and writing always inspires me to read more! It’s a delightful cycle. I’m a relatively fast reader – I’ve read nine books since I got back from Haiti less than a month ago. I don’t always like to read fast though. It really depends on the book that I’m reading.
Sometimes I absolutely love a book and simply can’t put it down, so I devour page after page until I’m finished – it’s like gulping down a cold Dr.Pepper in the middle of the hot summer! Other times, I love a book and I don’t want it to end, so I read extremely slowly, savoring every sentence, every word! – it’s like slowly sipping coffee on a cold winter’s morning and letting the warmth tingle all the way down to your toes. Both Dr.Pepper and Coffee (in my opinion) are equally good. In the same way, one type of book is not better or worse than the other, I just enjoy them differently.
Excuse the rabbit trail! Anyway, everyone says that the one thing that will make you a better author (besides writing of course) is reading! And since I love writing young adult fantasy, I’m going to be exploring the fantasy genre this spring by reading pretty much anything I can get my hands on. Actually this just serves as a good excuse to read lots of books… but don’t tell anyone I said that! ;)
And, I figure, since I’m going to be reading so much, I may as well highlight my favorites on here! So, keep an eye out for the Fantasy Realm posts on here!
I remembered these books from when my older sister was reading them when I was a little kid. I usually tried to read whatever she was reading at the time (a habit that annoyed her to no end because I was always stealing her book when she wanted to read it!). But she must have kept these safely away from me because I didn’t read them until a few weeks ago!
The Prydain Chronicles tell the tales of a young Assistant Pig Keeper – Taran – who longs for a life of adventure… and generally winds up with more adventure than he would have liked, as he fights alongside the noble Prince Gwydion in a continuing battle against the evil Arawn, Lord of the land of Death. He is joined along the way by the feisty red haired Princess Eilonwy, the loyal creature Gurgi, the irrepressible bard Fflewddur (who in his free time also happens to be a king,) and the gruff Doli, one of the Fair Folk as well as a host of other memorable friends and terrifying enemies.
Some aspects of the stories may sound familiar to fans of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy. However, this is due to the fact that both Alexander and Tolkien drew parts of their stories from mythology. In writing the Prydain Chronicles, Alexander drew largely upon the Mabinogen – the Welsh treasury of Mythology.
Though not extremely long (the longest was 218 pages), these stories have definitely become some of my all time favorites. They bear the marks of true fantasy – a story that resonates within and stirs your heart, that makes you think, inspires courage and hope and self sacrifice! The characters are amazing! I could spend forever talking about all of them, but I don’t wish to bore you, so I won’t.
I love Taran the Assistant Pig Keeper. He makes mistakes, feels sorry for himself, and struggles with his own desires for honor and glory. But he always learns from his mistakes and often makes the hard decision to do the right thing. Throughout the five books, Alexander depicts Taran’s growth from a young boy longing for glory to a young man who knows that doing what is right bears far greater rewards than glory.
I have one small disclaimer – these books are fantasy and as such bear the usual elements of enchanters, magicians, and magic, both good and evil. It’s mythology. So, think along the lines of King Arthur or even Norse or Greek mythology. Because of that, I wouldn’t necessarily suggest it for very young children, but it’s great for anyone else (adults too)!
The Book of Three – Taran the Assistant Pig Keeper longs for a life of honor and glory and to fight alongside the noble war leader, Prince Gwydion. His wish is unexpectedly fulfilled when Hen-wen – the pig – goes missing. While searching for the pig, Taran finds himself caught up in a desperate battle against the evil Arawn, Lord of the land of death, and his wicked emissary, the Horned King. Along the way, Taran learns that war is not quite so glorious as it seems.
The Black Cauldron – the deathless hosts of Arawn – the Cauldron Born – are multiplying. Doom hangs over the land. The only way to stop the Cauldron Born is to destroy the black cauldron. Simple? Perhaps not. First, the cauldron must be found! Taran again teams up with his friends Gwydion, Eilonwy, Fflewddur and Gurgi to stop Arawn. But when the arrogant Prince of Pen-Llarcau joins the team, jealousy and strife threaten the mission and time is running short…
The Castle of Llyr – Taran learns that the Princess Eilonwy’s life is in grave danger from the evil enchantress Achren and sets out to save her accompanied by his usual companions as well as a new character, the bumbling but lovable Prince Rhun of Mona! Desperate pursuits, arranged marriages, escapes, battles, and a host of colorful friends and enemies must be met and dealt with before Taran can save Eilonwy…
Taran Wanderer – Torn between his desire to some day marry Eilonwy and the details of his unknown birth, Taran sets out with the faithful Gurgi at his side to try and track down his history. As he travels, he battles thieves, outwits rogues, serves as judge, weaver, blacksmith, and potter, and as usual makes friends and enemies along the way! As a questing story, it has perhaps the least defined plot, and is more a series of adventures than anything else, however, it carries the most character development as Taran grows into manhood. This inner journey along with the lessons he learns are what makes the book great. Along with the High King, this was my favorite of the books!
The High King – At last, Taran gets his wish and becomes a war leader in Gwydion’s army as the prince mobilizes the country for war against the evil Arawn. But Arawn has stolen the powerful sword Dyrnwyn and without it they cannot hope to defeat him! As the last book in the series, the High King is rightfully the largest, most epic, heroic, and most heart rending of all the books. Tragedy, treachery, and sacrifice are common themes in the book, and yet there are other themes as well – dauntless courage, the determination to carry on and hope when all seems lost. In this last epic war against Arawn, Taran finally grows into a man – wise, brave, and confidant but no longer cocky and no longer loving or glorying war in itself. And at the end… well you must read it! I shall leave you with Alexander’s own words about the ending: “whether the ending is happy, heartbreaking, or both, readers must decide for themselves.” I shall only say that I found the ending both heartbreaking and happy, and I loved it. Taran did exactly what I wanted him to. But I will say no more.
All of the books were great and should definitely be read together but my personal favorites are The Book of Three, Taran Wanderer, and the High King! I highly recommend the Prydain Chronicles for any lover of fantasy!
Well, it’s time for me to get back to writing my own book. I had great plans when I sat down to write today… only I got side tracked into writing this post! Oh well!
~ A Servant of the King
Note: Images courtesy of google images search.
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