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The Eternal Champion
In the mythology of almost every culture there is the champion. Champions allowed the ordinary person to live fantastic adventures otherwise beyond their experience. Around the hearths and fires, tales were told of ages long past when knights killed dragons and justice defeated tyrants. Strengthening the hearts of all men who heard the tales. One of the earliest heroes was Gilgamish, the warrior/king of Sumerian culture. For the Greeks, it was Hercules and Achilles. The Middle Ages produced the romantic heroes such as Britain’s Arthur and France’s Roland. It did not matter whether these great men were real or not, it was the feats of courage and deeds of valor that mattered most. Recently, the hero is alive and well in the embodiment of modern legends such as Davy Crockett and Audi Murphy. It did not matter whether these great men were real or not, it was the feats of courage and deeds of valor that mattered most.
Today, however, our most venerated heroes are under attack. It is now told in some history books that George Washington did not chop down a cherry tree. We have to decide which is more important, the truth or the moral fiber of the story. Of course, we have to decide where the truth is warranted. The well know victor at New Orleans, Andrew Jackson, was also the mastermind of the plan to move the Cherokee and other southern tribes along the infamous Trail of Tears. The villain has been changed from the embodiment of evil to the misunderstood helper of the oppressed. During World War II, Adolph Hitler was the villain to top all villains. At the end of the 20th Century, Hitler has been praised for raising the German nation from the bitterest proverty to the grandest prosperity. It is a story of a poor Austrian immigrant turned savior.
Now, at the dawn of the new millennium, our children are bombarded with
fake heroes. Champions whose sole benefit and function is to sell products.
Even our venerable George Washington is selling the new dollar coin. As
we grow older, we are leaving the power of the imagination behind. Television
and movies have stripped from our minds of the capacity to visualize complex
stories. On the upside, it has been brought to light the Jefferson/Henning
affair. From this, I welcome the new found cousins into my family history.
There is one great lesson that is taught over and over in our ancient tales,
"Those who do not remember the past, are condemned to repeat it." Without
our champions, where will we be?
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