Heroes: Then and Now

The dictionary definition of hero is, "A person who is admired for great acts or brave acts or fine qualities". Each person has their own idea of what makes someone a hero,  and these views have changed over the centuries. In the epic poem, Beowulf, which takes place around the sixth century in Scandinavia, the public's definition of a hero was certainly different from today.

The poem chronicles a thane, named Beowulf, and his brave expeditions where he strives to make a name for himself. In a pagan society of that time period the only way to be remembered was to go perform great feats, such as slaying a dragon or some other awful creature. Heroes back then were also characterized by their hubris. They would make a boast about all of their accomplishments in order to have people remember them and to be revered.

This is starkly different than what people consider a hero to be today. In our society we tend to glorify the "unsung hero", the person who commits a good deed because it is the right thing to do. If someone came forward and started to draw attention to their accomplishments people would look down upon them, thinking they were haughty. This could possibly come from the Christian religion. In Matthew 6:3 it says, "do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" and that is the mentality our society seems to think a hero should have.

I think the change in what society views as heroic is inevitable, especially when the societies are based on different belief systems. I personally believe that a hero is someone who does the right thing, whether that means picking up stray litter, or dying for their faith. That does not mean that what I believe is a hero is the only true definition, or that it will not change. Everyone has their opinions, and bases for them, that is just the way humans and the world work.