Abstract
The account of the hero is often depicted as a narratological journey which, with reference to the ground-breaking work of Campbell ( 2008 ), is referred to as the monomyth. The basic outline of all monomyths is an account of how a hero embarks on a journey, meets a major crisis and then returns back home altered in some way. This change does not only benefit the hero but is also to the advantage of the community that he or she hails from. This study examines the possibility that the story of Esther fits the prerequisites of a monomyth and argues that the additions (Additions A, B, C, D, E and F) to LXX-Esther give emphasis to and reinforce the impression of the hero-myth underlying the story. The therapeutic and transforming qualities of the hero story, narrated in LXX-Esther, are examined in more detail. It is concluded that this hero story fulfils two basic human functions: an epistemic function and a restorative function. Contribution: This article contributes to HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies’s’ contested Historical Thought and Source Interpretation by focusing on textual and hermeneutical studies, and narratives behind the Abrahamic religion as expressed in the Hebrew Scriptures, Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha and the Septuagint.
Highlights
Our lives are made of stories: stories handed down from our parents, stories we have created out of our experience, stories about our loves, our words, our explorations, our joys, our disappointments, our learning the soul’s story
A superficial reading of the LXX-Esther1 contributes to the impression that the character of Esther is depicted as a hero in a typical monomyth
The account of the hero is often seen as a narratological journey which, with reference to the ground-breaking work of Campbell (2008), is referred to as the monomyth
Summary
Our lives are made of stories: stories handed down from our parents, stories we have created out of our experience, stories about our loves, our words, our explorations, our joys, our disappointments, our learning the soul’s story. Epson and White (1992:89–91), as well as Semeschuk (2018:31–32), point out that when individuals spontaneously recap the content of a favourite story, it functions as a safe vehicle for them to reflect on their own lives, experiences and emotions that have been marginalised. This literal metaphor is a novel or story that has been identified as ‘a good story’ and can be integrated into a person’s experiences and knowledge. This change does benefit the hero but is to the advantage of the community that he or she hails from
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