Legendary Hero Research Articles

The Transformation of Senkatana

The research question in this article is to trace how the legend of Senkatana was transformed first into a drama and then into a tragedy. The methodology that is applied is to compare the salient features of the legend, the drama, and then the tragedy. An overarching finding is that the playwright developed a number of transformational processes in order to transform the essence of the plot, the number and line-up of characters as well as the drama’s structure. A second overarching finding concerns the medium of delivery where an originally orally narrated legend is transformed into a drama text written for performance on a stage before an audience. The third finding applies to the transformation of the character of Senkatana. This happens on a transcendental level when the legendary hero and king dies and becomes a deity after death—an instance of transformation that leads to transfiguration. A concluding finding is that several contemporary contextual readings of Mofokeng’s classic are possible.

Pecos Bill and the campaign against children’s Comics in Postwar Italy

ABSTRACT This essay studies the case of Pecos Bill: The Legendary Hero of Texas, a western comic published in Italy by Mondadori from 1949 to 1954. I analyze the series in the context of the widespread national campaign against comics and in relation to the cultural politics of Mondadori’s corporate partner Walt Disney. Both Catholic and Leftist critics condemned western fictions because of their violent and sexual content. Debates about children’s magazines and their educational purposes, on the other hand, were minimally concerned with how western narratives represented race, ethnicity, or gender. Pecos Bill was blacklisted,even though Mondadori’s cowboy is a wholesome hero who never fires a gun. Starting from this discrepancy, my analysis sheds light on the contradictions within the campaign against comics and explores issues of identity politics in Italian children’s readings. I demonstrate that representations of Mexican and African characters, as well as of whiteness and of American history, promoted the same anti-leftist and racist discourses of Disney’s western fictions at the time of the Cold War.

Religion, Politics and Mysticism in Ancient Sport

The history of ancient sports shows us that sports practice was not a secular one but was closely linked to religious faith. Whether we are talking about ancient Greece (Athens, Sparta, etc.), whether we are talking about Latin America or the Far East, the presence of homage and respect towards the gods is seen as something sacred and no one could dispute it. We have researched the religious phenomenon in sports for more than 30 years, and the result is like religion. politics and the arts of war decided the history of the world and civilization. (Barbos, 2015). It is proven by ancient writings, but also by archaeological traces, from ancient temples and stadiums dedicated to gods and legendary heroes, such as Hercules, the most famous demigod of the ancient world, who remained in legends as one of those who achieved the most successful sports. This article summarizes some ancient sports competitions, which were strictly related to the respect for the gods, which was rewarded with sports games, such as the Olympic Games of Greece. Keywords: Hylozoism, anthropological, animism, secular ritual, sacred ritual, oracle, Delphi, ecotheology, sumo, kyudo.

Stuktur naratif Vladimir Propp dalam cerita rakyat Si Pitung Jagoan Betawi

This research aims to analyze the folk tale "Si Pitung Jagoan Betawi" based on Vladimir Propp's theory of narrative functions. Known as a renowned narrative among the Betawi community, it is considered a true story of a legendary hero. A qualitative approach is employed to understand the narrative's meaning and describe the functions within Propp's framework. Data is collected from the written text of the folk tale titled "Si Pitung Jagoan Betawi." Data analysis utilizes Vladimir Propp's theory of narrative functions. The findings reveal that the story consists of 3 (three) action spheres with 14 (fourteen) narrative functions. The narrative concludes in the third sphere with the tragic death of the hero, Si Pitung, in his battle against Kumpeni, omitting the involvement of the fourth sphere. Additionally, the story encompasses 3 (three) types of characters: the villain, the donor provider, and the hero. Despite the narrative's tragic ending and Si Pitung's demise, he remains regarded as a hero who fought against colonial oppression. Keyword: folktale, narrative function, Si Pitung, Vladimir Propp

Bogatyrs and Rulers: Folklore Characters in the Ethnic Identity and Religious Practices of the Vyatka Mari

The author examines the mythological aspect of the entoregional identity of the modern Mari population in the Kirov oblast’ (the Vyatka, the Urzhum-Vyatka Mari) living in the Malmyzhsky and Urzhumsky districts. The author identifies the role of heroic images in modern ethno-cultural activism and the representation of the Vyatka Mari as the main problem of the study. Due to the multidimensional aspect of the problem, the article includes thematic sub-items: Features of the ethnic and religious identity of the Vyatka Mari - Images of folklore rulers in the perception of local residents - Legendary rulers in ethno-cultural activism and commemorative practices - Sacralization of folklore characters. The author considers this problem on the basis of the field materials (interview texts) collected during his expeditions to the Kirov oblast’ in 2015, 2017, 2021, and the regional media. In a multicultural region, inhabited by different ethnic groups, the Mari represent their identity through festive and sacred practices, as well as the veneration of local legendary rulers and heroes: Princes Akpatyr, Akmazik, Boltush (Poltysh) and others. Folklore heroes are objects of the religious cult of the Mari traditional religion, which is manifested in the ethnoregional self-consciousness of the Mari population. Legendary heroes are perceived by the local population as real historical characters. It is revealed that the beliefs in reality of the Mari heroes reflect the idea of the “golden age” of the history of the Vyatka Mari and their heroized past. The images of Boltush, Akpatyr are actively broadcast through the media, the ethnic component in education, local history literature. Thanks to the efforts of local activists, new objects of the cultural landscape emerge in the Malmyzhsky district - monuments at the sites of the symbolic burials of the Mari rulers. The conclusion is formulated that cultural activism, which appeals to the images of Mari folklore, plays a significant role in marking the ethnoregional identity of the Vyatka Mari people. In the text of the article the characters of the Mari folklore of Vyatka are considered in the context of identity. The obtained result allows to apply this theoretical framework for the study of folklore images in relation to the identities of ethnographic groups of the Mari and other peoples of the Volga region. The article is based on the dissertation “The system of mythological characters in the representation of the identities of modern Mari” for the degree of Candidate of Historical Sciences, defended in 2022 in the N.N. Miklukho-Maklay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Retrieving a Shaman-Warrior as Legendary Hero Archetype

Retrieving a Shaman-Warrior as Legendary Hero Archetype

The role and significance of Manas in the national construction of Kyrgyzstan

The article discusses the importance of Manas in the national construction of Kyrgyzstan. Manas is an epic poem about the legendary hero named Manas, who led the Kyrgyz people in the fight against foreign invaders. The epic is considered a national treasure and an integral part of the country’s cultural heritage. Manas played an important role in the nation-building of Kyrgyzstan, as it was used as a symbol of national unity and pride and was incorporated into various aspects of Kyrgyz culture and society. In addition, Manas was used as a means of education and preservation of culture. Although the historical accuracy of the epic Manas is disputed in the article, the fact that it reflects the life and struggle of the Kyrgyz people of the Manas era shows that it is based on real events. In various spheres of society, the glorification of Manas was seen as a way to strengthen national identity and promote a sense of unity among the Kyrgyz people. The article discusses ways to glorify Manas, including renaming streets, squares and airports in honor of Manas, as well as the presence of monuments and sculptures throughout Kyrgyzstan.

The Mythological Tradition Concerning the Sanctuary of Apollo in Didyma

This article is devoted to myths about the sanctuary of Apollo in Didyma and their evolution. The author analyzes myths survived to modern times and di-
 vides them into three groups: myths about the origin of Didyma, myths about heroes and myths about local cult practices.
 It is important to note that most of the evidence that has survived we know from books of later antique authors. Although, probably, some of myths were created in the archaic era, but they acquired their final form already in the postclassical time. It is reflected both in the fact that myths interpret the unusual for Greeks name of the legendary progenitor of the sanctuary «Branchos» and that
 myths connect the sanctuary with the legendary heroes of the polis. The latter was
 necessary in order to justify the close ties between the sanctuary and Miletus during Hellenistic and Roman periods.
 The myth of the conception of Apollo in Didyma is also important for understanding ideas of the ancient Milesians. We know about it thanks to the epigraphic sources of the Hellenistic era, but its archaic roots are indirectly confirmed by archaeological finds. This myth justifies the status of Didyma as one of
 the most significant sanctuaries of Apollo. Myths about cult practices were prob-
 ably created late and do not reflect the actual ancient rites practiced in Didyma.
 In general, it can be said that although the mythological tradition has come down to us in a very fragmentary way, it allows us to put Didyma into the context of the most significant Hellenic oracles.

THE CASE OF PARTISAN COMMANDER LEVANEVSKI – BETWEEN CRIMINAL AND POLITICAL DISCOURSE

The article is part of a larger study of documents related to one of the communist regime's biggest crimes – the massacre without trial and the conviction of local elites (25-30 000 people) in a particularly sadistic way. The study is based on David Ovadia's documentary "Levanevsky" dedicated to a participant in the Partisan Fighters’ Movement, convicted not only for political but also for criminal offences and who led the sadistic murders of innocent civilians after the communist coup. The questions I want to answer to are: what are the reasons for the moral relativism of the author who tries to justify Levanevsky as a legendary hero. How long can anti-fascist rhetoric legitimize any crimes regardless of their scale and cruelty; what are the biographical psychoanalytical causes of communist sadism? The psychoanalytical analysis (linguistic turn in psychoanalysis) reveals a recurring biographical scheme – a despotic mother and an uninteriorized fatherly authority, which is not compensated by the symbolic networks of kinship, religion, school, army, profession. The involvement of criminals in the partisan movement compromises the anti-fascist movement – an atmosphere of fear, power battles, arbitrary killings and robberies was brought about. Reconstracting the life trajectory of Levanevski who was used and misused by the communists (killed without court and sentence after the communists took power) we could consider him as a representative of the peasant anarchism rather than the conscious antifascist struggle. Statistic data about the social and educational status of the Bulgarian partisan fighters (1941 -1944) are also provided.

‘A place where everybody is a legendary hero… and a total dork’

Nerddom plays an important role in G. Willow Wilson’s superhero comic books series ‘Ms. Marvel’: Its protagonist, Muslim Pakistani American teenager Kamala Khan is a comic loving, fanfiction writing, videogame playing nerd. The nerd community full of likeminded individuals provides her with a nurturing safe haven distracting her from the feelings of loneliness brought about by conflicts with her ambitious parents and by the Islamophobic bullying of her classmates. Reading this idealized representation of the American nerd community as a heterotopia of compensation in the Foucauldian sense, I argue that the diegetic nerds of ‘Ms. Marvel’ work to raise more awareness for the diversity of real-world nerd subculture by normalizing the presence of Muslim women of colour within it. Thus, ‘Ms. Marvel’s’ reimagination of nerddom as an open, welcoming, and egalitarian space debunks traditional stereotypes of nerds as white, socially inept young men and simultaneously celebrates the potential of nerdy interests to encourage mutual understanding between people from diverse backgrounds, as my analysis of exemplary passages from the book series will show.

DEDE KORKUT’TAKİ ALP EREN

Türkler zengin bir destan geleneğine sahiptir. Dede Korkut Destanları’nın Türk destanları içerisinde önemli bir yeri vardır. Dede Korkut’ta birçok kişi adı geçmektedir. Dede Korkut’ta adı geçen kişilerden biri Alp Eren’dir. Alp Eren’in adı Dede Korkut Kitabı’nda bir boyda geçmektedir. Alp Eren’in tanıtımında geçen ifadeler, onu eski bir tarihe götürmektedir. Alp Eren, her bakımdan eski Türk tarihine ait bir kişi olup, Orta Asya’daki eski Türk alpları ile ilişkilidir. Dede Korkut’taki Alp Eren ile Yazıcıoğlu’nun Oğuznamesindeki Etil Alp birçok bakımdan benzeşmektedir. Alp Eren’in adı Tonga Alp Er’i, yani Türklerin efsanevi kahramanı Alp Er Tonga (Efrasyab)’yı da anımsatmaktadır. Dede Korkut’ta Alp Eren’in adı her ne kadar sadece bir boyda geçse de, diğer Oğuznamelerdeki kahramanlarla benzerliği ve Dede Korkut’taki Alp Eren’in ailesinin üyelerinin birçok destanda adlarının geçmesi, Alp Eren’in önemini ortaya koymaktadır. Birçok olumlu özellikleriyle tanıtılan Alp Eren’in aynı zamanda olumsuz nitelikleri de vardır. Alp Eren, aynı zamanda dejenere olmuş bir alp tipidir. Bu makalede, Dede Korkut’taki Alp Eren; adı, ailesi, tarihteki ve Dede Korkut’taki yeri incelenmiştir.

El Cid: ¿un héroe para el siglo XXI? El mundo de frontera del siglo XI y la violencia en la novela Sidi de Arturo Pérez-Reverte

In his best-seller and adventure novel Sidi. An Account of the Frontier (2019), Arturo Pérez-Reverte recreates part of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar᾿s first exile already portrayed in the first part of the Cantar de Mio Cid. This recreation aims to awake more interest in Spanish medieval history and to redress the Cid᾿s image after its manipulation during Franco᾿s times. The aim of this study is to analyze the heroic image of Cid in Pérez-Reverte᾿s fiction—an image in line with that presented by historians—and the representation of violence and brutality among Christians and Muslims in the eleventh-century frontier world. Though war idealization may not be easily avoided in the biography of a legendary hero, Pérez-Reverte still provides a nuanced, critical representation of violence. However, his focus is laid on a different character, Diego Ordoñez rather than Rodrigo Díaz, who emerges as a bi-cultural hero who has developed powerful leadership skills—that is, a model of hero arguably more suitable for modern times.

INTERNACIONALNI MOTIV ZMAJEUBISTVA U JAPANSKOM MITU I LEGENDI

Systematic comparative studies of international significance indicate that there are con- siderable similarities between ideas, beliefs, and customs of various nations, even in the tradi- tions of geographically distant countries with completely different cultural, religious, historical, and social background. One of these links is the dragon-slaying motif, which appears in myth and folklore. This paper deals with a comparative analysis of different narrative types, in which the international motif of the duel between a hero and a supernatural being is stylized. Despite the differences, these plots generally have common elements, such as: a monstrous devouring serpent/dragon that is taking control over the water; a hero arriving from afar; slay- ing the monster and rescuing a virgin offered to the monster as a human sacrifice; marrying the rescued girl. In Japanese culture there are such heroe, too. In legends, even a woman can be a dragon-slayer. The mythical dragon-slayer is the God of storm and natural forces, Take Haja Susanoo. He demonstrates all the characteristics of a trickster in the Heavenly sphere through destroying and even causing death. However, with his descent into the earthly sphere, his good qualities are emphasized. One of his achievements includes the very slaying of the monster − Yamata no Orochi, and setting his potential victim free. In the Japanese myth, we discover links with related tales from distant cultures, even from these regions. Thus, for example, such heroes of Serbian folk tales fight dragons. We can find the most famous Chris- tian dragon slayer in Christian hagiographic legends. Saint George shows the characteristics of mythical and legendary heroes, saves the emperor’s daughter from a beast , as well as the whole kingdom.

Istoriya izucheniya zhanra sira v mirovom vostokovedenii

Siro - folk tales about any legendary hero and knight, glorified by the heroic deeds of the Arab epic heritage. The history of the people, their cultural values, their hopes for the future, their desires and feelings are of great importance in the folk literature of the Arab peoples. The article is devoted to the history of the study of the sire genre in world oriental studies. The sources of the sire genre are especially analyzed and its place in world literature is determined.

Missing Finishes and Diminishing Heroes in Hurricane Katrina Survivor Stories

Abstract Narratives told by Hurricane Katrina survivors to fellow survivors in the wake of the disaster share some signal traits with belief legends as understood by Linda Dégh and Max Lüthi, as well as with hero legends as described by Wilhelm Grimm and exemplified in such ancient epics as Gilgamesh and The Iliad. Echoing contemporary belief legends, survivor narratives project a sense of purgatorial endlessness through which the overwhelming power of the storm continues unabated and the survivors remain helpless victims. At the same time, echoing legends through which godlike heroes unlearn divinity, survivor narrators depict themselves as disappearing heroes: refusing to acknowledge their own courageous acts, they identify heroism in their fellow survivors and, in the process, meld their individual identities with that of the surrounding community. In the resultant hybrid story-world, individuals gain strength only by surrendering it and can keep only what they give away. The legendary hero ultimately dissolves into the surrounding community.

Trumpeldor in Israeli popular culture: from a legendary national hero to a multifaceted icon

ABSTRACT The article examines popular texts that developed in response to the canonical repertoire on Tel Hai and Trumpeldor since the 1970s. In spite of the erosion of the heroic myth, Trumpeldor’s iconic status has continued to inspire the creation of new texts in Israeli popular culture, including songs, jokes, cartoons, satirical programs, and advertisements. Drawing on symbols and motifs associated with the canonical commemoration of Tel Hai, these texts articulate humor and skepticism as well as nostalgia toward the pioneering past and use it as a venue to critically address contemporary trends in Israel life and the politics of the present.

ДОНСКОЙ ГЕРОЙ КАБАРДИНСКОГО ПРОИСХОЖДЕНИЯ ДАВИД ГРИГОРЬЕВИЧ БЕГИДОВ: СЛАВНОЕ НАЧАЛО ИЛИ КРИВЫЕ УГЛЫ В ПРЯМОЙ БИОГРАФИИ

The article is devoted to the history of the famous Kabardian Uzden (nobleman) and the Don Cossack hero of the Russian army of the era of the Napoleonic wars and the military history of the Don Cossacks of the late 18th - first half of the 19th century, General D.G. Begidov (1778-1838). The author researched the history of history and archival sources about the origin and early years of the biography of D.G. Begidov and paid the main attention to his participation in the Napoleonic wars among the Cossacks of the Ataman regi-ment under the command of the legendary Cossack hero of the Patriotic War of 1812 - Ataman M.I. Platov.

Genealogy as a Method to Legitimise Rulership in Some Balkan and Scandinavian Sources

This paper will focus on several sources from Scandinavia and the Balkans, and compare the types of genealogies portrayed in them – descent from gods, descent from another kind of supernatural being, descent from a legendary hero. The paper will examine the types of genealogies and the purpose they serve; how and why they were commissioned? Is there a difference in the establishment of the image of the ruler if the latter has descended from gods, legendary heroes, or a specific clan or dynasty? Does Christianity change the tradition of writing genealogies and the stories they retell? Are personal qualities enough to provide legitimate claims?

تجلیات الخیال الشعبی فی السیرة الشعبیة، سیرة عنترة بن شداد أنموذجا

تجليات الخيال الشعبي في السيرة الشعبية، سيرة عنترة بن شداد أنموذجا نوير باجابر قسم اللغة العربية، الکلية الجامعية بالقنفذة ،جامعة أم القرى ، المملکة العربية السعودية البريد الإلکتروني : Nsbajaer_n@hotmail.com الملخص : يتناول هذا البحث السيرة الشعبية بين الواقع والخيال، حيث يضفي الخيال الشعبي على السيرة کثيرا من الإضافات، والمبالغات والأسطرة، لتصبح في صورة مختلفة کثيرا عن السيرة الواقعية. ومن ثم فإن هذا البحث يحاول الکشف عن تجليات الخيال الشعبي في سيرة عنترة بن شداد عبر الأسطورة والخرافة، والخوارق والعجائبية إذ تعد هذه السيرة من أهم السير الشعبية ومن أکبر الملاحم القصصية التي نسجها الخبال الشعبي حتى غدت أسطورة عربية متکاملة البناء، ترسم ملامح البطل الأسطوري الذي يحاول إثبات ذاته وفروسيته وشجاعته. فالمجتمع يلجأ في لحظات الضعف الحضاري إلى الخيال الشعبي للتعويض عن بطولات حاضرة في واقعه ليخلق نماذج أسطورية يملأ بها حاجته النفسية والاجتماعية الناجمة عن الافتقار إلى إنجازات حقيقية بطولية في الواقع. تهدف الدراسة إلى الکشف عن تجليات الخيال في السيرة الشعبية، من خلال سيرة عنترة بن شداد أنموذج الدراسة، کما تهدف أيضا إلى التعرف على الجانب الإبداعي في الموروث الشعبي العربي القديم وخصوبة الخيال الشعبي العربي واتساعه، فشخصية عنترة لم ينحتها الواقع بقدر ما نسجها الخيال الشعبي، وأضاف إليها الکثير من الروايات تعزز أسطورته، فتمثل سيرته قيمة الفضيلة عند العرب، وتعکس نظام الحياة القبلية في المجتمع الجاهلي، وهو نظام العبد والسيد وقوامه الدفاع عن العرض والشرف، والتفاخر بالقوة والشجاعة. الکلمات المفتاحية : تجليات- الخيال- الشعبي- السيرة الشعبية- عنترة بن شداد Aspects Of Popular Imagination In the popular Biography, the Biography OF Antara Bin Shaddad As A model Nowier Bajaber Department of Arabic Language, Al-Qunfudhah University College, Umm Al Qura University, KSA Nsbajaer_n@hotmail.com E-mail : Abstract This research, which bears the mark (the manifestations of popular fiction in the popular biography, the biography of Antara bin Shaddad as a model), deals with the popular biography between reality and fiction, as the popular imagination gives to the CV a lot of additions, exaggerations and superstitions, to become in a much different form from the biography of life The real one. Hence, this research attempts to reveal the features of the popular imagination in the biography of Antara Bin Shaddad through the myth, the paranormal and the miracle, as this biography is one of the most important popular biographies and one of the greatest epics of epics that the popular writer woven into becoming an integrated Arab legend that draws features The legendary hero who tries to prove himself, his horses riding and bravery. In moments of civilizational weakness, society resorted to popular imagination to compensate for the heroics that exist in its reality to create legendary models in which it meets its psychological and social need resulting from the lack of real heroic achievements in reality. The study aims to reveal the aspects of fiction in the popular biography, through the biography of Antara Bin Shaddad, the study model. It also aims to identify the creative side of the ancient Arab folklore and the fertility and breadth of the Arab folk imagination, as the Antara character did not depict reality as much as it was woven with the popular imagination. He added to it many narrations that reinforce his legend, so his autobiography represents the value of virtue among the Arabs, and reflects the system of tribal life in a pre-Islamic society, which is the system of slave and master and his power to defend honor and pride in strength and courage. Keywords : Manifestation- Imagination –Popular- Biography- Antara Bin Shaddad

History and Reception in the Music of The Legend of Zelda Peritexts

This article argues that the music of opening peritexts within two The Legend of Zelda games reflects their reception history and continuity within the series mythology. On the one hand, “The Legendary Hero” peritext of The Wind Waker mirrors the game's reception history as one of departure from a Zelda tradition established by Ocarina of Time, which caused controversy initially yet gained acceptance in the long term. The audiovisual components of “The Legendary Hero” all position gamers to consider the events of Ocarina of Time as old, submerged under the Great Sea. Textual references to “legend” and “myth,” visual cues of antique art and runes, and musical cues harkening to medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque tropes within Western music—all these serve to depart from Zelda tropes. On the other hand, the title-screen peritext of Twilight Princess restores the legacy of Ocarina of Time. Reception of the former always includes its nostalgic, intimately connected relationship to the latter. Consequently, Twilight Princess garnered immediate praise but became problematic in the long term. The audiovisual components of the title-screen peritext position gamers to reestablish continuity with Zelda tropes. Visual and musical cues reach across several previous games and as far back as the original The Legend of Zelda game, all of which orient players back to traditions from which the franchise had departed for years. Thus the music of the peritext enables players to engage in Zelda's potential for self-reference more apparently than its adoption of Western-music tropes, as in Wind Waker. The peritexts of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess complement each other and allow us to understand more critically the reception and historiography of each game, how the music can reveal a deeper understanding of narrative themes characteristic of each game, and their placement within the Zelda mythology.