Heroism in Denis Tedlocks´ Popl Vuh - 1107 Words

In Denis Tedlocks, Popol Vuh, the specific features of heroism expressed in the story are Knowledge, and intellect, which prove to be significantly more important then gaining glory through physical courage and strength. The two main characters, Xbalanque and Hunaphu are the children of One and Seven Hunaphu who end up dying through their defeat by the lords of Xibalba named One and Seven Death. Xbalanque and Hunaphu then use deceitful actions in order to attain their ideal goal of defeating One and Seven Death. Xbalanque and Hunaphu are the protagonists who use their intellect in the internal battle which enable them to achieve what they are striving for. This format of the hero’s journey portrayed by Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s†¦show more content†¦Even though each of these battles led him closer to his death, he still continued without any hesitation, not realizing that he needs to think about the people of Herot, the ones who rely on him for sa fety. Without Beowulf’s protection, Herot will be in great danger, which again, shows that he just used his physical strength in order to gain glory without thinking of the outcome. Unlike King Arthur and Beowulf, who don’t use any moral thought into their actions, the two brothers, Xbalanque and Hunaphu use their intelligence and trickery to defeat the lords of Xibalba. They intertwined the trickster archetype, which, is a character that is defenseless in physical strength but uses quick thinking to outwit his opponent (Vogler 78) and the hero archetype. The combination goes against the meaning conveyed by the monomyth because it focus is not emphasized on the hero and how he glorifies through power and combat. The focus is now on triumphing through trickery and genius, which lead Xbalanque and Hunaphu to success in every way. They figure out the appropriate way in handling their enemies, One and Seven Death by convincing them in order to get what they wanted. The two brothers had confidence in their ability to entertain the Lords of Xibalba by gaining their trust through disguising themselves as vagabonds, while performing several