I thought of this idea after some idiot (don't remember person or where it was published) decided that super-heroes were inherently "fascist".
It's obvious to me that superheroes (even ones without powers) are based on older stories about wandering heroes who find problems (even seeking out problems) and act to deal with the problems or avenge the victims of the problems.
They aren't acting as agents of some human authority (ie law enforcement folks) but are individuals seeing something and say "this isn't right" then doing something about it.
Look at all the stories about monster slayers in mythology/legends. Those people are the origins of superheroes.
Indeed. The fun is finding the overlap between specific superheroes and Arthurian characters. Archetypes "echo" across time in many ways, and the knights and the heroes have a lot in common.
Never heard that Marvel are reincarnated Arthurian characters, and I would agree and disagree to an extent, as I am not so certain that there is a 'Maiden's Knight' in the mould of Gauvain amongst the X-Men or something. That said, I'd argue on the other hand the creative mould that brought them together comes from the same place as the Arthurian Knights to an extent.
That said, I myself as a writer have been naturally drawn to archetypes and have always found them and Campbell to be the ultimate guide so that if you follow them and their light you will never fail as a writer in my view. But the trouble is that too many have turned away from them, and this is why many cultures around the world are failing.
That said, as a critic I bemoan the loss of archetypes also, and think that there must be a realignment at some point, and that it is inevitable.
You're right, there is no Gauvain in the X-Men. His archetype recurs in a different Marvel team altogether. If I can I'll start launching chapters for that one in the near future, but those still need some editing. For now, I'm mainly focusing on the X-Men, who tend to follow the mould of Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur.
Archetypes a great help and guide. They offer structure and a sense of solidity to one's work, in my experience, and that helps a great deal with plotting as well as with character arcs and design. I suppose some might think archetypes were stifling or likely to kill creative interest, but I have found that they do the exact opposite. They mark out safe trails that still leave plenty of room for individual creativity or, as Tolkien puts it in "On Fairy-Stories," invention.
I certainly hope a realignment is inevitable. It is no fun limping along on a broken leg, which is what a lot of writers these days appear to be doing. That leg needs to be set, and soon, for everyone's sake.
Agreed, I'm thinking of launching into some archetype articles also as soon as I read Tolkien's On Fairy-Stories also and re-read some of Campbell's writings along with the book on Male-Sexual Archetypes.
My own stories and novels focus on archetypal writings and tales.
I thought of this idea after some idiot (don't remember person or where it was published) decided that super-heroes were inherently "fascist".
It's obvious to me that superheroes (even ones without powers) are based on older stories about wandering heroes who find problems (even seeking out problems) and act to deal with the problems or avenge the victims of the problems.
They aren't acting as agents of some human authority (ie law enforcement folks) but are individuals seeing something and say "this isn't right" then doing something about it.
Look at all the stories about monster slayers in mythology/legends. Those people are the origins of superheroes.
Indeed. The fun is finding the overlap between specific superheroes and Arthurian characters. Archetypes "echo" across time in many ways, and the knights and the heroes have a lot in common.
Never heard that Marvel are reincarnated Arthurian characters, and I would agree and disagree to an extent, as I am not so certain that there is a 'Maiden's Knight' in the mould of Gauvain amongst the X-Men or something. That said, I'd argue on the other hand the creative mould that brought them together comes from the same place as the Arthurian Knights to an extent.
That said, I myself as a writer have been naturally drawn to archetypes and have always found them and Campbell to be the ultimate guide so that if you follow them and their light you will never fail as a writer in my view. But the trouble is that too many have turned away from them, and this is why many cultures around the world are failing.
That said, as a critic I bemoan the loss of archetypes also, and think that there must be a realignment at some point, and that it is inevitable.
You're right, there is no Gauvain in the X-Men. His archetype recurs in a different Marvel team altogether. If I can I'll start launching chapters for that one in the near future, but those still need some editing. For now, I'm mainly focusing on the X-Men, who tend to follow the mould of Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur.
Archetypes a great help and guide. They offer structure and a sense of solidity to one's work, in my experience, and that helps a great deal with plotting as well as with character arcs and design. I suppose some might think archetypes were stifling or likely to kill creative interest, but I have found that they do the exact opposite. They mark out safe trails that still leave plenty of room for individual creativity or, as Tolkien puts it in "On Fairy-Stories," invention.
I certainly hope a realignment is inevitable. It is no fun limping along on a broken leg, which is what a lot of writers these days appear to be doing. That leg needs to be set, and soon, for everyone's sake.
Agreed, I'm thinking of launching into some archetype articles also as soon as I read Tolkien's On Fairy-Stories also and re-read some of Campbell's writings along with the book on Male-Sexual Archetypes.
My own stories and novels focus on archetypal writings and tales.