h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The thought occurs to me that Heroic encounters must be between real heroes - not merely people who are admirable. As anyone who has looked at some real life clashes between real life heroes (say Wellington and Napoleon) things do not always go well.

The other thing I think about is that many of the greatest heroes are strong silent types. Hence a dinner party may not be the place for them to meet up as they will probably be eat and go people rather than sort who sit back and chat over the cheese course.

However the exception to the above is the reluctant hero. These people tend to be witty and not too driven but are full of resolve and have a sense of who they are that allows them to drive through good even when faced with terrifying evil.

I will come back to this later...

Thanks PT. Yes the natures of those we call heroic does throw up an interesting quandary. Too many strong, silent types wouldn't make for great repartee, it's true. Maybe you need opposites to stir things up a bit.

And many thanks for livening up what was starting to look like a strong, silent Talking Point.

I haven't forgotten this but I am struggling to come up with people who are suitably heroic.

The two that have sprung to mind are David (as in David and Bathsheba and Uriah the Hittite) and Beowulf. Different eras and cultures but both very deeply committed to their people and cultures.

David knew he had committed a travesty when he forced the death of Uriah in battle simply to conceal an adulterous moment with Bathsheba. This surely must be one of the most painfully recorded immoral acts a reigning monarch in history. It served to straighten David out and provide an effective curb on a king in an era when, as recorded subsequently, kings didn't accept curbing.

Beowulf understood kingship as service. Unlike David he didn't send messages out to his commanders on the battlefront, he stood and fought as he thought a king should. It was a very different understanding of leadership and, in some ways less real being more sentimental and downplaying basic principals of the methods of governance (of course Beowulf really didn't exist unlike David, who probably didn't exist at least has he is written up in the Bible).

Put them at a table and I think they would have a lot to talk about. Both ended up being highly moral but both had some great difficulties early in their lives as leaders. Both really focused as time went on and managed to lead their countries to great heights. Both could tell a good story to a crowd and keep the conversation going.

It would be a good night with some tall tales, a bit of poetry but it would have a serious side too with two great leaders who had to struggle with their own demons to reach the maturity they brought to their roles.