I'm still reeling from a fiction novel* I just finished that depicted the rise of a wizard born with extraordinary powers. It's a story set in an alternate universe, in a world with its own geography, cultures... one where dragons exist and talk and where each aspect--living and non-living--had a name (in the Language of the Creation) unique to itself that didn't just serve the function of naming it, but in a way was the named itself.

I find this a very intriguing idea which I'd totally want to look into. Not today, though.

The author wrote the book in a very epic style--the genre epic, not "epic" used in everyday speech today. Despite the radically different setting, it still sort of mimicked the Pre-Columbian period of our history and made use of cultural snippets of various races of the time, adjusting for how it would be if magic was possible. The hero is an epic hero in every sense of the term, and right from the beginning he already has the inborn power that sets him apart from all the rest. After a cathartic event, changing him for life, he is practically flawless (or with at least permissible flaws). Songs are made in his name after certain victories; every turn of chapter had the author reminding us of his eventual greatness, basically spoiling the uncertainty with shameless praise.

You still bite your nails to the end, though, simply because... it's epic.

Of course, the central presence of magic naturally made me think of "Harry Potter" and many of the elements of its own hero. I remember in 5th grade when the little Harry Potter fan club I was in (yes, you read that right; surprise, surprise) was gravely deliberating the possibility that Book 7 might be retitled "Ron Weasley" from the continuous brushes of death Harry barely lived through; we were worried Rowling would run out of excuses for why Harry never dies.

Harry isn't perfect. He goes through an unattractive angry phase, his magical prowess is nearly average, he never would've (SPOILER ALERT) defeated the Dark Lord if not for the help of his family, friends, and allies--not to mention truckloads of luck--yet he makes for a very compelling hero. And it isn't hard to see why. Harry doesn't have a lot to work with except his gnarly broom-flying skills, but he has a heart of courage which sees him through to his seemingly final moments.

It made me think of how Courage is treated for its value these days. I mean, okay, people would rather be brave than cowardly, but if you could choose from a list of traits to be imbued in your core, or perhaps answer a JoHaRi window, would Courage be among your picks?

We all need a certain amount of courage to get through the choices we make everyday, to be sure. But I'm talking about Courage in its most profound (although not necessarily grandiose) sense. Things that happen to these heroes in epic tales hardly find their way into real people's lives anymore; as a passing thought one knows which is the courageous path to follow, but does that mean one would follow it when they least expect that high-stakes situation?

In theory, yes I would like to (SPOILER ALERT) knowingly walk to my death in the Forbidden Forest as the sacrificial lamb if my friends' lives depended on it. But I'm not sure if I actually would.

Here's to hoping.

* "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula Le Guin. Great read. One of the many I'm juggling with stuff I really do need to read.