>Can you become a Hero just because enough people believe strongly enough that you *are* one?
A damn good question. I would hazard an opinion and say not in the hero's lifetime. I'm not sure I like the connotations of popular belief adding to an individual's abilities (if I'm interpreting Mark's question correctly). They'd really have to get to hero by themselves on their own account through their own actions/deeds. Now after they've gone on to a better place though...
I wonder though can stories and myths attributed to a hero in error make him/her into something you aren't or weren't? There are lots of examples of heroes who get deeds attributed to them that they never did. In one of James Branch Cabell's books there was a dead bloodthirsty Christian killing pagan who got confused with a Christian saint and ended up with the saint's powers. (I think it was in Something About Eve though if I remember correctly the character appears in other books as well).
A more RW example is St. George who has had all sorts of deeds and stories attributed to him. Is this belief in assigned abilities strong enough to grant a hero's cult those abilities?
A Gloranthan example is Vanganth the Strong, the Heortling hero, he's had all sorts of weight lifting deeds attributed to him. I think that all those piles of rocks cleared from Heortling fields are attributed to him (I think that's his connection to Barntar since they share the same holy day). Of course he couldn't have possibly moved all those rocks, people just say he did. But does their belief he did so inflate his strength or did he get as strong as he did by himself.
Subjectively yours,
Oliver
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Galeotti [mailto:hia15_at_...]
Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2001 2:00 PM
To: HeroWars_at_yahoogroups.com
Subject: Griselda: Great Woman or Postmodernist Social Construct?
Fair enough, but this is still the, well, heroic school of thought - Griselda grabs fate with both hands, makes herself into a hero(ine) and then her tales somehow become myths. I'm wondering - without really taking a position one way or t'other yet - whether stories can remain just stories in Glorantha. If everyone in Pavis, trolls in the Rubble, Lunar soldiers back in Tarsh, etc is recounting your tales, embroidering them, and - given that this is Glorantha, world of Heroes, probably elevating her into that rank, does this have a magic 'charge' of its own? Can you become a Hero just because enough people believe strongly enough that you *are* one?
(Of course, I know that this is making things too cut and dried as all that - if Griselda did go heroquesting, then no doubt some of this 'audience-come-congregation' would provide her with a level of community support, just as I doubt you suddenly hit a critical mass of 'audience' and suddenly wake up a Hero.)
Mark
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