How the Heroes Used Calculated Tricks to Overcome (Essay Sample)

How the Heroes Used Calculated Tricks to Overcome

Trickery and magic are common in epic stories, especially for assisting the heroes to achieve their goals. These two factors, coupled with brute strength and intelligence, are crucial weapons in defeating evil powers for the good of the heroes' communities. These themes are demonstrated most effectively in three famous epic stories from around the world: the Popol Vuh, the Epic of Sundiata, and The Odyssey. The heroes in the Popol Vuh use trickery, the hero in the Epic of Sundiata uses magic, and the hero in The Odyssey uses both trickery and magic to prevail over their foes.
In the Popol Vuh, the twins, Xbalanque and Hunahpu, use trickery to defeat their enemies. The twins realize that with no humans on Earth to control Seven Macaw and his sons’ dominance, they are likely to misuse their powers and disregard other divine powers. Thus, they devise a plan to defeat Seven Macaw and his sons, eventually succeeding after using trickery and disguising themselves as bonesetters and dentists to reach their injured assailant and further mutilate his body (Spence 100). The twins also trick Zipacna by offering him a crab that he has to collect from the cave by entering it on his back, but he is turned to stone after attempting this feat (Spence 11-12). Lastly, the boys target Earthquake since they feel that he is evil through his actions of destroying mountains. The twins trick him into setting out on a mission to find a nonexistent mountain that is very tall and stands still even after Earthquake's efforts (Spence 13). Along the journey, they also trick him into eating meat covered in plaster, which takes away his strength, and the twins bury him after tying him up (Spence 13). Therefore, in the Popol Vuh, trickery is essential in the twins' endeavor to defeat Seven Macaw and his sons, Zipacna, and Earthquake.
In the Epic of Sundiata, Sundiata uses magic to defeat his enemies. Sundiata arose from a lineage known for its magical powers, exemplified by his extraordinary strength. It is important to note that Sundiata’s magical powers rise from the mother’s lineage since Sogolon, his mother, was a sorcerer (Niane et al. 66). He had a disability as a child but had magically strong arms, which is evident in his actions of bending an enormous rod into a bow and uprooting a tree with bare hands (Niane et al. 56). The hero also magically walks at the age of seven, a feat previously believed impossible for him due to his disability (Niane et al. 70). Sundiata uses magic to defeat Soumaro, who is evil and uses magic powers to rule, in battle and kills him using a bow and arrow that was forged magically (Niane et al. 131). Magic is essential in Soumaro’s defeat since he is invincible against the normal weapons. Therefore, in the Epic of Sundiata, Sundiata uses the magic he received through his mother’s lineage to defeat Soumaro with his magically enhanced strength and weapons.