In Search Of Myths And Heroes [Hardcover]

As I've said before on this site I'm a great fan of Michael Wood’s histories. However I agree with another reviewer in that this book does not reach the very high standards of his previous books. My biggest whinge about this book concerns one of the subjects – King Arthur. Michael Wood has covered the Arthurian legend in greater depth in two of his other books and I found the story in this book repetitive. However if this is your first read of Michael Wood then enjoy it but do yourself a favour and get some of his other works – In search of Shakespeare and In search of the Trojan War, in particular, are much better.

It's a shame - this is a book I would love to have loved, but it doesn't really inspire me the way it could. Michael Wood has done some sterling stuff exploring prehistory and archaeology, and he has been responsible for some highly intelligent and well argued television. He doesn't fail here, far from it.

Wood looks at the way myths have been created and handed down the days. He strips back centuries of obfuscation and narrative embellishment, searching out the reality which underpins the myths. It is like searching for some embryonic human form or rationale within a sarcophagus of rumour, legend, myth, and partial history.

This is fabulous stuff - the stuff of fable ... and the stuff of science and research. Every practising historian or archaeologist, every practising social scientist, every student of these subjects or enthusiast needs to be aware of the power of rumour, legend, fable, and myth. We are not so sophisticated a people that we exist only within a realm of logic, à la Mr.Spock.

Wood provides a visually and intellectually stimulating enquiry into how fact can become corrupted into fantasy. Myth and story still play a fundamental part in human life, still shape the way we perceive, remember, and understand the world. It's a good series, it's a good idea, it is excellent, essential instruction.

And yet, it doesn't quite pick me up and inspire me the way some of his earlier television has. Maybe Wood has set too high a standard? It's a good book, it's a stimulating and enjoyable ... and accessible ... read. But the theme is too specific, perhaps too fascinating in its own right - the choice of the four examples of myth seems interesting, but it just doesn't quite jell ... well, certainly not for me. If you're a fan of Michael Wood, you'll enjoy this ... but it's not his best.

I was so impressed by Michael Wood's television programme "In The Steps of Alexander The Great" that I immediately bought the book. I read "In search Of Myths and Heroes" without the benefit of having seen the television series. The difference was marked and, in fairness to Wood, although he tackles his subject in an enthusiastic manner, it falls flat on the written page. It appears the difference arises from Wood's overall failure to recognise the limitations of his conclusions all of which appear without substance.

Wood sets out to examine "Shangri-La". The idea of an earthly paradise on earth is not confined to the Himalayas where India, Tibet and Nepal meet geographically, separated only by man made boundaries. According to tradition there are twenty one secret valleys in the Himalayas which provide hidden retreats for the faithful and are only visible to "the highest kind of yogis". The landscape is barren and as close to nature as one can get. Wood provides plenty of detail on Tibetan history. He opines that the monasteries of Tsparang and Toling are what James Hilton had in mind when he wrote "The Lost Horizon". Possibly, but the Buddhist tradition of Shangri-La or Shambia, suggests an ideal world where people live in pace and harmony, faithful to the principles of Buddhism.

According to the Dalai Lama the search for Shambia "traditionally begins as an outer journey that becomes a journey of inner exploration and discovery". In other words a mystical vision of a perfect society through the process of self-realisation. In 1950 the Chinese government exercised power over Tibet, interfering with many traditional trading routes, while the Cultural Revolution led to the destruction of many old artefacts and buildings. In 2008 Communists gained control of the legislative body, although no one has yet attempted to suppress opposition parties. Wood dismisses Shangri-La in favour of a materialist view of myth, a view which, ironically, saw no value in history or legend.

Jason and the Argonauts is an ancient Greek myth. It tells the story of Jason's quest to find the fleece of the golden haired ram which would enable him to be recognised as the rightful ruler of Iolcos. Homer refers to it and it was in circulation for centuries before being written down. Jason travelled from Greece to Georgia "which at that time was held to mark the eastern edge of the known world". Even now there are reminders of ancient history, including the Pontic Greeks who survived the expulsion of Greeks from Turkey in 1922. Old men recount traditions in a Turkish tongue which incorporates Greek words. Wood remarks on the fact that the rituals which take place connect inhabitants to the Bronze Age. According to Wood it is possible that there was a journey on which the tale was based but argues that the "enduring appeal" of the story comes "from its enduring power as a myth of the hero's quest, its pessimistic view of human destiny and its insistence on the undying fame that the hero wins through his glorious deeds."

The Queen of Sheba appears in the Bible and in tracing her authenticity Wood follows the ancient Incense Road in a four wheel pick up driven by a Bedouin guide (apparently travelling by camels is mainly for tourists these days). Wood interprets Sheba, she of the hairy legs, as "the tale of the woman of power", emanating from Ethiopia where she is regarded as the founder of the nation and Southern Yemen, (the ancient kingdom of Saba). Saba was well placed on the trade routes with the city of Marib becoming fabulously wealthy until the spice trade was re-routed. The word Saba in Hebrew is Sheba. Wood suggests the story of Solomon and Sheba came to Ethiopia in the fourth century and was subsequently incorporated into its national identity. The Yemenis too claim her as their own and in Wood's opinion "both, perhaps, are justified. For her tale has gone beyond mere historical truth: the legend has become the fact". I'm not sure I agree.

In the case of King Arthur I do agree he is a mythical character based on historical fact. Although he lived in legend he was the collective literary creation of Geoffrey of Monmouth, Chretien de Troyes and others in the twelfth century. Wood traces the origins of the Arthurian legend to an earlier cycle of stories which the Celts called the "Matter of Britain" He concedes the story had some foundation in fact and, using Welsh and other sources, suggests Arthur lived around the sixth century and fought the Anglo-Saxons and Romans. Arthur's last battle was at Camlann which scholars agree is the fort of Camboglanna on Hadrian's Wall east of Carlisle. Beyond that Wood does not commit himself, suggesting that Arthur became a symbol of British history and history is written by the winners.

The Knights of the Round Table was an addition by Wace and Thomas Malory who visualised Arthur being surrounded by men who acted in a chivalrous manner. Malory identified Winchester as Camelot. The Tudor revolution led to an attack on relics, including the destruction of Glastonbury Abbey. The tomb of Arthur and Guinevere was smashed and the last Abbot dragged on a hurdle and hanged. Not the happy ending of fairy tales. Wood must be given credit for knowing his history, although his conclusions are essentially modern. The pictures are magnificent. Four stars.