Myths, folklore and heroes' tales are at their root contextually more than the just the sum of their parts. Fakelore differs from folklore in that fakelore is consciously manufactured yarning whereas folklore has a more organic genesis. Joseph Campbell, the eminent mythologist, comparative religion scholar and de facto philosopher, wrote extensively on folklore and hero's and is considered the foremost expert on the cultural roles myths play. In his seminal book “Hero with a Thousand Faces” Campbell elucidates how the tale of a hero is formed; “A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” A hero's tale is single type of myth which conforms to one or more of the four functional types of myths Campbell defines.
The five American fakelore heroes which follow are examples of the “sociological” function which heroes' tales provide. The sociological function of heroes' tales is that they, in a broad sense, reinforce and justify a particular social or cultural stability. That mechanism of coalescence into an accepted social order through a mythological hero's tale is at the core of these five American fakelore examples. Each hero is an amalgamation of specific demographics which are reflected in the attributes of the heroes and their unique tribulations and triumphs. Curiously, these five American fakelore heroes emerged from the 19th century as America was reflecting inwardly on the effects of modernization and industrialization.
Naturally, the obvious question would be; which cultural and social catalysts are subconsciously at work now helping to shape future fakelore heroes' tales?
This article appears in Aug 16-22, 2012.
