Beowulf and Roland are two of literature's most famous heroes. While many know their names and stories, few realize what qualifies them as literary heroes and how their hero stories compare. Joseph Campbell in his book A Hero with a Thousand Faces illuminates the stages of a classic hero story arc. This information is very useful in helping us articulate the true value of these characters in their pre-modern societies. In describing his work one writer says, "Campbell outlines the hero's journey, a universal motif of adventure and transformation that runs through virtually all the mythical traditions of the world." Campbell's work along with the literary analysis of the texts will help us understand whether or not Beowulf and Roland can be considered fallen heroes. For both heroes we will deal with two particular phases of their heroic journey: the belly of the whale and supernatural aid. We'll start by taking a look at Campbell's whale belly stage and where it can be found in the Beowulf and Roland timeline. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Campbell describes the belly of the whale stage as: “The idea that the passing of the magical threshold is a transit into a sphere of rebirth is symbolized in the world image of the belly of the whale. The hero, instead of conquering or reconcile the power of the threshold, is swallowed up in the unknown, and would seem dead (74).” This phase is depicted in many hero stories and conjures up images of Jonah literally in the belly of a whale or, in a more modern context, the Millennium Falcon from George Lucas' Star Wars being dragged by the Death Star's tractor beam into this phase the hero appears to be totally surrounded and trapped in a hostile area or situation and seems unlikely to escape. For those familiar with Beowulf and The Song of Roland this stage occurs when the Norse hero enters Grendel's mother's lair to fight the beast. The reader is told that Beowulf addresses his companions before entering the lair and instructs them on what to do if he does not return. This interaction immediately sets a dark tone for the scene in which Beowulf's death is a very plausible outcome. We know that this lair, at the bottom of a lake, is isolated from any potential help when we are told “most of the day passed before he could see the solid bottom (line 1495-1496) ”. The remoteness of the lair is matched only by the ferocity of Grendel's mother, as we are told: "The hero looked upon that swamp thing from hell, the pond hag in all her terrible strength, then raised his sword from war and swung his arm: the decorated blade came down playing and singing in his head soon found his battle torch extinguished: the shining blade refused to bite (1518-1524)”. he struggles to overcome the odds against him. Even his companions believe he is dead. This scene fits perfectly with the parameters of Campbell's whale actually does not die in the lair, but rather defeats Grendel's mother and comes out of it victorious. It can be argued that Beowulf actually changed after this battle. He solidified his place as a powerful warrior and hero and emerges from the lair with the ambition and platform to become a ruler, which he ultimately becomes. Roland, however, was not so lucky and this fact marks an important distinction between the heroic journeys of the two. Rolando's whale belly scene takes place when he isfighting the Saracens in the rearguard. Similar to Beowulf's situation, Roland receives no help and is completely surrounded by enemies. Towards the end of the battle we are told: “as soon as Roland sees this outlaw race, whose members are all blacker than ink and have no white except their teeth, says the count: Now I am absolutely sure, beyond all doubt, that we will die today (1932-1936)”. Roland ultimately succumbs to death from the wounds he received during the battle and thus it can be argued that he actually dies in the figurative belly of the whale. Although Beowulf outlives Roland, the two are similar in that they are both apparently recipients of supernatural aid. Campbell describes the stage of supernatural help by saying: “After answering his own call and continuing courageously to follow the consequences, the hero finds all the forces of the unconscious at his side. Mother Nature herself supports the massive task. And to the extent that the hero's act coincides with what his society is ready for, he seems to ride the great rhythm of the historical process (59)”. For both Beowulf and Roland this is the case and the supernatural help comes in the form of protection given by God. Both stories were written by Christian authors and the evidence for this is abundant. In Beowulf, there are numerous moments in which his seemingly incredible feats are attributed to the power and protection granted to him by God. In recounting his victory over Grendel's mother to Hrothgar Beowulf states: “It was a hard-fought battle, a desperate affair that it could have gone badly; if God had not helped me, the outcome would have been swift and fatal (1653-1657).” Likewise, The Song of Orlando is full of Christian references and themes. Throughout the battle Roland has seemingly supernatural strength and easily takes down hundreds of Saracens and it is heavily implied that it is his Christian faith that allows him this ability. Even when Rolando dies we are told: “Then God sent his angel Cherubino and San Michele del Mare e del Pericolo; together with Saint Gabriel they came and took the soul of the count to Paradise (2393-2397)”. Upon Roland's death, God literally sends his angels and saints to release Roland's soul. Roland and Beowulf's faith, along with their impressive fighting skills, constitute strong evidence of supernatural help from above. While recognizing some of the heroic phases that Beowulf and Roland go through helps us qualify them as heroes, we are left with the question of whether or not they are truly "fallen" heroes? A fallen hero can be defined in many ways, but in the most basic sense it is a person who does something heroic and then dies. In this case Beowulf and Roland both fit this description. However, the more interesting question is whether or not their fall or death marks the beginning of unrest for their people and in some sense ushers in some sort of broader social downfall. Or does their death mean the beginning of further prosperity for their people? In Roland's case I'd say it's the latter. Although his death causes much pain to all the French people, including Charlemagne, it can be argued that his death only cements the power and virtue of the French. Immediately after his death Charlemagne feels a great sense of loss and also feels as if his Kingdom is now susceptible to attack and asks himself: "Who will lead my armies with sufficient strength when he who has always led us is dead? " 2927)”. However Charlemagne quickly answers this question by defeating Marsilla and then killing Baligant in single combat. He puts to rest any worries about the loss of his empire with those resounding victories and effectively strengthens his claim to power, security and.