The Wise Old Man Archetype In Ancient Literature

The Wise Old Man Archetype in Ancient Literature

Across history, stories have been told about the journeys of men, and journeys of peril and self-discovery. During these journeys, the heroes will often encounter beings; both helpful entities and destructive ones. One of the arguably more important of these is The Wise Old Man, whom Harold Schechter and Jonna Gormely Semeiks refer to as “an old man who provides guidance and good advice…The possessor of superior knowledge” (1). In both the epic Gilgamesh and The Odyssey; The Wise Old Man is seen giving nonmaterial gifts in the form of advice to the protagonists of each story, and he is most often encountered when the heroes are experiencing dark and troubling times.

The Wise Old Man” is prevalent in many classic and contemporary works, but especially in ancient literature. In Gilgamesh; the hero encounters The Wise Old Man during a dark and hopeless time of his journey; when Gilgamesh crosses the sea of death to find Utnapishtim. In a similar situation, Odysseus travels to the underworld to seek advice from Theben Tiresias. Both stories display a sense

He gives important advice, whether the advice is heeded by the hero or not, and he often has a father-like relationship with the heroes in the stories featuring this archetype. In Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim is seen caring for Gilgamesh in many ways; such as when Utnapishtim speaks kindly to Gilgamesh when he first comes to the island, and later when he gives him advice followed by giving him a place to rest (72-82). In The Odyssey, Tiresias gives similar attention to Odysseus when Tiresias comes to him in the underworld by attempting to help Odysseus through the remainder of his journey (118-119). Although encountered in differing ways, The Wise Old Man will always be there to give support and advice to heroes in