Every hero a legend

"When the legends die, the dreams end; there is no more greatness." --Tecumseh (apocryphal)If the world is a tree, its roots are legends. We cannot see them, but the sap rises. We cannot know they are real, but the tree sways in a storm. The world is grounded by faith in things unseen. Here, belief makes the imaginary real. So be careful: when I tell you about a hero, you imagine who they are, what they are capable of. The feats of daring and might and mercy, you put yourself in their place. You give them a gift. But so it is, with legends and heroes. We all believe in what our heroes do, even it is not true. Especially if it is not true. We do not know them, we have not seen these deeds, so our faith is weak. But we are many. And for every resonance between the legend, and who they truly are--it ties them to us. We make them more Real, tougher to kill, stronger, world-shaking. Achilles killing an Amazon, a scene from the lost epic Aithiopis, the sequel to the Illiad (precursor of the…