The Epic and the Human Mind

The words of Jorge Luis Borges, “The epic is one of the necessities of the human mind,”
are confirmed in the three epics, Beowulf, Sunjata, and Ramayana. Chronicling the deed of
historical heroes who had a significant impact on society, these long narratives stand as the
bridge between literature and history. The narrative is critical to human consciousness and the
human mind. Cultural narratives greatly shape how humans think and how they perceive
themselves. As a pervasive literary genre, the epic has over the years been a producer and
product of cultural narratives, as evidenced in the three epics, Beowulf, Sunjata, and Ramayana.
The three contain stories that have over the years shaped what the reader thinks is possible;
hence the epics are necessities of the human mind as they shape human consciousness.
Epics are necessities of the human mind; they inform the reader of things that they need
to understand, fix, as well as those that they cannot fix. Epics reflect the will of humans to
understand what is within the limits of human understanding and to reconcile them with their
mortality. Elements of Christian philosophy are explored in the story of Beowulf. The reader
understands that humans survive through God’s protection, God is the owner of all earthly gifts,
and He lets humans enjoy them. Thus, since God is depicted as a superior being, the proper
bearing for humans would be to remain compassionate, unselfish, and possess humility. Beowulf
repeatedly acknowledges that God is his protector. one of the instances when he acknowledges

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God is in his battle with Grendel’s mother. He states that the battle would have had a different
outcome had God not guarded him.
A sense of mystical protection permeates Beowulf’s actions. The statement, “The truth is
clear: Almighty God rules over mankind and always has, shows a great acknowledgment for
God’s power in human’s daily interactions ” (Kennedy 47). Even though the epic makes it clear
that even though God has ruled over mankind, God’s grace does not freely flow; it must be
earned. Beowulf is still being read many years after it was first written. The epic has been passed
down from generation to generation. However, human consciousness and the meaning of life is
not a concept that a reader can just walk away with. The search for understanding the meaning of
life is a continuous process, and the human mind is sensitive to this issue. The epic reawakens
human sensitivity to the world around them, their spirituality, and for Christians, their
relationship with God.
The epic of Beowulf further demonstrates the power of God as evident in this statement;
Grendel had cruelly killed earlier— as he would have killed more, had not
mindful God and one man’s daring prevented that doom. Past and present, God’s
will prevail. Hence, understanding is always best and a prudent mind. Whoever
remains for long here in this earthly life will enjoy and endure more than enough
(Kennedy 71).

God is given credit for protecting people from danger. Even the status of the king is seen to be a
sign of God’s grace over whoever is appointed to lead the people. Thus, earthly power possessed
by earthly kings is not real; it is just an illusion as God possesses real power. Any gifts,
blessings, delights, and abundances enjoyed by humans on earth are a result of God’s grace.

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Beowulf as an epic is a necessity of the human mind. As readers interact with the content many
centuries after the epic was first written, they get a conscious understanding of the nature of man
and their relationship with God.
The epic of Ramayana highly esteems moral values and passes a belief that the good
always triumphs over evil. In this epic, the perspective of the human mind is that the good is a
“necessity.” Ramayana has had a great influence on the culture, life, and literature of Indians. It
is the oldest epic in India and the source of perpetual knowledge. It also occupies a central place
in the religious thoughts and literary development among the Indians. The ethical contents in the
Ramayana make the teachings easy to comprehend, and this can explain why the information is
widely spread and deeply rooted in the Indian’s way of life. Thus, the epic is not a static literary
piece. On the contrary, it is perceived to be living as it continuously and significantly influences
people’s way of life.
The necessity of moral values is emphasized in the Ramayana. The long narrative shows
the reader that values such as obedience, faithfulness, and truthfulness are the core or spine of
modern society. The epic portrays high ideals which are influential even in Indian society and
other societies. For example, Rama is depicted as an epic hero who defeats the demon. His
heroism leads him to destroy the armies. As news of his victorious action spread, Ravana, the
demon king, plans an attack. Human weakness is depicted as a distraction to the ability of
humans to behave in morally appropriate ways. Humans can be moral agents and at the same
time make mistakes or fall into traps. This can be seen in the epic when Rama is distracted into
running after the dear. The limitations of the human mind are shown. Rama’s human nature
becomes evident as he agrees to chase after the dear. Also, he is willing to go to greater lengths
to protect his wife but is limited by his human abilities. However, he is described as “one

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possessing integrity and a sense of justice, one who could never take a wrong step” (Narayan
184). He takes a wrong step and goes into the world, leaving his wife to be kidnapped. Such
flaws show the nature of man.
In the epic, the belief in Dharma is considered a necessity. Lakshmana tells Sita, “I’ll go,
and may the gods protect you from harm!” (Narayan 165). Lakshmana was in a moral dilemma.
He wanted to stay and protect Sita as that is the command he had been given by his brother. The
value of obedience and loyalty are evident here. However, Sita insists that he should go and
leave her alone. Although he is hesitant, he has strong beliefs that the gods will protect her. He
says, “I’ll go and what is destined will happen. Dharma alone should protect her” (Narayan 165).
Although today people no longer inhabit forests, the human mind makes them believe that the
gods will protect them. The epic depicts religion, good morals, and a belief in the gods as
necessary for human existence. It admits of human limits and acknowledges that the gods
possess the power to offer protection and guidance.
The epic is a literary genre, but the human mind considers it as a necessity among the
Indians. This is because Ramayana is a breathing and living text. It retains its significance many
years after it was written. The epic is not bound by time, and many centuries later, it still allows
readers to evaluate and question Rama’s actions, argue over the morality of his actions and that
of other characters in the epic, as well as debate dharma. Every reader, even in the Indian cultural
context, has their own interpretation of the epic. Thus, it is necessary as a literary genre because
it allows readers the freedom to interpret it differently without being bond by past interpretations.
Ramayana captures not only the literary aspect but the cultural and religious as well. Just like
Beowulf helps the reader understand more about the nature of God and man from a Christian

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perspective, Ramayana helps the reader understand the nature of man and religion from an
Indian perspective.
Epics such as Ramayana, Beowulf, and Sunjata transcend the boundaries of location,
time, and circumstances and present an understanding of moral behavior, salutary ideas, and
religious beliefs to different people in different locations. Anyone intending to understand a
people must not only look into their present ways of life but must also search into their past
history. One cannot seek to want to know people and then ignore their cultural heritage and past
history. Epics, such as Ramayana, help readers understand the necessity of conscious thought.
The narrative stresses personal responsibility by emphasizing that humans are responsible for
their actions, both good and bad. Good deeds are praised and seen as a means through which
humans achieve more or reach higher ground. Bad deeds, on the other hand, are seen to cause
destruction. For instance, Ravana’s actions lead to his own destruction. When he sees Sita, he
says,

Ah! How perceptive and helpful my sister has been! Not a word of exaggeration
in her description. Absolutely perfect. Perfection … How good of my darling
sister to have thought of me when she saw this angel! I shall reward my sister by
making her the queen of my empire. She shall rule in my place while I live in the
paradise of this woman’s company.” He had already forgotten that he had
intended to make Sita the queen of his empire (Narayan 166).

His words and thoughts show that he had coveted Sita, who was Rama’s wife. He commits a sin
by coveting Rama’s wife. His good deeds do not overwrite his bad deeds. He has incalculable
good deeds and glories. Hanuman and Rama pour him praises on his achievements. However,

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the epic stresses personal responsibility for both good and wrong deeds. he scripts his own
downfall through his bad deeds. Destruction is inevitable as he had sinned.
Further, it is necessary for the human mind to understand the mortality of human beings.
In the epic, the mortality of human beings is depicted by Sita and Rama. Sita and Rama are
mortal beings; they go through different motions of life. They experience sorrow, distress, and
despair. They show the reality of human life. a difference is drawn between the demons and the
mortals. For instance, Lakshmana and Rama encountered Tataka in the form of a demoness.
Lakshmana has been “suffering all the limitations of mortals” (Narayan 70). In this encounter,
Rama fired an arrow that pierced the demoness. Their mortality is acknowledged by the
demoness. Despite the limitations, Rama manages to accomplish his mission. He successfully
shows that good prevails as evil is destroyed. Evil is seen as an enemy of the good, and that is
why Rama, who signifies good in the epic, is armed with weapons to defeat evil, which is
symbolized by the demons.
The mortality of human beings is another aspect that the human mind considers as a
necessity. In the epic of Sunjata, the mortality of humans is emphasized. Human beings are
depicted as having short and limited memories, and they are below nature. The author writes, “as
men have short memories, Sogolon’s son was spoken of with nothing but irony and scorn”
(Niane 811). Their human minds cannot comprehend certain things as they are beyond human
understanding. Some abilities also supersede the limits of human nature. For instance, Sundiata
is born with a disability. The mother is blamed for soaring seeds of gossip. They do not
acknowledge Sundiata due to his physical limitations. They spread gossip because such an
occurrence had never been witnessed. “People had seen one-eyed kings, one-armed kings, and
lame kings, but a stiff-legged king gad never been heard of” (Niane 811). However, after he is

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grown and they hear of his powers, the people are ready to honor and respect him as their ruler.
In the epic, grit depicts humans as weak and in need of a strong king to guide them.
Moral values are also a necessity in the epic of Sunjata. Loyalty is a virtue that is
apparent specifically in the war between Soumaoro and Sundiata. Sundiata succeeds as a king,
and his success is largely attributed to his loyalty as well as that of his friends. He becomes a
great king who is capable of inspiring loyalty among other tribes as he demonstrated it, and it
was easy for other tribes to follow in the steps of the great king. He also inspired people to be
loyal to the laws even as they maintained loyalty towards one another. He remained loyal to his
friends and cultivated close and strong ties with them. His loyalty helped him win the war
against the sorcerer-king. He remained loyal to his youth friends, who later became kings. The
old friends offered him their armies, and this strengthened his army on the battlefield. While he
was in exile, he impressed many leaders and kings with his character, charisma, loyalty, and
strength, and they helped him lay a foundation for his empire. Good prevails over evil in the
epic. Kings who were disloyal such as the king of Diaghan, suffered severe consequences. The
king’s loyalty extends even to griot and even to his family in honor of his accomplishments.
Further, a realm higher than the human realm is depicted in the epic. Magic, religion, and
nature are all seen operating in the same realm. Humans are limited by their nature. The sorcerers
disturb their peace. For instance, Soumaoro is an evil sorcerer-king who forces people into cruel
treatment. Sundiata resolves to return from exile and battle the evil king. Although Sundiata
wages war against the sorcerer-king and even wins because he has the support of other armies,
he cannot harm the evil king. Sundiata’s power is limited due to human nature. The king is
protected by magic power. He seeks magical power to be able to take down the evil sorcerer-
king. In what the epic describes as the largest battle, Sundiata brings the evil king down. He

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strikes him with the magical arrow and causes him to lose power. Religion, nature, and magic all
possess power that is higher than that of humans.
Sunjata, Ramayana, and Beowulf are different epics based on different communities.
They all explain stories and actions of heroes that existed in different communities. However,
they all seem to agree that epic is a necessity that should be understood by the human mind. The
epics are long and have been in existence for many centuries. However, the long narrative poems
have withstood the test of time. Epics such as Ramayana are based on true stories. They explain
why certain festivals are celebrated today and their significance in the religious lives of
concerned communities. For instance, statements such as “every autumn, I looked forward to the
Diwali, the most important Indian festival, which commemorates Rama’s return from exile
(Narayan 13). Ramayana explains why Indians today place a lot of significance around the
festivals of Diwali. The festival makes children happy as they get an opportunity to wear new
clothes and eat sweets. Thus, these epics are a necessity for the human mind. They contain vital
details concerning people’s way of life. For instance, when studying the Mali people of North
Africa, the Sunjata would help in understanding their way of life and culture.
The three epics depict epic, moral values, and the nature of humans as necessities from
the perspective of the human mind. The good is seen to prevail over evil. Moral values such as
honesty and kindness are rewarded as evil is punished. Sin also leads to punishment. The
necessity of moral values is emphasized in all epics. The values contained in epics are principal
values, some of which form the foundation of a culture. For instance, Ramayana contains values
that form the basis of the Indian culture. Thus, understanding such an epic is a necessity because
this is a critical way through which the human mind will understand the culture and traditions of
a community. Besides, they contain chronicles of the past culture and the people’s history. They

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provide records of achievements of ancestors and heroic actions. These actions are aimed to
serve as lessons. The epics show that good always prevails over evil. Thus, people in
communities understand why they should avoid certain actions and engage in others.
Overall, the epic, as a literary genre, is an important necessity in the human mind because
it reconciles people’s histories with their present lives. Epics contain important aspects of a
people’s history and thus provide a gateway towards understanding them. They contain heroic
actions and events of cultural significance. Thus, unlike other long narrative poems in the literary
world, epics feature dialogues of historical significance. For instance, Ramayana contains values
that define the Indian culture. Thus, it contains information that explains the meaning of life
from the perspective of an Indian. Thus, as Indians read epics and attach religious significance to
the content contained therein, it becomes clear why they do so. Epics are a way through which
the human mind can be nourished with knowledge and wisdom.

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Works Cited

Kennedy, Charles William, ed. Beowulf: The Oldest English Epic. Oxford University Press,
1978.
Narayan, Rasipuram Krishnaswami. The Ramayana: a shortened modern prose version of the
Indian epic. Penguin, 2006.
Niane, Djibril Tamsir. Sundiata: An epic of old Mali. Prentice-Hall, 1994.