SEEING THE UNDERLYING RECORD OF ETHER
AS AN EPIC
It appears that the Jaredite story was
originally told and written in the manner of an epic. In A Glossary of
Literary Terms, M. H. Abrams defines characteristics of literary epics as
follows (the examples form Jaredite literature added):
·
The hero is a
figure of great national or even cosmic importance. In The Iliad,
he is the Greek warrior Achilles, the son of the sea nymph Thetis. Sometimes
there are two brothers who stand in contrast with each other. In the story of
the Jaredite origins, there were two brothers, Jared and his brother, rather like
Romulus and Remus, or other such pairs
·
The setting is
ample and even huge in scale, possibly even cosmic. With help form the gods, Odysseus
sails or wanders over the Mediterranean basin, the whole of the known world.
The Jaredites, with divine assistance, cross a huge ocean to an unknown land.
·
The action involves
superhuman deeds either in battle, as in The Iliad, or long arduous
journeys, as in The Odyssey. The Jaredites journey was certainly
arduous, dangerous, and long.
·
In these great
actions, the gods or other supernatural beings take an interest or an active
part. The Olympian gods are involved in Homer’s epics. Jehovah, the Son of God
who will come to earth, provides guidance for the Jaredite journey.
·
An epic is a
ceremonial performance narrated in a ceremonial style, not given in normal speech.
The text of the brother of Jared, who goes up into a high mountain where he sees
not only the finger but also the face of God, is extraordinary, and it beckons
to its readers to also strive to find an opening through the heavenly veil
The last point does not mean that epics
are, of necessity, only fictional literature. For many years, people believed
that all components of The Iliad, including the siege of Troy, were mythological.
The Homeric epics were validated when in 1868, Heinrich Schliemann discovered
the city of Troy, now well excavated at the archaeological site of Hisarlik.
The excavation demonstrated the existence of many levels of occupation, city
gates, and city walls. Many of the things Homer described are there. Indeed,
history and human experience fundamentally precede poetry and theology.
Typically, the purpose of an epic was
not simply entertainment. Epics were crucial in the reflection of essential
needs and in the formation of a particular culture. For example, there are Maya
creation epics such as the Popol Vuh. Such stories tell of the origin of
that civilization, as seven ships sail across the sea and arrive in Central
America. In addition, the great Israelite epic is the exodus form Egypt. The
liberation, the plagues, the wandering in the wilderness, crossing the Red Sea,
and acquiring their land contribute to their becoming a people. (John W. Welch, Inspiration
and Insights from the Book of Mormon: A Come, Follow Me Commentary [American
Fork, Utah: Covenant Communications, Inc., 2023], 287)