1.0 Savior Hero

Melisa, The Savior Archetype. 2014. Web 4/15/2016 <http://www.embersigniting.com/the-savior-archetype/>

According to an extensive article written by Melisa, the most prevalent of all archetypes is the savior archetype.  Experts have also referred to the savior archetype as the Messianic archetype as it is modeled around the historical accounts of Jesus Christ.  The definitions and translations for this archetype are slightly different, but the core qualities that do not change are: death and resurrection, high morality, advocates justice, guided by his fathers spirit, healing powers, forgiveness, performs miraculous events, no spouse, and sacrifices themselves.  The savior figure is deeply woven into most all stories and makes appearances in literature at all points in history including pop culture today (Melisa). The only way to properly write an article about the savior hero is to give a brief explanation of the history it is based around.  Jesus was born to a virgin named Mary who was a peasant.  He worked as a carpenter until he was approximately thirty.  Jesus preached and traveled with a small company performed miracles, healed the sick and fed the hungry.  Jesus was homeless on earth. His friends abandoned and betrayed him.  Jesus was mocked and put through legal trials.  Jesus was tortured and nailed to a cross among criminals.  A spear was driven into his heart and many record a great earthquake on that day.  Jesus died and was placed in a tomb.  Jesus arose from the dead.  Because of these events man kind is saved from a spiritual death that comes from sin.  This is the most significant story in all of history, but too many are "plugged in" to the matrix of sin and turn into agents when they see a believer.  All it takes is a simple choice to be saved.  Some quotes from the Matrix that is based around this belief system come from Morpheus when he says "All I am offering is the truth, nothing more."  Our spiritual journey in life requires that we deny the blue pill "believing what we want to believe" and that we take the red pill and "see how deep the rabbit hole really goes."  

Below is a link to a YouTube video with the scene from The Matrix referred to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9vGMMPM5Lg

Below are links to the "Red Pill"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12fMVL2yktg

http://www.str.org/articles/is-there-any-evidence-for-jesus-outside-the-bible

2.0 Novel

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Fellowship of the Ring. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. Print.

The Lord of the Rings which most people know as a movie was made based on the novel written by J. R. R. Tolkien.  In the book the characters find themselves in the Orcs mining shaft being chased by a large beast.  This beast is symbolic of the spirit of satan.  The modern day interpretation of satan has been skewed from biblical interpretation.  The bible describes satan as disguised as an angel of light.  The modern day interpretation came from art and poetry made in medieval era that conveyed satan as a fire red goat with horns and a pitch fork (irony).  The large beast in the book has a whip made of fire and is covered in fire himself.  The beast chases the characters to the ends of the mine shaft and is about to catch them before they escape, but Gandalf the grey stands before the beast.  The beast struggles with Gandalf the grey on a small platform.  Gandalf the grey then destroys the platform they are on casting the beast along with himself into a pit.  Gandalf the grey is then resurrected as Gandalf the White.  Which follows along with the story of Jesus who was transfigured in Luke 9.

3.0 Song

"My Sacrifice" Lyrics." CREED LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.

Lyrics of the song My Sacrifice from the Album Weathered by the Band Creed

Creed's song My Sacrifice is about the savior hero archetype.  The song begins with the singer recounting of a story in which a friend sacrificed themselves in the name of love.  The song then continues by outlining how the singer feels about the person that sacrificed themselves to save them.  He refers to his friend as his sacrifice by saying "my sacrifice".  The next portion of the song outlines the journey the singer went on without his friend with him.  The singer then rejoices when the two are reunited.  He then goes even deeper into outlining how happy he is to see his friend and burst into tears because his friend makes him believe.  The song shows how deep the emotional connection people have with the savior hero archetype.  It shows that people are brought to tears knowing that a friend could lay down their own life for theirs in the form of the savior hero archetype.

4.0 Film

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. Screenplay & Dir. George Lucas. Lucasfilm & Twentieth Century Fox, 1977. Film. 

Most people when they watch Star Wars make the connection that Obi Wan is a mentor but much like in the Lord of The Rings Trilogy with Gandalf do not see how he fits the savior archetype.  Obi Wan goes back to the older portions of the Star Wars history which could be compared to the Torah.  He knew Darth Vader when he had not joined the dark side yet.  Darth Vader is the person in the movie that represents the spirit of evil or satan.  Obi Wan battles with Darth Vader and lays down his light saber in order be killed.  When he is killed he just vanishes.  This has many biblical allusions to it including when Obi Wan continues to communicate with his disciples from beyond the grave.  It is important that the authors of these stories put the savior hero as other than the main character because it helps the viewer connect with the main character better.

Here is a Youtube link to Obi Wan Kenobi's death

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kpHK4YIwY4

Here is a link to Obi Wan Kenobi from beyond the grave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4eooER8v6Y

5.0 Visual Arts

"Michelangelo Buonarroti: The Last Judgement." ArtBible.info. Web. 15 Apr. 2016

The Last Judgment by Michelangelo 

The savior archetype more accurately said as the savior for this post has had many works created around it/him.  One of the most well known works in visual arts history is the Sistine Chapel located inside the Vatican.  The painting is an artistic depiction of the second coming of Jesus Christ.  There is more than meets the eye with this painting though.  Many have taken these visual interpretations to the extremes and base ideas about the savior off of them.  The savior archetype is one of the most common themes throughout works of visual art.  Massive buildings, sculptures, and painting have been made in praise of the savior.  Most every town around the world has a structure of some sort committed to the savior.  Even other religions mimic the grand nature of the savior but all come short of his true majesty.

6.0 Psychosocial Connections

 "English Bible History: Timeline of How We Got the English Bible." English Bible History: Timeline of How We Got the English Bible. Web. 15 Apr. 2016. 

Relevance Today

According to the great internet this is a picture of the an old Greek manuscript that records biblical history.  The complete version of the bible that is used today was originally made within a few decades after Jesus's death for this may be refereed to as the beginning of written account of our savior and the beginning of the savior archetype.  These were translated to English from Hebrew and Greek.  Some things may have been lost in translation but the core tenants of the stories remains and have been analyzed reviewed and debated since it was originally formed.  The current most pressing topics that the are debated today are based around the principles that the savior stated in his book.  The following of these principles is one of the key characteristics of the savior archetypes in movies and culture. Some hot topics include homosexual marriage (the right to receive tax benefits for having sex with someone who is also the same gender), abortion (murder of an unborn child), ISIS (a Muslim organization created to kill non-believers and have dictatorship of citizens), science/evolution (the theory that a void space of nothing exploded forming people randomly).  The list goes on an on but the core tenants of the apposing arguments are tolerance of immorality and opposition of the savior hero to the point where openly communicating in a loving way has become taboo.  The savior archetype is very much so alive today and it moves with such force that it shapes the world and life as we know it.