Wise old man
The wise old man (also called senex,
Traits
This character is typically represented as a kind and wise elderly father figure who uses personal knowledge of people and the world to help tell stories and offer guidance that may in a mystical way impress upon his audience a sense of who they are and who they might become, thereby acting as a
The wise old man is often seen to be from a different culture, nation, or occasionally time, from those he advises. In extreme cases, he may be a liminal being, such as Merlin, who was only half human.
In medieval chivalric
In storytelling, a few times the character of the wise old man is in some way removed for a time in order to allow the hero/heroine to develop on his/her own.
Jungian psychology
In
In the
The antithetical archetype, or
In religion
Judaism and Christianity
Many of the notions of old age that are widespread in the western world have their origins in the Old Testament (and New Testament), without being aware of it today. Their age is associated with strengths such as prudence, experience, insight and wisdom,[8] but also with weaknesses such as declining ability to love, sensory performance and health.[9] Although wisdom is a gift of old age, even the elderly are not protected against youthful folly.[10] In addition to statements such as "Gray hair is a splendid crown / one finds it on the path of righteousness."
Jesus as a child debated religious issues side by side with wise elders.[11]
Cultural references
In fiction, a wise old man is often presented in the form of a wizard or other
"Senex" is the name of a wise old character in the novel A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle.
Around the 1850s, the antiquarian Robert Reid used the pseudonym "Senex" when contributing articles on local history in the Glasgow Herald. These were later published in a series of volumes. Sir Alan Lascelles used the penname "Senex" when writing to The Times in 1950 setting out the so-called Lascelles Principles concerning the monarch's right to refuse a prime minister's request for a general election.
See also
- Analytical psychology
- Elderly martial arts master
- Hermit
- Hero's journey
- Ivory tower
- Magical Negro
- Magicians in fantasy
- Masonic
- Philosopher in Meditation
- Sage
- Wise Old Man/Woman
- Yogi
References
- ISBN 0-691-01298-9.
- ^ Frye, p. 195.
- ISBN 0-8014-8000-0 – via Internet Archive.
- ISBN 978-1-882670-65-9.
- ISBN 0-330-25321-2.
- ^ "The old person in the Old Testament". Archived from the original on 2006-03-02. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Genesis 25.8; 1 chronicles 29:28; Job 42:17
- ^ Sirach 25,4-6; Job 8.8 ff. and 12.12; Wisdom 4,8 f .; Daniel 13.50; Job 12.12.
- ^ 1 Kings 1,1 ff., 14,4, 15,23; 2 Samuel 19.36 f.
- ^ Job 12.12 and 32.9; Sirach 25.2.
- ISBN 1-58743-202-1p. 111