How Musicians Invented the Antihero

• The antihero, in embryonic form, traces back to traditional Trickster tales present in Native American, African, and diaspora cultures.
• While Homer infused some Trickster elements into Odysseus, it was with the rise of Robin Hood in the British folk ballad repertoire that the antihero acquired realistic, quasi-historical trappings.
• The antihero now surpasses the traditional hero in pop culture, evident in the Joker's rise in popularity since his debut in April 1940, overshadowing even the caped superhero.

• Contrary to common perceptions, the antihero didn't originate in Hollywood or hard-boiled fiction but in songs and the oral tradition.
• Robin Hood, the British folk ballad hero, served as the blueprint for characters like Clint Eastwood's and Humphrey Bogart's.
• From Elvis Presley to Kurt Cobain, musicians were influential antiheroes, their songs perpetuating the ethos of moral ambivalence.

• Jailhouse rock - Elvis Presley
• Sympathy For The Devil - The Rolling stones
• Anarchy in the UK - Sex Pistols
• Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
• I shot the sheriff - Bob Marley

• King Arthur, with his Round Table knights, influenced a more mainstream approach to mass-market heroes.
• However, the Arthurian legend, driven by commercial interests, led to a shift.
• Heroes had to abandon their songs for printed narratives—products for commerce, not pathways for self-transformation.
• One of the best measures of the influence of the Arthurian tradition is the sheer number of heroes it presents — his multifaceted wife Queen Guinevere, and knights of his Round Table.
• If you are seeking a universal hero in the psyche of Western culture, this is the closest prototype you will find.

• The transition from sung ballads to printed narratives led to a loss of metaphysical depth in hero narratives.
• Heroes no longer embarked on quests for wisdom; instead, constant action and sensational elements became imperative to sell books, movies, and later, video games.

Reflecting on the past prompts us to wonder:

• What if recording devices predated the printing press?
• Could singing bards have enjoyed wider acclaim than novelists?

In this alternate reality, songs might be revered as cornerstones of the humanities, with heroes never losing their songs.

The next time you hum a tune, consider that you might be echoing the legacy of the original antiheroes—forged not in Hollywood but in the melodies of folk ballads.