The 13th Warrior and Masculine Mysticism
Apr 06 2008
While Vikings don’t have the cleanest of history, they do star in one of my all-time favorite movies: The 13th Warrior. While the movie didn’t get the best reviews, or much enduring attention, it is frequently revisited by my wife and I. I spend some time thinking about why this movie appeals to me so much, then it finally became clear… It is a movie about real masculinity. Modern day media is full of feminized male roles, it is refreshing to see a movie about men at their best.
In The 13th Warrior, the heroes are a group of rough battle-ready warriors. The viewer of the movie is shown a culture where men live, not for comfort, but for a new challenge. A culture where luxury is rejected in favor of struggle and adventure. They value teamwork and camaraderie and rely on each other for their very lives. Even the physical depiction of the characters as large, strong, hairy, lumbering men is a huge contrast to the popular skinny, weak, and gender-ambiguous male leads we know today (More and more I keep finding myself asking “Is that a man or a woman?”). At the end of the movie, I always feel like I just watched a pretty accurate depiction of male utopia.
The de-masculization of male spirituality in modern culture is a running theme of mine. The strength of the male spirit has been stifled and replaced with sentimentality. Male relationships are designed to grow from conflict, as iron sharpens iron. But we live in such a non-confrontational culture, men rarely take the effort to form the powerful brotherly bonds that allow men to work as a team and create strong communities.
There is a true masculine mysticism in The 13th Warrior that adds additional value to the story. The main character learns for himself to overcome his own whiny sanctimonious spirituality. Ending with what is one of my favorite prayers, he realizes that comfort and wealth mean nothing to compared to one’s character:
Merciful father. I have squandered my days with plans of many things.
This was not among them.But at this moment, I beg only,
to live the next few minutes well.For all we ought to have thought and have not thought.
All we ought to have said and have not said.All we ought to have done and have not done.
I pray thee, God for forgiveness.
The words of C.S. Lewis comes to mind: “We castrate the gelding and bid him be fruitful.”
Too often we have a church that wants to de-masculinize male spirituality and create a “safe” environment. This is a shame since our Lord & Savior was a roughneck in every sense of the word (a craftsman who walked the Judean countryside could not be some metrosexual).
Our society today mocks the kind of men described in the above movie (I read the novel it was based on, “Eaters of the Dead” by Michael Crichton). But it’s this male persona that brings out the bravery, comraderie, resolve and strength that is sorely needed today.
I see in my neck of the woods where young men and boys are gravitating to the street gangs since they appear to be the last bastion of masculinity for these guys (albeit misguided) when such masculinity is absent in the modern church.
Let’s pray that true masculine spirituality returns to the church-and fast!
Peace.