Friday 27 September 2013

Courage

In "Evansing - Heart of the Irish Kingdom" available at createspace and Amazon.com there is the situation where Edwin is faced with a critical decision. He has warned villagers about the impending raid from Tissus, but they are not willing to attack so as to save other nearby villagers. They are indifferent to the plight of others and are hoping the Tissus won't come to their village. Edwin decides he must do something. This is a classic case of a person demonstrating courage even when the odds are overwhelmingly against him. Since its only himself against a marauding force he needs to use his wits to strike a meaningful blow. His courageous determination to make a difference gives him that added capacity to recognize an opportunity. From a hidden vantage point he identifies the reason why the Tissus seem so confident. It is Alwyn, a notable Druid priest known to practice powerful Druid magic. Edwin's courage empowers him to take the priest out and thus expose himself to the wrath of the Tissus.

Per Wikipedia there is a tradition moving back to Ancient Greek philosophy for counting courage or fortitude as one of the four cardinal virtues, along with prudence, justice, and temperance. ("Cardinal" in this sense means "pivotal"; it is one of the four cardinal virtues because to possess any virtue, a person must be able to sustain it in the face of difficulty).

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