When the Legends Can't Die, the Dreams Never End. . .

At a recent press conference for some new Star Wars initiative, I heard one of the actors, one who has been associated with the movies since filming began in 1976, described as a "legend" In itself, this identification is not startling: he is frequently described as a legend elsewhere, and deserves the compliment. He has achieved, and helped in the achievement of, things that, if someone had predicted them in 1977, no one would have believed them possible. But this time, it occurred to me that "legend" is a past-tense word. A legend is something – admittedly, a marvelous something – that is remembered with reverence. A legend lives in memory, not in reality.

Recently, my family visited the Crazy Horse Memorial project in South Dakota (  www.crazyhorsememorial.org ) I call it a "project" because the sculpture – a mountain-sized image of Chief Crazy Horse – is still under construction. The sculptor for this incredible project, Korczak Ziolkowski, once said in an interview that part of what motivated him in his work was something a wise Indian had said: "When the legends die, the dreams end. And when the dreams end, there is no more greatness."† Part of what Korczak wanted to do through this sculpture was to remind Native Americans, of all tribes, of the brave men who had gone before them; to inspire them to their own excellence.

Remind and Remember.

A legend must live in memory, it must move in imagination. When the memory fails, imagination become barren, and deeds become feral. Some may believe legends are fictions; some legends may be. But in order to live and inspire, legends must flourish in our memory.

A few years ago, when the Star Wars in Concert tour visited in Chicago, I recall having seen pictures of some of the production memorabilia that had been on display. One of the items was the Threepio costume. It looked as splendid as ever in its showcase, but, seeing it there, lifeless but beautiful, reminded me of Snow White in her glass casket. Only, for him, it hit me, no charming princess or friendly Artoo unit would ever awaken him – because he never really existed . That empty costume was a reminder that Threepio was nothing more than a make-believe character of fiction, with no real existence beyond fiction. And that thought was worse than seeing him dead.

My thought turned to the man who has played him so well for so long, not without uneasiness. So much of Threepio has become entwined with that man. Each of his performances is a delight, and it will be a sad day when he decides he can no longer play the role. But, as a mortal man, that day must come – as it must to all of us. Will someone else be able to assume the character, or will the costume in the glass casket remain forever still, much as the Kuklapolitan Players never performed again after Burr Tillstrom died?‡

When the dreams end, there is no more greatness

But then I saw my mistake, and the mistake of so many others, who would call the actor who plays Threepio a legend. That actor's life is remarkable, with many inspiring elements, but he isn't the legend: Threepio is. What has made him a legend is not the durability of the character, but the character of the character. He represents that spirit of civility in a chaotic world; he is that fictional upright Everyman, trying to bring real order out of obvious anarchy. He is Chesterton's "greenhorn."§ Because he isn't real, he cannot die; because he is a creature of imagination, he is at home in the world of memory. He is the living legend, living in the minds of those who honor all he stands for. He is the legend that can not die, the dream that need not end. And those who follow the example of his finest qualities do achieve real greatness.

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†It is possibly a paraphrase of a Shawnee proverb, or a quotation of the Shawnee leader Tecumseh. http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Tecumseh

‡Although the article – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burr_Tillstrom – does not mention it, Burr Tillstrom's puppets, at his request, have been fitted with stands that prevent anyone else from ever putting their hands in them again.

§Chesterton, G.K.. The Fairy Pickwick. http://www.archive.org/details/thoughts00chesuoft – search for the word "Greenhorn."
The key portion says:
"Pickwick goes through life with that godlike gulli- bility which is the key to all adventures. The green- horn is the ultimate victor in everything; it is he that gets the most out of life. Because Pickwick is led away by J ingle, he will be led to the White Hart Inn, and see the only Weller cleaning boots in the courtyard. Because he is bamboozled by Dodson and Fogg, he will enter the prison house like a paladin, and rescue the man and the woman who have wronged him most. His soul will never starve for exploits or excitements who is wise enough to be made a fool of. He will make himself happy in the traps that have been laid for him; he will roll in their nets and sleep. All doors will fly open to him who has a mildness more defiant than mere courage. The whole is unerringly expressed in one fortunate phrase-he will be always 'taken in. J To be taken in everywhere is to see the inside of every- thing. It is the hospitality of circwnstance. With torches and trumpets, like a guest, the greenhorn is taken in by Life. And the sceptic is cast out by it."