The wise old
man (also called senex, sage
or sophos) is an archetype as
described by Carl Jung, as well as a classic literary figure, and may be seen
as a stock character. The wise old man
can be a profound philosopher distinguished for wisdom and sound judgment.
This type of character is typically represented as a kind and wise, older father-type figure who uses personal knowledge of people and the world to help tell stories and offer guidance that, in a mystical way, may impress upon his audience a sense of who they are and who they might become, thereby acting as a mentor. He may occasionally appear as an absent-minded professor, appearing absent-minded due to a predilection for contemplative pursuits.
The wise old man is often seen to be in some way "foreign", that is, from a different culture, nation, or occasionally, even a different 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 romance and modern fantasy literature, he is often presented as a wizard. He can also or instead be featured as a hermit. This character type often explained to the knights or heroes—particularly those searching for the Holy Grail—the significance of their encounters.
In storytelling, the character of the wise old man is commonly killed or in some other way removed for a time, in order to allow the hero to develop on his/her own.
Traits
This type of character is typically represented as a kind and wise, older father-type figure who uses personal knowledge of people and the world to help tell stories and offer guidance that, in a mystical way, may impress upon his audience a sense of who they are and who they might become, thereby acting as a mentor. He may occasionally appear as an absent-minded professor, appearing absent-minded due to a predilection for contemplative pursuits.
The wise old man is often seen to be in some way "foreign", that is, from a different culture, nation, or occasionally, even a different 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 romance and modern fantasy literature, he is often presented as a wizard. He can also or instead be featured as a hermit. This character type often explained to the knights or heroes—particularly those searching for the Holy Grail—the significance of their encounters.
In storytelling, the character of the wise old man is commonly killed or in some other way removed for a time, in order to allow the hero to develop on his/her own.
Examples
Historical
- Saptarishi
- Seven Sages of
- Solon of
- Chilon of
- Thales of
- Bias of Priene
- Cleobulus of Lindos
- Pittacus of Mitylene
- Periander of
- Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove
- Ruan Ji
- Xi-Kang
- Liu Ling
- Shan Tao
- Run Xian
- Xiang Xiu
- Wang Rong
- Navaratnas
- The Rabbis
or Sages of Talmudic lore
(Judaism)
- Yohanan ben Zakkai
- Hillel I
- Shammai
- others
- Jiang Ziya, a genius and patient old man. He
was well known as a legendary military strategist and the most famous
Prime Minister of the Zhou Dynasty of China.
- Nguyen Binh Khiem, also known as the White
Cloud Hermit. He is a saint of the Cao Dai religion and the most
prominent person of
Mythology
- Merlin from the Matter of Britain and the
legends of King Arthur
- Nestor from The Illiad
- Tiresias from the Odyssey, Oedipus Rex,
and other Greek myths
- Utnapishtim from the Epic of Gilgamesh
- Mimir, in Norse mythology
- Chiron from The Iliad
- Odin, in Norse mythology
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