Quote Originally Posted by Kagemusha View Post
Im talking about the real thing not about any stories. But it could be that in my language the word has different meaning then in yours.

Be it may that people love to hear stories about how a gentleman defended vigorously a helpless maiden in stress, from bunch of thugs. Or a soldier made a glorious final stand sacrificing himself and saving his whole platoon in the process. For some reason you hardly hear tales about when the gentleman got himself killed in a similar situation on soldier calling for her mother before drowning on his own blood filling his lungs. while dragging his legless torso in panic, just to get away from a battle.
I've met the "hero" who tried to stand up to a mugger and got stabbed as I assisted in repairing his intestines.
I treated the "hero" who tried to placate two having an argument and required stitches when a mate of theirs smacked him round the head with a piece of wood.

Those glorifying heroic events were often never anywhere near them. It's often been said that the victors never have glorious victories as they are the ones who have had a good look at the battlefield afterwards.

Similarly Loyalty was a tremedous premium in Medieval Japan as almost no one was.