WHO IS BAGGER VANCE?
From the depths of the Great Depression appears a mystical, fictional caddie named “Bagger Vance.” Who is he? As Steven Pressfield (author of The Legend of Bagger Vance) has acknowledged, Bagger Vance, and the story of his legend, are based on the Hindu epic and scriptural poem, the Bhagavad-Gita. (Follow the link for a summary describing “the great epic of India, which, from its popularity and extent, would seem to correspond with the Iliad among the Greeks.”) In the epic, Bhagavan is the “Supreme Personality” who helps his follower, Arjuna, understand much about war and about life. What did Pressfield have in mind when he created the character of Bagger Vance? Well, I certainly didn’t create Bagger. He just kind of came along on his own. Of course his original incarnation, as you know, was Bhagavan (Lord) Krishna, hence “Bagger Vance.” Knowing that Bagger Vance is a fictional character based on Hindu scriptures, the National Council of Hindu Temples is “extremely concerned” about how
