Welcome to a forgotten corner of the ancient forest.
Jospeh Campbell in his definitive book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" defines a basic hero myth that has been repeated through the eons in countless variations. Basing his work on the theories of Carl Jung he proposes that stories that conform to the basic structures of this myth are inherently appealling to us. The theory was embraced by Hollywood script writers and as you read the elements of the myth below several movies will no doubt spring to mind. Not all elements exist in all scripts but you will begin to recognise the pattern.
It is also interesting to observe how elements of the myth are used by the political spin doctors to make our politians appealling at more fundamental level in our pysche.
It is interesting to try and apply these stages to the great hero stories of our time, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter etc.
| The Call | The hero seems to be a normal person leading an ordinary life, although they may have some extraordinary aspect to their lives, such as a particularly impoverished upbringing, they may be orphaned. Something happens in their life that can be described as "a call to a heroic life" |
| The Hero' s Hesitation | In order to accept the challenge implicit in the call the hero must forsake their ordinary life. Understandably they are reluctant to abandon all that they currently hold dear. |
| Supernatural Aid | In order to overcome this natural hesitation, our hero in the making receives assistance from an older and wiser person, often a devine being such as a god, wizard or fearie. |
| The Belly of the Whale | This section of the story involves the transition from the ordinary person into a powerful hero like being. In an obvious allusion to the story of Jonah and the Whale, our protagonist is dies as a normal boy/girl and is reborn as a new powerful person.. |
| The Journey | Having found the courage and power they commence the great journey that is required of them. They successfully undertake the journey, facing and successfully completing many challenges along the way. This frequently represents the greater part of story. |
| Atonement with the Father | The undertaking of the journey requires breaking of bonds with the past. As part of this process the hero comes to see his/her father (or a father figure) as a fallible human being. Through enlightenment acquired on the journey the hero come to understand and atone with the father figure. |
| The Meeting with the Goddess | Part of becoming a separate human being requires separating from the mother figure from your childhood. In the hero myth this is represented as a goddess like figure who will try to turn the hero from his path. This figure may attempt this through either menace or seduction. The hero must get past this figure. |
| Apotheosis | Apotheosis means "to become a god," which, in effect, is what the hero does by mastering the challenges placed before him. Part of this process is, in some respects, to surpass those that have assisted him on his journey. |
| Master of Two Worlds | The hero is master now, both of his/her original world and the one he has conquered on his journey. . |
| The Return | The quest completed the hero now choses to return to the world that he/she originally left. The journey is often long and arduous. He/she beings back treasures, either real or esoteric, such as wisdom. On return he/she finds that the world they left is essentially unchanged and that the ordinary people in the story can neither understand or empathise with the hero. Generally, they are solitary because they are now apart from those who surround them. |
There are many jewels hidden amongst the leaves in this forgotten part of the ancient forest. Spend some time browsing and you are sure to find some. Click here or continue your search below
or read the most recent entries here.
Stumble It!