Have you ever contemplated what makes a
great story? How is it that humankind has generated so many great stories
throughout history? Why does the reader feel aligned with the heroes of these
stories in such a way that the stories go beyond the printed word and impact our
own lives back here in "the real world"?
While many people believe that myths are stories that are "untrue" or
even "lies," in fact, resonant mythologies are metaphors that provide
us with symbols of a life we long to experience. To read a myth literally is to
miss its higher truth.
Mythological narratives may or may not be based in fact. Myths that are temporal
will cease to inspire over time and will die out. The perennial myths, however,
are those which persevere and project a timeless truth which point the way to
our ultimate destiny. To pursue this destiny is The
Hero’s Journey.
A Campbellian Analysis of the Hero’s
Journey
There are three major phases to great stories in
mythology, based on Joseph Campbell’s work and documented in The Hero
with a Thousand Faces(1). These phases
are Separation, Initiation and Return. Key story elements
as presented by Campbell follow.
Separation:
Separation is the culmination of a
person awakening from a world of drudgery and despair to pursue a higher
calling.
The initial step is a ‘Call to
Adventure’ where the heroic figure is made aware of a place beyond the
world he has known his whole life. A herald is encountered that gives the
hero a reason to rethink what he (or she) "knows." This herald
usually provides some direction to enter into the adventure and may remain
with the hero as a guide.
The hero may refuse the adventure or
deny the ability to move beyond the status quo. The heralded event may even
be ignored – All of these constitute the ‘Refusal
of the Call.’
The use of magical intervention is
then needed to plunge the hero into the unknown. The reluctant hero
requires supernatural forces to urge him on, while the willing adventurer
gathers amulets (magical items) and advice from the protector as aid for the
journey.
A portal or threshold represents the
transition into the world of adventure, the step of ‘Crossing the First
Threshold.’ A sense of danger as well as opportunity is
conveyed. The threshold guardian or "gatekeeper" must test the
hero’s mettle for competency before he may enter the realm. Gatekeepers
are terrifying creatures such as Cerberus (the three-headed dog of the
Underworld), Pan, ogres, and shape-shifters of classical mythology.
The hero having crossed the
threshold is swallowed into the unknown abyss, reborn in the new world, and
may appear to those left behind as dead or lost. This may manifest as the
hero is swallowed into the darkness and lands in the ‘Belly of the Whale.’
There he awaits rebirth or release from this purgatorial state. His release
here symbolizes a relinquishing of attachment to the world left behind.
Initiation:
Having crossed over into the new
realm or escaping the belly of the beast, the hero encounters a series of
tests known as ‘The Road of Trials.’ Each task prepares the hero
to pursue the ultimate mythological goal. These trials show the hero as
moving from childish behaviors to self-reliance. This is his personal
evolution from personal limitations to unrealized potential.
The Road of Trials leads to an
encounter with the Queen of the World – the ‘Meeting with the
Goddess.’ The goddess figure is representative of the Earth Mother or
source of life. She may be approachable, as the hero’s mother, sister,
beloved, or She may be seemingly larger than life. She is encompassing
beauty, unrevealed mystery, and unification of good and evil.
In myth, Woman is the totality of
what can be known. As the hero is initiated into life, the goddess becomes
transfigured through his understanding. Alas, those with inferior eyes
cannot see her magnificence – they may even perceive her as ugly. While
the goddess can never be greater than the hero, she always promises more
than he can comprehend. The hero can take her as she is and thus be the king
of her created world. Through the goddess, the hero attains mastery over
life itself. His trials have prepared him to recognize the richness of life
that She offers.
The hero may encounter the negative
side of woman – ‘Woman as Temptress.’ In this scenario, the
hero finds himself occupied with selfish pleasures. The ease with which the
hero falls into temptation places the path to enlightenment in peril. While
the purified hero will be repulsed by these offerings, the struggling hero
must soar beyond the sin and despair, to regain his path.
In myth, a parental figure is
responsible for guiding the hero through the journey. This representation
echoes the need for each person to break free from childhood into adulthood.
A father figure may be portrayed as the vengeful male threatened by the rise
of the hero and so establishes a horrifying conflict. The hero seeks
atonement or "at-one-ment" with the father – ‘Atonement
with the Father.’ Despite a wrathful figure, the hero has faith that
The Father is merciful and he must rely on that mercy. In turn, The Father
has a change of heart and the fearful image dissolves. The hero is released
from the situation through reconciliation, forgiveness and mercy.
Conversely, the father figure may be
benevolent, recognizing that as with all life, the cycle must continue.
While he assists the hero through his journey, the father figure is mindful
that the budding hero is destined to replace him. Just as the mother may be
portrayed both as good or evil, so does the above contrast represent the
father as a positive and negative force. Our initiation into an adult role
in life is contrasted with this dual role of the parent.
The hero’s transformation could be
a kind of deification or realization of the essence of life and ultimate
purpose – this is his ‘Apotheosis.’ This may achieved through
the conquering of an enemy or the acquisition of supernatural powers. The
most far-reaching achievement is that of selflessness, a new ability for
unconditional love.
‘The Ultimate Boon’
is the benefit, favor, or blessing that is bestowed on
the hero figure. There is a drive for the hero to share the boon with
humankind, whether it be an elixir of immortality, a holy grail, true love,
perfect knowledge, or the meaning of life. Most prevalent is the recurring
theme of Immortality. The hero achieves illumination that there is an
indestructible life beyond the physical body. This Immortality is timeless
and experienced in the here and now.
Return:
On closure of the quest, the hero
generally sets off for home to bring the knowledge of his adventure to
others. In some cases, the hero does not wish to flee the newfound world –
this is his ‘Refusal of the Return.’ He may hold a belief that
those still in the former world cannot comprehend what the hero has learned.
The hero may take refuge in his immortal bliss accompanied by the Goddess
– free from the burdens of ordinary life.
For the hero who accepts the need to
return, there are two principal scenarios – flight or rescue.
Where the hero has won blessings, he is commissioned to return to the world
to heal it. The protector may assist him on a supernatural return journey or
‘The Magical Flight.’ If the treasure was obtained through
conflict or without consent, this will become a flight of difficult
obstacles and pursuit by the angered force.
In the second case, the hero
requires the outside world to pull him back from the adventure – this is
the ‘Rescue from Without.’ The reluctant hero loses all desire to
abandon his bliss, he does not want to take on the burdens of the world.
Someone or thing may facilitate his miraculous return from apparent death.
An overriding reason is necessary to bring the hero back to the world to
save it.
Regardless of how the return is
accomplished, a supernatural force is again needed to resolve the final
crisis, ‘Crossing the Return Threshold.’ The narrative now brings
the hero full cycle – it is his destiny to depart from the mystical world
he has discovered, and return to the banalities of life with his bounty.
Symbolically, through this adventure, the hero has lost his life (self or
ego), but by grace it is returned.
On return, the hero must resolve the
Two Worlds – divine and human; known and unknown; yin and yang. The key to
understanding the myth is that the two kingdoms are actually one. The
unknown is a forgotten dimension of the world we already know. To explore
that dimension is the whole deed of the hero. By crossing this final
threshold, the hero recognizes that the apparent separation in reality does
not exist – and he becomes the ‘Master of
Two Worlds.’
What is the result of the journey
and return? The last task of the hero is to try and communicate his
discoveries and the boon for all humanity. He encounters many incapable of
comprehending beyond their physical world. But inevitably, another will hear
the message, and arise as the next hero.
Our hero achieves a ‘Freedom to
Live’ – that is, the ability to pass freely between realms. The hero
is transfigured – unencumbered by personal limitations and death
holds no power over him. Through his transfiguration, the hero is prepared
for at-one-ment. He is a presence benefiting the world as it perpetually
renews itself, understanding perfected knowledge is imperishable.
Seeking A New Mythology
So it is that this cycle is used
throughout history, and is written on the human psyche. Our great stories, songs
and works of art follow this heroic path, usually culminating in the
accomplishment of a "happy ending" or greater good. The story is
familiar to our subconscious, and regularly manifests itself in our dreams,
where our identity becomes the hero. And the same cycle has been documented with
patients experiencing temporary or permanent madness.
In other words, this "Monomyth" (cycle of mythology) is common to all
humanity and is written in the way we think and understand ourselves. Mythology
is a set of symbols we use to describe our purpose and what each one of us is
capable of achieving. Our great religions, social structures and, yes, even our
best stories, all achieve the major elements of this cycle
One key characteristics of the monomyth is to recognize the boundaries of our
lives and create anticipation of what lies beyond. In days of old, boundaries
were represented in the tribe or kingdom, with that beyond to be conquered. The
social values and belief systems of the times are contextualized by these
boundaries.
In our modern world, where news is instantaneous, language is of minor
limitation, and technology allows us to go where no one has gone before –
boundaries take on a new nature. Where do our human limitations end? As alluded
to above, all humanity faces limitations in time and ability to release from
ego. Our hope and salvation is in surpassing those limitations in our individual
journey. A new mythology for our times is evolving. Can you see it? ________________________________________
(1) Campbell,
Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces, 3rd printing.
Bollingen Series. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1973.
