Joseph Campbell, professor of comparative mythology, has spent his life studying all sorts of mythological stories, symbols and characters from all over the world. He came to the conclusion that one particular kind of story can seemingly be found in every single culture and also appears again and again in contemporary literature or film. He termed it Monomyth or The Hero's Journey.
One of the main reasons why this particular story shows up in basically every culture is that it engages human beings at a level which is so fundamental to our existence that we all can identify with it. The Hero's Journey is something that happens to virtually everybody. It is the classic story of a youth, living comfortably at home, sheltered by the parents, being called out into the world in order to face adventures and challenges, growing stronger and gaining self-knowledge in the process. It is Luke Skywalker setting out to defeat the dark side and gaining knowledge about who he really is; it is Hercules confronted with challenges and adversity in the shape of The Nemean Lion (for example) only to slay the beast and increase his strength; it is yourself moving out from your sheltered home and looking to become your own person in this world. In this article, considering my age and experience, I will focus on the first couple of steps of the journey today.
One of the main reasons why this particular story shows up in basically every culture is that it engages human beings at a level which is so fundamental to our existence that we all can identify with it. The Hero's Journey is something that happens to virtually everybody. It is the classic story of a youth, living comfortably at home, sheltered by the parents, being called out into the world in order to face adventures and challenges, growing stronger and gaining self-knowledge in the process. It is Luke Skywalker setting out to defeat the dark side and gaining knowledge about who he really is; it is Hercules confronted with challenges and adversity in the shape of The Nemean Lion (for example) only to slay the beast and increase his strength; it is yourself moving out from your sheltered home and looking to become your own person in this world. In this article, considering my age and experience, I will focus on the first couple of steps of the journey today.
