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| 'The Path' |
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been
re-reading a book that all writers and lovers of history and mythology should
have on their shelf: The Hero with a
Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell.
Every time I pick up this book, I’m struck by
the truth of what Campbell says. I think of all of the stories that have struck
a chord with me over the years, and the things they have in common. Campbell
says:
“The
archetypes to be discovered and assimilated are precisely those that have
inspired, throughout the annals of human culture, the basic images of ritual,
mythology, and vision… The hero... has died as a modern man – he has been
reborn. His second solemn task and deed therefore… is to return then to us,
transfigured, and teach the lessons he has learned of life renewed.”
(The
Hero with a Thousand Faces; Third Edition, 1973)
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| Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed in the Enchanted Forest |
If you stop to look at storytelling, past
and present, you can indeed see the recurring themes and archetypes of myth. They
are everywhere. And this applies not only to western literature but to
storytelling across time, across cultures.
In studying Greek, Roman and Celtic
literature and mythology, medieval and Arthurian romance, I have noticed that I
am drawn to certain elements. It’s not just because of the way these stories
are told, or the language the writers or poets used. Let’s remember that the
beauty of language is often lost in translation.
No. What draws me in to these stories are
common elements that appeal to something deep within my psyche, the blood in my
veins, the fibre of my muscles, the dreams at the back of my mind. My inner
youth, adventurer, lover, warrior and wise man all yearn for the stories that
are food for the soul.
Without that food I begin to starve.
Such is the power of storytelling.
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| Sir Galahad upon his Quest |
The
Hero with a Thousand Faces takes you into a world
of great depth, of ideas and examples. There is too much to be able to do it
justice in one blog post. However, in the book there is a chart of the Hero’s
Journey that I believe can be infinitely useful to a writer.
Oftentimes, writers can get stuck, feel as
though they have written themselves into a corner and are not sure how to get
out of it. Perhaps they are not sure where to turn next, which path their
protagonist should take. Other times, a writer will wonder whether a certain
path in the story will appeal to the reader, or else put them off so much that
they go off in search of another adventure.
Campbell’s chart of the Hero’s Journey is
an excellent point of reference, a tool or weapon to help a writer to get out
of the traps that can halt the creative process.
I think it prudent here to quote Campbell
on what the journey entails:
“The
mythological hero, setting forth from his commonday hut or castle, is lured,
carried away, or else voluntarily proceeds, to the threshold of adventure.
There he encounters a shadow presence that guards the passage. The hero may
defeat or conciliate this power and go alive into the kingdom of the dark (brother-battle,
dragon-battle; offering, charm), or be slain by the opponent and descend in
death (dismemberment, crucifixion). Beyond the threshold, then, the hero
journeys through a world of unfamiliar yet strangely intimate forces, some of
which severely threaten him (tests), some of which give magical aid (helpers).
When he arrives at the nadir of the mythological round, he undergoes a supreme
ordeal and gains his reward. The triumph may be represented as the hero’s sexual
union with the goddess-mother of the world (sacred marriage), his recognition
by the father-creator (father atonement), his own divinization (apotheosis), or
again – if the powers have remained unfriendly to him – his theft of the boon
he came to gain (bride-theft, fire-theft); intrinsically it is an expansion of
consciousness and therewith of being (illumination, transfiguration, freedom).
The final work is that of the return. If the powers have blessed the hero, he
now sets forth under their protection (emissary); if not, he flees and is
pursued (transformation flight, obstacle flight). At the return threshold the
transcendental powers must remain behind; the hero re-emerges from the kingdom
of dread (return, resurrection). The boon that he brings restores the world
(elixir).”
(The
Hero with a Thousand Faces; p.245-246, Third Edition, 1973)
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| Luke Skywalker with his father's sword |
As I read this, all the stories that I ever
loved flash through my mind. I see heroes such as Arthur, Frodo and even Luke
Skywalker, taken from their quiet worlds and cast into the unknown with the aid
of such legendary characters as Merlin, Gandalf, Obi-Wan Kenobi and others.
Often, a hero experiences an event that
thrusts him into the adventure. I think of Odysseus being ordered to go to war
at Troy and leave his wife and baby behind, or in the Mabinogi when Pwyll Prince of Dyfed goes into the otherworld of
Annwn. Jason confronts Pelias and ends up on an expedition to find the Golden
Fleece, the proposed price for getting back his father’s throne. There are so
many examples. And often times, there is a sword: Arthur’s Excalibur, Luke’s
father’s lightsaber or Bilbo’s sword, Sting, which goes to Frodo.
The tests are often what make up the bulk
of the story which takes place in
unknown realms. There are helpers in the form
of other people, gods or animals along the way. In the Lord of the Rings, Frodo
has the help of Aragorn (a hero on his own journey – a journey within a
journey) and the rest of the Fellowship, elves, dwarves and others. Arthur has
his knights who each have their own adventures. Theseus has Ariadne whose aid
provides him with the key to the labyrinth. Jason gets aid from the blind
prophet Phineas who tells him how to reach the Golden Fleece.
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| Odysseus and Calypso |
When the hero reaches what Campbell calls
the ‘nadir of the mythological round’ there is an ordeal and reward. Odysseus
passes through death in the form of Scylla and Charybdis to be washed up on the
shore of the goddess Calypso’s island. He spends time there, loved by the
goddess, and regains his strength before embarking on the final stages of his journey.
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| Jason and the Golden Fleece |
Other themes at the nadir are the
attainment, by theft of gift, of the elixir that is sought by the hero. This
could be the Golden Fleece, the Holy Grail, or the promise of a return home in
the case of Odysseus. The promise of a healing of the land, of body, of spirit
is in the hero’s sights. But the journey is not yet over.
More challenges emerge before the hero can
cross that threshold once more to get back into the known realms. Arthur must
face Mordred, Odysseus must still reach Ithaca before destroying the suitors
and taking back his home. Luke must escape the Death Star to destroy it in a
final battle.
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| Arthur receives Excalibur |
Once the final confrontations are achieved,
the hero achieves peace for himself and his realm, an overall healing of wounds
and righting of wrongs that gives way to a golden time. If the hero dies in the
attempt, he goes on to a better place and his example will be one that inspires
future generations (e.g. Arthur going to Avalon).
You can take almost any story from any
culture and apply the elements Campbell mentions.
The elements of the hero’s journey are
universal.
Because these archetypes, these themes, are
a part of our storytelling tradition, we often include them automatically in
our writing without thinking about it.
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| Frodo and Gandalf |
But a writer often is the hero on a journey and does not always know where the road
will lead. We need helpers, a sword (or pen!) and certainly divine help and
inspiration should not be shunned.
Sometimes writers need a guide like Joseph
Campbell to put one back on track. And that’s ok!
Odysseus and Arthur, Luke and Frodo, all
had help. So did Pwyll and Yvain, Herakles and Jason. It’s not cowardly to
receive aid. The true test comes when one decides what to do with the aid
provided.
Whether I’m writing the first words, or
flipping the first pages, of a new story I relish the adventure to come, the
trials and tribulations, learning from the unknown and gathering the courage to
slay my own dragons.
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| The 'Elixir' of Life Sir Percival at the Chapel of the Grail |
Thanks for reading!
If you would like to find out more, here are a few places to start:
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
ThePower of Myth – A conversation between Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers (filmed
at Skywalker Ranch). This is also available as an audio book.
StarWars: The Magic of Myth - This is a fantastic book, not only for Star Wars fans but everyone with an interest in mythology. George Lucas was friends with Joseph Campbell and adhered closely to the ideas of the hero's journey in the creation of his brilliant story 'A long time ago... In a galaxy far, far away...'
