The Work of Joseph Campbell
8 Many have studied myths over the years, and though they have made contributions to understanding the deep and complex archetypes they hold, Joseph Campbell s work stands out among them. 2He is famous for the very simple and powerful expression: “follow your bliss . 3His work was influential in the original Star Wars trilogy.
The Hero s Journey
4Campbell's book The Hero with a Thousand Faces detailed his theories on the mythic nature of the hero s journey (also known as the monomyth). 5He stated that the whole of the human race can be seen as reciting a single story of great spiritual importance, and indicated that the aim of his work was to demonstrate the similarities between Eastern and Western religions.
6He has analysed myths involving heroes, quests and journeys from around the world, including many different cultures and time periods. 7Campbell has found that there are a large number of similarities to them all, and his construct has 17 identifiable steps in the hero s journey that you ll see over and over again:
1. Call to adventure
2. Refusal and then acceptance of that call
3. Supernatural aid
4. Crossing the first threshold
5. The belly of the whale
6. Road of trials
7. Meeting with the Goddess
8. Woman as temptress
9. Atonement with the father
10. Apotheosis
11. Ultimate boon
12. Refusal of the return
13. Magic flight
14. Rescue from without
15. Crossing the return threshold
16. Master of two worlds
17. Freedom to live
8Clearly many of these concepts are metaphorical since not all myths will have scenes that literally take place in the belly of a whale. 9To explore all 17 points is too lengthy for this book, but a quick explanation of a couple of steps should suffice to illustrate the overall point.
10Let's look at step 5, the belly of the whale. 11This takes place not long after the journey has begun and it represents the moment of the journey when the hero is first immersed in danger. 12The term used comes from the Biblical story of Jonah and the whale, though the phrase entering the lion s den would be just as suitable. 130n a more metaphysical level, this stage also represents the hero s transformation from an initial traveller into the true archetypical hero figure that he is destined to be. 14Point 13 is another fanciful element that isn t a literal description. 150nce the boon or reward has been achieved at the climax of the journey, the hero must return home. 16But he never has to relive the entire journey as he did initially, and there is usually a fast-paced short cut that returns him to the normal world with ease.
171t was this archetype of the hero s journey that George Lucas used for his initial Star Wars movies, and we see it in many other tales such as The Odyssey and The Lord of the Rings . 18Campbell even found that many of these points could be found in the Biblical life story of Jesus.
19Some have stated that Campbell s concepts are overly simplistic, and that they lump together too many cultural differences into one construct. 20Even so, it provides a tidy framework for understanding the important points of a lengthy hero s journey . 211t also goes to highlight which concepts are most important to us as archetypes across different cultures.
The Function and Purpose of Myth
22Campbell saw myths as a vital cornerstone to society, and important for the development of mankind for several reasons. 23He outlines some specific reasoning for this belief in The Mask of God, giving four primary reasons for the necessary existence of myth:
1. Metaphysical – Myths exist as a way of creating additional wonder or awe to life, and to perpetuate the belief in the mysteries of the universe.
2. Cosmological – They can also explain the nature of the world around us, creating a type of proto-science to help man understand scientific concepts that he has otherwise yet to discover.
3. Sociological – Maintaining social order is always important, and myths can play a role in that by reinforcing behaviours and beliefs that go along with an orderly society.
4 . Psychological – This refers to the movement of life, from birth through to maturity and ultimately death. Myths often focus on life stages and coming-of-age issues in this regard.
24He also described an evolution in myth, showing a very clear line of development depending upon the nature of the society at the time. 25Societies that were still in the hunter/gatherer stage had myths mainly involving the strengths and powers of animals and wildlife. 26This shows up in an earlier section of this book about African and Native American myths.
27After that come the agrarian societies, with myths about annual seasons, harvests and natural cycles. 28More sophisticated societies like the ancient Greeks or Egyptians then continued with another era of myth that revolved around newer concepts. 29They had more myths about planetary events as well as concepts of warfare and political power. 30Finally, the more contemporary myths (such as the Arthurian mythos) tackled ideas of love, beauty, knowledge and virtue.
“Follow Your Bliss”
31Though not directly related to his studies of myth, this has become one of Campbell s more lasting legacies and deserves a mention. 321t s a simple enough statement but has been misunderstood by many, at least in terms of what he meant when he first said it. 33He had been studying the Upanishads (some of the holy texts from Hinduism) when he came across the idea of ananda, which somewhat translates to bliss. 34He felt that this could be used as a guide for one s life:
“If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Wherever you are – if you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time. (The Power of Myth, Chapter 2: The Journey Inward)
351t's a wonderful viewpoint and can be a very satisfying way of living your life. 36He was advocating that people dedicate themselves to whatever gives the most personal and spiritual satisfaction, though it wasn t intended as support for a selfish or indulgent world-view.
More on the Works of Joseph Campbell
37Though The Mask of God and The Hero with a Thousand Faces are two of his best known works, he has written several other excellent books on myth, anthropology and culture that would be of great interest for further research:
i. The Power of Myth
ii. Historical Atlas of World Mythology
iii. Posthumous collected works
iv. Mythic Dimension: Selected Essays
v. Transformations of Myth through Time
vi. Thou Art That: Transforming Religious Metaphor