![]() There are familiar beats throughout world-legend-the call to action the initial reluctance of the hero the aid of a supernatural helper the crossing of the threshold into the world of the unknown union with the mother-goddess the slaying of the father-god the return to the land of the living and the sharing of the ultimate boon. From the myths of the ancient Egyptians and the medieval Arthurian legend to the folk-tales of the native Maoris of New Zealand, the pattern of the hero’s journey usually follows this cycle: a separation from the world he or she has always known (embarking on the quest), gaining some spiritual or other-worldly power, and a return in which they share the boon of the new power with humanity. Campbell’s monomyth involves three rites of passage-separation, initiation, and return. The core structure of mythology is called the monomyth. Myths are the foundation of all human physical and intellectual pursuits, be they religious, economic, social, or cultural, because these myths tell us who we are and what destinies we are here to fulfill. All peoples, and indeed, all individuals, make sense of the world they live in and grapple with the experience of living by telling stories. The Hero With a Thousand Faces is an exploration of the power of myth and storytelling, from the ancient world to modern times, and spanning every human culture across the world. We’ll dive into the monomyth definition above and cover the 17 stages of monomyths and what happens to the hero in each. The monomyth is an expression from James Joyce but was popularized by Joseph Campbell in The Hero With a Thousand Faces. The monomyth is a template that shows the hero’s journey common in many myths, folktales, and religions. What’s a monomyth? How many monomyth stages are there? What are they? Where did they come from? ![]() Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here. ![]() Shortform has the world's best summaries of books you should be reading. This article is an excerpt from the Shortform summary of "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell. ![]()
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