The document discusses the archetypal mythological hero and identifies common traits among heroes from stories and myths. Some common traits of the archetypal hero include an unusual birth, leaving their family to be raised by others, experiencing a traumatic event that triggers a quest, receiving supernatural help or possessing a special weapon, proving themselves on their quest, undergoing a symbolic journey and suffering an unhealable wound, achieving atonement with their father figure, and experiencing a spiritual reward or apotheosis at the end of their journey. Examples of heroes that embody many of these traits are given, such as Luke Skywalker, Simba, King Arthur, Moses, and William Wallace.

1. TheThe
ArchetypalArchetypal
MythologicalMythological
HeroHero
What Do Luke Skywalker,What Do Luke Skywalker,
Simba, King Arthur, Moses,Simba, King Arthur, Moses,
and William Wallace all haveand William Wallace all have
in common?in common?

2. Jung and CampbellJung and Campbell
Carl Jung and JosephCarl Jung and Joseph
Campbell developedCampbell developed
the idea of thethe idea of the
archetypearchetype
– Archetype: A recurringArchetype: A recurring
pattern of images,pattern of images,
situations, or symbolssituations, or symbols
found in the mythology,found in the mythology,
religion, art, andreligion, art, and
dreams of culturesdreams of cultures
around the worldaround the world
Joseph CampbellJoseph Campbell
Carl JungCarl Jung

3. Archetypal Hero TraitsArchetypal Hero Traits
Unusual Circumstances of BirthUnusual Circumstances of Birth
Leaves Family and Lives With OthersLeaves Family and Lives With Others
Traumatic Event Leads to QuestTraumatic Event Leads to Quest
Special WeaponSpecial Weapon
Supernatural HelpSupernatural Help
Proves Himself on QuestProves Himself on Quest
Journey and Unhealable WoundJourney and Unhealable Wound
Atonement With FatherAtonement With Father
Spiritual ApotheosisSpiritual Apotheosis

4. Unusual BirthUnusual Birth
Often in danger orOften in danger or
born into royaltyborn into royalty
– Luke w/ aunt andLuke w/ aunt and
uncleuncle
– Simba born aSimba born a
princeprince
– Moses put inMoses put in
basketbasket
– King Arthur inKing Arthur in
danger from Utherdanger from Uther
Pendragon’s rivalsPendragon’s rivals

5. Leaves FamilyLeaves Family
Raised away fromRaised away from
his peoplehis people
– Luke w/Luke w/ auntaunt andand
uncleuncle
– Simba w/ TimonSimba w/ Timon
and Poobahand Poobah
– King Arthur w/King Arthur w/
MerlinMerlin
– William WallaceWilliam Wallace
with unclewith uncle
– Moses w/Moses w/
Pharaoh’sPharaoh’s
daughterdaughter

6. Traumatic EventTraumatic Event
A hero’s life isA hero’s life is
changed foreverchanged forever
– Luke’s aunt andLuke’s aunt and
uncle’suncle’s deathdeath
– Wallace’s wife isWallace’s wife is
killedkilled
– Arthur pulls swordArthur pulls sword
from stonefrom stone
– Simba fights NalaSimba fights Nala
– Yahweh appears toYahweh appears to
MosesMoses

7. Special WeaponSpecial Weapon
Only the hero canOnly the hero can
wield his weaponwield his weapon
– Luke’s light saberLuke’s light saber
– Arthur’sArthur’s
ExcaliburExcalibur
– Moses’ staffMoses’ staff
– Wallace’s swordWallace’s sword
– Simba’s ... claws?Simba’s ... claws?

8. Supernatural HelpSupernatural Help
Hero often hasHero often has
spiritual guidancespiritual guidance
– Luke hears Obi-Luke hears Obi-
Wan KenobiWan Kenobi
– Arthur has MerlinArthur has Merlin
– Yahweh guidesYahweh guides
MosesMoses
– Wallace dreams ofWallace dreams of
his dead fatherhis dead father
– Simba sees MufasaSimba sees Mufasa
in the sky and hasin the sky and has
Rafiki help himRafiki help him

9. Proves HimselfProves Himself
Hero performs featsHero performs feats
while on Questwhile on Quest
– Luke blows up DeathLuke blows up Death
Star, leadsStar, leads rebellionrebellion
– Arthur leads battlesArthur leads battles
– Moses performMoses perform
miraclesmiracles
– Simba contemplatesSimba contemplates
his lifehis life
– Wallace leads hisWallace leads his
men against Britishmen against British

10. Journey & Unhealable WoundJourney & Unhealable Wound
Hero descendsHero descends
into a hell-like areainto a hell-like area
and suffersand suffers
wounding fromwounding from
encounter w/ evilencounter w/ evil
– Symbolically goesSymbolically goes
where normalwhere normal
humans can’t andhumans can’t and
finds truth aboutfinds truth about
selfself

11. Atonement With FatherAtonement With Father
Hero eitherHero either
redeems father’sredeems father’s
evil deeds orevil deeds or
reconciles withreconciles with
father over wrongsfather over wrongs
done by the herodone by the hero

12. ApotheosisApotheosis
Hero is rewardedHero is rewarded
spiritually at thespiritually at the
end of his lifeend of his life

13. Wanna find out more?Wanna find out more?
http://titan.sfasu.edu/~beenet/http://titan.sfasu.edu/~beenet/
resources/heromain.htmlresources/heromain.html

14. 4am Productions “You can’t see the Hobbits if you’re asleep!”4am Productions “You can’t see the Hobbits if you’re asleep!”
bdavis@inu.netbdavis@inu.net