The Hero’s Journey is a similar pattern found in the myths and stories of cultures throughout history, on every continent. Joseph Campbell, perhaps the world's greatest authority on mythology, identified and named this human design in his bestseller, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, published in 1949. Despite cultural differences, the common pattern includes these features:
The Call: The hero (usually a young man, but sometimes a young woman) starts as an innocent who is unexpectedly "called" to meet his destiny. Sometimes he goes willingly, but often he initially resists. Those who refuse the call find themselves victims, "stuck" in a meaningless life.
The Road of Trials: The hero faces challenges – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – as he is sent to rescue a maiden, save a kingdom, or retrieve a sacred object. His journey may take many years to complete, with many cycles of searching, becoming lost, and finding himself anew, and he may suffer loneliness and secret fears. Surviving his trials and initiations is proof of his heroic identity.
Meeting Allies: He is often helped along the way by "guardians" or "allies," beings who provide assistance for surviving the journey, often in the form of magical objects such as swords, cloaks of invisibility, or flying shoes.
Confronting Ogres: He may encounter vicious "ogres" on his path, and may have to slay dragons breathing fire or immobilize wild dogs guarding the gates of Hades.
Receiving the Boon: Eventually, he reaches his goal, receives the "boon" or reward for which he has traveled so far.
Return: When he returns home to his country, sometimes he is celebrated for his accomplishments, other times rebuked by those who cannot understand or appreciate the gifts he bears (in the form of knowledge or other "keys" to a better life).
In your journals, write the Hero's Journey for Hercules using your 12 Labors chart in your journals and the information on http://www.mythweb.com/hercules.
