The Hero's Journey: Decoding the Monomyth

 

Theseus Slaying the Minotaur, 1843, Antonie Louis-Barye, Courtesy of The MET

            The Hero’s Journey Monomyth was developed by Joseph Campbell, in which he attempted to identify a pattern for universal storytelling. The original framework contained seventeen stages divided into three main phases, which have since been condensed by Christopher Vogler into twelve unique stages that have been divided into three key phases, The Departure, The Initiation, and The Return. While these phases are critical to the advancement of the story, the stages can occur within them in any fashion, and there is no set way in which they can be employed. By examining Hermod Travels to Hel, featured in Project Gutenberg’s publication of “The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson and The Younger Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson,” specifically within “The Death of Baldur the Good” and “Baldur in the Abode of the Dead,” featured throughout pages 316 – 321, and by comparing it to Classic Tales’ publication of “Theseus and the Minotaur,” an understanding of how this monomyth is used to connect common universal patterns across cultures and time periods can be found.

            To highlight the unique employment of these patterns within these two myths, I would like to focus on the initial phase of ‘The Departure,’ and how the stages of this phase were used within these two stories. There are five stages within the ‘The Departure,’ the Ordinary World, the Call to Adventure, the Refusal of the Call, the Meeting of the Mentor, and the Crossing of the First Threshold. And while both stories feature similar patterns shown within this monomyth, there are also several clear differences. Within Hermod Travels to Hel, the Departure Phase introduces us to the Ordinary World, which for Hermod is Asgard, as the story begins at the court of the Aesir. Whereas within Theseus and the Minotaur, Thesus’ Ordinary World is that of Athens, Greece. Within both stories the Ordinary World represents the hero’s normal life before the beginning of their adventure. Both heroes in each story are also presented with a challenge or quest, resulting in the ‘Call to Adventure.’ For Hermod this is the death of his brother, Baldur, and the urging of Frigga for his rescue; and for Theseus it is the orders of King Minos “King Minos lifted his arm and pointed: ‘He will be the seventh (Classic Tales, pp 1, para6.)’”

One major difference between these two tales is the ‘Refusal of the Call,’ in which the hero hesitates or shows reluctance to embark on or continue their journey. When it comes to Hermod, he has a moment of fear and hesitation once he reaches the gates of hell, “Here he alighted, girthed his saddle tighter (p319, S-60, para 4).” While within Theseus and the Minotaur, Theseus experiences no explicit moment of hesitation or fear before he faces the Minotaur. Both stories also feature the Meeting of the Mentor, someone who provides the hero with guidance or tools. For Hermod this role is filled by Modgudur, the maiden keeper of the bridge to hell, as she guides him to Baldur “’Baldur’ she replied, ‘hath ridden over Gjoll’s bridge (p319, S-60, para 3).’” While Theseus’s is provided with tools and guidance by King Minos’ daughter, Ariadne, when she places her crown, a bronze sword, and golden thread into the labyrinth for Theseus, and then sneaks into his room to instruct him in where to find them, “‘My love…feel amongst the shadows to your left…I will be waiting outside (pp2, para 2).’” And both stories feature the Crossing of the First Threshold, a moment in which the hero fully commits to the journey and takes the first steps into the unknown. For Hermod, this is the moment he vaults over the gates of Hel, fully committing to retrieving Baldur, and for Theseus this moment occurs when he enters the labyrinth.

            It is clear to see that both heroes in these myths each faced a departure from their ordinary world and felt the call to adventure. And while both heroes also had a meeting with their mentor, Hermod was given guidance, while Theseus was offered tools and guidance, and only Hermod suffered through a refusal of the call, as he hesitates before the gates of hell. We also see that both heroes had to cross the first threshold, which for Hermod was the vaulting of the gates to hell, and for Theseus was the entrance to the labyrinth. So, while the Hero’s Journey Monomyth may seem like a cut and dry one size fits all formula, it is a flexible framework that allows for common cultural and universal patterns to present themselves in unique and engaging ways.

 

Works Cited:

“Theseus and the minotaur.” Classic Tales, (n.d.), https://classictales.co.uk/sites/default/files/transcripttheseusandtheminotaur.pdf

Thorpe, B., & Blackwell, I. A. “The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson & The Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson,” The Project Gutenberg, (n.d.), https://www.gutenberg.org/files/14726/14726-h/14726-h.htm#THE_DEATH_OF_BALDUR_THE_GOOD

Artwork Cited:

Louis-Barye, Antonie. Theseus Slaying the Minotaur. 1843. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/192857