Welcome to Folklore and Mythology Part 5: The Path of Heroes

Happy 2018!

It's a new year and I'm still writing about Folklore and Mythology. And why not? Storytelling is in a fundamental part of our humanity. I don't think I know a single culture that doesn't have a culture of story telling. It's how we pass down our history, morals, and dreams to the next generation.

And wouldn't you guys know it, there was a documentary on mythology on Netflix that popped up the minute I got home. I watched all six episodes of Myths and Monsters in the span of two days. I wasn't super impressed that they only really focused on European mythologies, though. There are a lot of great myths from all over the world, but I digress.

The first episode of this series was about Heroes and Villains, specifically the Hero's Journey. The theory was first introduced by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (note to self: find a copy of this book asap). In it, he claims that most myths and legends about heroes follow the same 12 steps, known as the Hero's Journey.

The call of the adventure! Thank you Dr. Seuss.

The episode then uses Star Wars as an example of this journey. Since the latest Star Wars movie came out less than a month ago, I found this very appropriate. Star Wars has become a modern myth and the first three movies are a classic example of good versus evil often found in myths from our ancestors. Looking deeper at the stories I consumed as a child, I realized that there are many other examples of the Hero's Journey, including Harry Potter.

Since Star Wars has been used to death to show this journey, I'm going to use Harry Potter to showcase the 12 step program to become a hero. For the record the Hero's Journey is flexible and doesn't have to follow the steps as I have listed here. By the way, this will contain spoilers if you haven't read all of the books. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING.

1. Starting off in the Ordinary World - Harry is in the Non-Magical World or Muggle World when we first meet him as an 11 year old boy.
2. The Call to Adventure - Harry is given a letter telling him he's been accepted to Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
3. Refusal to Answer the Call - So, I don't like the wording of this one. I wouldn't call it a refusal, so much as a hesitance to answer the call. For example, Harry has to go to school no matter what. He can't refuse to go to school. His refusal instead takes two different forms. The first is his aunt and uncle telling him that the whole thing is crazy and that he can't possibly be going to a magical school. The second is his aversion to being treated like a celebrity once he gets there.
4. Meeting the Mentor - Or in Harry's case mentors who are his teachers. Yes, Dumbledore takes a special interest in Harry because he's "The Boy Who Lived" and is the main mentor, but Lupin or McGonagall or Hagrid also mentor Harry from time to time. 
5. Crossing the Threshold - One can argue that Harry does this when he steps through the barrier to Platform 9 and 3/4 or when he sees Hogwarts for the very first time, but I disagree. I think that this moment happens the instant he is sorted into Gryffindor. This is when Harry makes his first active choice in the Wizarding World (no going to school doesn't count). He chooses to be placed in Gryffindor house over Slytherin. It's Harry's first decision and sets the tone for the rest of the series.
6. Test, Friends, and Enemies - Throughout Harry's time at Hogwarts he is constantly tested (inside the classroom and out) in his magical abilities. He always has finals at the end of the school year as well as one major battle against Voldemort or one of his followers that shows how much he's grown throughout that year. He also makes a lot of friends. Ron and Hermione are without doubt Harry's two best friends, but they aren't his only friends. By the end of the series he has so many people who are willing to fight for/with him that it could easily compare it to a Shonen Manga (think Naruto or One Piece). The same goes for his enemies, starting out with Draco Malfoy and leading up to Voldemort and all of his Death Eaters. For the record, I think this is the largest and most time consuming of this 12 step program.
7. Approach to the Inmost Cave - Despite the confusing name to this step, I think it's pretty clear which step this corresponds to for Harry and his Friends - the entire first two thirds of the seventh Harry Potter book. By this point in the series, things have become desperate for our hero. He can't go back to Hogwarts, a place that had always been safe in the past, and instead must find seven objects that must be destroyed so that he can vanquish Lord Voldemort for good. I'm sure others could argue that when Harry chooses to confront Voldemort in the woods one last time, but I think this takes away from the growth Harry has to go through in the seventh book.
8. The Ordeal - This is the metaphorical and occasionally physical "death" of the hero. For Harry, it's the first part of the Battle of Hogwarts. He's just put all of his friends in danger by returning to the school, found out that Dumbledore knew he was the final "object" that needed to be destroyed, and that he had to die so that everyone he loved would be able to live. The Ordeal ends when Voldemort ends Harry's life in a flash of green.
9. The Reward - Harry is allowed to chose whether he wants to live or die. I have mixed feelings on this. On the one hand, I was all for Harry choosing to die and finally be at peace. If this had happened, Neville or Ron could have stepped up to lead the final charge, creating a new hero for everyone to rally behind. It would have been a fitting ending, but not necessarily completed the Hero's Journey. Instead he chooses option two: to come back to life. His "reward" isn't just that he gets to make this choice. It also includes protection for his friends because he sacrificed himself to save them.
10. The Road Back - Basically when Voldemort makes Hagrid carry Harry back to Hogwarts. 
11. Resurrection - Part 2 of the Battle of Hogwarts. As Voldemort and his followers arrive back at Hogwarts, everyone thinks Harry is dead (his body is lying limp in Hagrid's arms after all). But then, Neville makes an amazing speech, rallying the remaining good guys. Voldemort responds by placing The Sorting Hat, while it's on fire, onto Neville's head. Neville pulls the sword of Gryffindor out of The Hat, allowing Harry to make his grand entrance as newly resurrected. This step ends when Voldemort dies when the curse he killed Harry with rebounds onto himself (this scene was so much better in the books).
12. The Return - Technically this step has a longer name, but I'm ignoring it. Harry defeats Voldemort, we're given a comforting scene in the Headmaster's Office with just him, Ron, and Hermione. Harry is at peace, but he's not the same 11 year old boy who started his journey. He's older, wiser, and ready to live a somewhat normal life in the Wizarding World. We're then given an epilogue 19 years later with Harry sending two of his children off to Hogwarts. It's the happy ending the fans wanted and JK Rowling gave us (ignoring the play that recently came out of course).

Well that was long and sure some of the Steps in this 12 Step Program to go on your very own Hero's Journey don't always align. Heck, Harry isn't the only one to go on the journey in this series. Neville also goes through it, even if we only see part of his journey (most of it takes place off screen during the 7th book). Cedric Diggory starts his own, but is tragically killed before he can complete it. 

And Harry's journey doesn't exactly fit the steps as they are presented. I had to make a few examples fit and arguments could be made for different events in Harry's story to be used. 

This also isn't the only way to define how a hero is made. It's just a theory (more like a pattern) that was noticed by the scholar, Joseph Campbell. It's heavily skewed towards European myths and legends. Though there are examples of this pattern showing up in the ancient world outside of Europe, it isn't a general rule. I would argue that the story Journey to the West (as I remember it) doesn't quite fit this mold. The story of David and Goliath could also be considered a Hero's Journey story and doesn't seem to fit the pattern (again, I'm going off of memory...it's been a while since I read it).

Harry's story is both modern and ancient. It's unique and new, while giving us a sense of familiarity. His story pushes our cultural boundaries, while also passing on a story telling tradition that goes back thousands of years. Fitting, as JK Rowling is a fan of classical literature. 

My point is, the heroes I am most familiar with in both ancient mythology and modern stories, often follow similar journeys to become a hero. It's a pattern that some of us really like and can easily identify with. 

Because if we know the 12 Step Program to becoming a Hero, we might be able to follow it and become Heroes ourselves. Now wouldn't that be a dream come true.

Next week, we'll look at a slightly different journey: The Villains Journey.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week! Muahahahaha!