Hero Quest

Founder of Something New: Something that no one else has done a new city new way of life.

"...two maidens living in the same timie who loved adventure as much as the most dauntless hero..."(pg 180)

Universal: The hero is a representative of every man.

"If there were two Atalantas it is certainly remarkable that both wanted to sail on the Argo, both took part in the Calydonian boar hunt, both married a man who beat them in a foot race and both were ultimatley changed into lionesses."(pg 180)

Unique: The hero is a representative of every man with a special characterists that sets him apart.

"...who could outshoot and outwrestle, too, the men of one ot the tw great ages of heroism."(pg180)

Major Flaw: This is the hero's being special but not perfect.

"She had no liking for men except as companions in the hunt and she was determinded never to marry."(pg180)

Call To Adventure: The hero is given a goal or assigned a quest.

"The brute devasted the land, destroyed the cattle, killed the men who tried to kill it. Finally Oeneus called for help upon the bravest men of Greece, and a splendid band of young hereos assembled, many of whom sailed later on the Argo. With them came as a matter of course Atalanta."(pg181)

Initiation: This is the entering of a strang world and leaving behind the familiar.

"Once two Centaurs, swifter and stronger by fat then any mortal, caught sight of her when she was alone and pursued her. She did not run from them; that would have been folly. She stood fitted an arrow to her bow and shot. A second arrow followed. Both Centaurs fell, mortally wounded."(pg 181)

Journey: These are the road of trials battles and obsticles that the hero must face.

"...famous hunt of Calydonian boar. This was a terrible creature sent to ravage the country of Calydon by Artemis..."(pg 181)

"Atalanta kept her head and wounded the boar."(pg 181)"the honors of the hunt went to Atalanta..."(pg 182)

"It proved well for them that they did, because when they surrounded the boar, the brute rushed upon them so swiftly that it killed two men befoe the others could come to their help, and, what was equally ominous, a third man fell pierced by a misdirected javelin."(pg181)

Companions: These are sidekicks, partners and supporters to the hero.

"Melager them rushed on the wounded creature and stabbed it to the heart. Technically speaking it was he who killed it, but the honors of the hunt went to Atalanta and Meleager insisted that they should give her the skin."(pg 182)

"They declated that Atalanta should not have the skin and told Meleager he had no more right to give it away than anyone else had. Where upon Meleager killed them both, taking them completely off their guard."(pg 182)



"...This ingenious young man, whose name was either Melanion(Milanion) or Hippomenes..."(pg 184)

Supernatural Guide: They provide information, magic, weapons or charms.

"But as so often happens in stories, animals proved kinder than humans. A she-bear took charge of her, nursed her and kept her warm, and the baby grew up thus into and active darling little girl."(pg 181)

Ultimate Battle: This is the final test in a Hero's journey.

"A moment more and he threw the second, this time a little to the side. She had to swerve to reach it and he got ahead of her. Almost at once, however, she had caught up with him and the goal was now very near. But then the third golden sphere flashed acrosss her path and rolled far into the grass beside the course. She saw the gleam throught the green, she could not resist it. As she picked the apple up, her lover panting and almost winded touched the goal."(pg 184)

Transformation: Is when a hero altered in some wa in the final battle.

"Ad she picked the apple up, her lover panting and almost winded touched the goal. She was his."(pg 184)

Death/Rebirth: Is out with the end in with the new. Reincarnation. Death-->Rebirth. "She was his. Her free days alone in the forest and her athletic victories were over."(pg 184)

Boon: A gift of renewal; reward to be shared.

"Some of the heroes resented her presence and felt it beneath them to go hunting with a woman...In this confusion of dying men and wildly flying weapons Atalanta kept her head and wounded the boar."(pg 181)

Definitions

A hero is a founder of something new. He/she is human, special, unique and is there to protect and serve. They are behavioral models for society, embodiment of cultural beliefs/virtues. They are mortal, inspirational and imperfect. An example of a hero is Atalanta because she was the first female hero.
A myth is tales of gods/goddesses, traditional stories of immortal beings. It is the study of tales, stories passed down from generations, study of culture and legends, urban tales, stories that explains natural events, relationships between gods and humanity, a belief that cannot be proven or dis-proven. An example is the story of Demeter and Persephone, nobody can prove it true or false.
The hero's journey is a series of tasks a hero must accomplish to complete cyclical cycle. The road of trails, battles, and obstacles. Returns home with boon to be shared. Finds self discovery, internal conflict and transformations. An example of a hero's journey is Hercules. He has and initiation of fighting off two snakes as a small child.
Universal means understood by many. It is applicable everywhere or in all cases. Means general. Used and understood everywhere.
Cyclical means a circle, continuous cycle, recurrent.
Duality means opposites, balance, state of two ness, quality of being of two fold. Quality of two opposites existing in one whole way.
Creation means the makings, invention, beginning of, to start.
Life from death means reincarnations, death back into life, sacrifice one for many, out with old in with new. Someone/something dies and makes new life. Food chain such as where deer dies and feeds the wolves and when the wolf dies it fertilizes the grass in which the deer eat.
Archetype is and original category, kind or model. First kind, model (sky god) (hero).There are three kinds of archetypal hero's. The Cultural hero who is not real is a god or symbol. A Trickster which is half divine half human. And the Human hero which his/her journey is person and transforms him/her. There are 3 archetypal images of creation. One is that the earth was an egg. Two is that the earth was all water with no land. The third is that it was a black abyss, void, or darkness.
Matriarchal is a society with female power or authority. Mother earth is a very good representation of a matriarchal society.
Patriarchal is a society ruled by male power or authority. Father sky is a representation of a patriarchal society.
A sacrifice is something/someone who is killed for gods/earth for an exchange with something else. Giving something up for a greater good.

Pygmalion and Galatea

“A gifted young sculptor of Cyprus named Pygmalion was a woman hater.” The story of Pygmalion and Galatea shows that everyone, no matter what will find love in some way. There are three levels in describing a myth or any story for that matter. The first level is natural. This means the places around you, your world and environment. The second one is social, your community and city. The final level is psychological, or your mental being and what goes on in your mind.

On a physical level Pygmalion symbolizes all that is male. He also represents art and how to be a perfectionist. He vows never to marry. He is a woman hater. He believes art is enough for him. Yet he always sculpts women. He wants to show the other men of the community what the “perfect” woman looks like.


On a social level he makes one of his sculptures absolutely perfect. It was beautiful but he still kept working on it. He worked on it day and night. He could not keep his hand off it. He made it look SO real that he began to believe she was. He named the statue Galatea. When he was finally satisfied with it he would let no man, no woman touch it or even near it. He had made the “perfect” woman. He wanted to show every man what the real woman were not.


On a psychological level he had finally fallen in love, but he could not hold her or kiss her. No matter how hard he tried she would not come to life. He would treat her like a doll; Clothe her, put her to bed, kiss her, and bring her gifts. He went from being a woman hater to a lover of something that could not love him back. Venus felt so bad for him that she made Galatea real.


So the next time you are feeling sorry for yourself, think back to this story. A man who hated woman and vowed never to marry falls in love with a statue that could never love him back. Do not think there is not love out there for you. Just wait because there is.