The Hero with a Thousand Faces Joseph Campbell

“It is the purpose of the present The Hero with a Thousand Faces, to uncover some of the truths disguised for us under the figures of religion and mythology by bringing together a multitude of not too difficult examples and letting the ancient meaning become apparent of itself. The old teachers knew what they were saying. Once we have learned to read again their symbolic language, it requires no more than the talent of an anthologist to let their teaching be heard. But first we must learn the grammar of the symbols, and as a key to this mystery I know of no better modern tool than psychoanalysis. Without regarding this as the last word on the subject, one can nevertheless permit it to serve as an approach.

The second step will be then to bring together a host of myths and folk tales from every corner of the world, and to let the symbols speak for themselves. The parallels will be immediately apparent; and these will develop a vast and amazingly constant statement of the basic truths by which man has lived throughout the millenniums of his residence on the planet.”

"The cosmogonic cycle is presented with astonishing consistency in the sacred writings of all the continents, and it gives to the adventure of the hero a new and interesting turn; for now it appears that the perilous journey was a labor not of attainment but of reattainment, not discovery but rediscovery. The godly powers sought and dangerously won are revealed to have been within the heart of the hero all the time. He is 'the king’s son' who has come to know who he is and therewith has entered into the exercise of his proper power—'God’s son,' who has learned to know how much that title means. From this point of view the hero is symbolical of that divine creative and redemptive image which is hidden within us all, only waiting to be known and rendered into life."

Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) was an American mythologist, writer, and lecturer, best known for his work in comparative mythology and religion. He studied English literature and medieval philosophy at Columbia University, later traveling to Europe to explore art and mythology. Campbell’s seminal book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), introduced the concept of the "monomyth" or "hero’s journey," a universal narrative pattern found in myths worldwide. His ideas influenced literature, film, and psychology, notably inspiring George Lucas’s Star Wars. Campbell also co-authored The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers, bringing mythology to a broader audience. His work remains a cornerstone in understanding the power of storytelling.