Most people know of the hero’s journey. Joseph Campbell made it famous, when he discovered that mythological stories from all over the world have a similar inner build-up: There is always a hero in the story who leaves his regular life with a mission to change the status quo. After many adventures, trials and coming into contact with the divine, the hero returns home as a new person. There are mostly male heroes in those stories.
What most people DON’T realize is that the hero’s journey is much much older than the mythological stories found in the written classical mythology. It truly dates back to the Neolithic Age. Keep reading
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Experts in the field have long speculated that folk tales contain information on the social organizations and belief systems of our European ancestors. What anthropologists find in prehistoric times are predominantly matriarchal values. They ensure that nature’s life-sustaining assets are distributed in a just way to ensure everybody’s survival. In the eyes of the creators of our folk tales, planning and managing assets were essential skills to ensure the survival of their communities.
"Fairy tale heroines and heroes are walking in alignment with the cosmic order. Goals of personal individuation and the heroism popular today are unimportant to them. They strive to integrate all the creative energies into their lives and they do not rest until balance is restored, if needed. This is when the alchemy between humans and the divine can happen, when humans become the representatives of the goddess again." Excerpt from "The True Hero's Journey in Fairy Tales and Stone Circles"