Greek Mythology

Hero's Journey, 12 God's, and Monsters

Call to Adventure

1: Hero is first seen in their normal setting or homeland but receives information that spurs them on towards an adventure (mission/quest) into the unknown w/ danger & risks (pt.1 The departure)

Refusal of the Call

2: Hero often has qualities most valued by the culture (but they may be ordinary), they are often hesitant to go out into the great unknown. Reasons to refuse include fear, obligations, or the desire to remain with loved ones.

Supernatural Aid

3: Hero finally accepts quest, helper/magical aid reveals itself. May include: Human/Animal guides w/ tokens, amulets, talismans, or artifacts.

Crossing the Threshold

Hero realizes they’re leaving known world and entering an unfamiliar/dangerous territory where rules/limits are unknown. Sometimes there’s a guardian of the threshold.

The Belly of the Whale

5: Final separation from old world (comfort) → New world (adventure)

• Hero undergoes metamorphosis

  • suffers loss/setbacks indicating seriousness and the reality of the new situation and accepts this separation, embracing the journey ahead. (end of departure).

Road of Trials

6: Hero is tasked w/ series of challenges & ordeals, relying upon the magical objects, and possibly aided by magical helpers. (Beginning of the initiation)

The Meeting with the Goddess

7: Hero meets goddess/queen and feels unconditional love.

Women as Temptress

8: Hero is tempted to quit journey in favor of pleasure/rest/comfort, often symbolized as female seductress.

Atonement with the Father

9: Hero initiated by the person they consider most powerful being, often is father, wizard, sensei, teacher, etc.; this = center point of journey

Apotheosis

10: Hero enters deepest knowledge /understanding

• Dying/near death thus preparing them for most difficult road ahead. Period of rest & tranquility.

The Ultimate Boon

11: Hero achieves goal and reaps rewards of the quest (end of pt.2 Initiation)

Refusal to Return

12: Having become enlightened, Hero may as first be unwilling to return to known world and bestow boon upon mankind (start of pt.3 The return)

The Magic Flight

13: Hero often must flee w/ boon; escape and journey home is as exciting as their voyage. Contains magical helpers

The Rescue from Without

14: Just as Hero has magical help and guides/rescuer in order to safely return to “known world”, especially when Hero is weak

The Return Threshold

15: Hero returns to “known world”, able to: Hold on to wisdom; integrate their new knowledge into normal life (,sharing knowledge w/ others)

Master of 2 Worlds

16:

A. Hero MAY rise to transcendence (ex. Buddha/Jesus)

B. Hero gains control of self: mind, spirit, and body. (Finds peace between physical and spiritual world; or world at home and outside)

Freedom to Live

17: Hero loses fear of death, lives in present, and has no regret for past or concern for the future.

Zeus

“King of the Gods”, God of the Sky and Thunder

Hera

Goddess of Marriage, Family, and Childbirth and Zeus’s Wife

Poseidon

God (or King) of the Sea, Earthquakes, and horses

Demeter

Goddess of Agriculture/Grain; bread

Athena

Goddess of wisdom, war, and weaving (crafts)

Apollo

God of the Prophecy, Light, and Healing (/Plagues)

Artemis

Goddess of the hunt, wilderness/wild animals, chasity, and childbirth; associated with the moon

Ares

God of War, Battle/bloodlust, and Courage

Aphrodite

Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Procreation

Hephaestus

God of Fire and Blacksmithing/Metalworking

Hermes

God of Trade, Travelers, and Messengers

Dionysus

God of Wine, Festivity, Madness

Typhon

“Father of Monsters", Giant monster with 100 snake/dragon heads growing from each shoulder, all snake eyes and his head itself have eyes that glow w/ fire. All heads can speak and make different sounds, his shoulders “touch the stars” (vry tall), all heads can speak and make diff sounds, can breathe fire.

More powerful than most of the gods and tireless when fighting.

Sphinx

Giant creature w/ Body of a lion and head of a person. It asks ppl riddles and eats them if they fail.

Harpies

“Hounds of Zeus”; Have the body of a bird and head of a lady (mostly bird and ugly). Sent by Zeus to take ppl away from Earth (bc why not).

Lamia

Zeus falls in love with Queen of Libya and daughter of Belus & Lybia, Hera tortures her by ensuring all her kids die ,Hera kills them or made her go mad and kill them herself. So she steals children born to other mothers and eats them, due to her evil actions she becomes a disfigured monster.

Manticore

Body of lions, face of man, a tail of scorpion + often bright red instead of lion-colored

Chimera

“Combination Monster”, Body & head lions, head of a goat on back, and snake for a tail. Often portrayed having udders of goat. Heads can breathe fire and snake is venomous.

Python

“Protector of Delphi and Temple of Gaia", A great snake/dragon and one of the children of Gaia. Often shown as born from mud after a “great flood” Lived in Mount Parnassus, near the Delphi - the prophetic stone