Final Annotated Bibliographies

Keegan Bird
Annotated Bibliographies
Joseph Campbell

The Belly of the Whale
The Belly of the Whale symbolizes a crossing of the threshold into a new world with a higher power, but is really engulfed into an unknown abyss where the hero is thought to be dead. This popular motif is symbolized in many stories including the Eskimo story of the Raven, the Zulu story of the mother swallowed by the elephant, and the Greek story of Herakles slaying the monster. Inside the Belly of the Whale is thought to be a voyage beyond the visible world, where the hero can be born again.
An interesting quote in this reading is “anyone unable to understand god is seen as a devil, and is thus defended from the approach;” the belly of the whale is a place where the hero goes to find himself and better himself for the sake of his journey. As described in the Story of the Egyptian, the hero passes back and fourth across the land, as a dragon passes across hi layer, showing there is nothing to fear.
1) What are some present day stories that correspond to this one?
2) What did Ananda Coomaraswamy mean when she said, “no creature can attain a higher grade of nature without ceasing to exist?
3) What was the significance of the story of the Twin Hero’s
Sarcophagus-
Resurrection-
Savior-

The Road of Trials
Campbell describes the next portion of the hero's journey after crossing the threshold. The hero travels into a dream world with even more frequent tests to challenge his worthiness. During these tests, the hero is helped with the tools previously given to him from the supernatural aid. The first example given by Campbell of this road of trials is the myth about Cupid's lover, Psyche. Psyche is sent on a series of “errands” or tests for Cupids mother, Venus. Along the way, Psyche is aided by numerous beings, including a reed, eagle, and an army of ants. Campbell continues by stating that along this journey, the hero is cleansed and humbled, transcending his or her past.
This section is closely resembled by the Disney movie, Alice in Wonderland. Alice stumbles down a road and falls into a rabbit hold where she is faced with many challenges that test her throughout her journey. She is aided by different characters and lead down the path to eventually get out of the rabbit hole. Her road of travels is an almost exact replica of the stories told by Campbell.
1. What other modern day examples are there where the hero is assisted along their journey?
2. Who represents the medicine man in our society?
3. Do you think many people experience a spiritual rebirth?
Neurosis-
Shaman-
Purification-
The Meeting with the Goddess
The goddess is a common symbol of the hero’s final fate where he is either coaxed into love and then broken or taken in to live the rest of his life with her. The goddess changes roles in various myths, taking on the role of mother, sister, or lover. The goddess is described with such great beauty that they compare her to the beauty of the surrounding nature. Campbell gives many examples showing these contrasting roles of the goddess. The first example is that of divine beauty. The story takes place in Ireland and is about a young prince who is on the journey to save the Queen of Erin. During his journey, he comes across 12 beautiful maidens, ending with the beautiful Tubber Tintye. Another example is of Ramakrishna, who while meditating a beautiful woman emerges from the Ganges River. When he sees the beautiful woman, she changes form suddenly and becomes a horrific monster and eats the baby. The meeting with the goddess is the final test of the hero to win the love of the female.
Most happy go lucky stories today, especially in cartoons follow this structure with meeting the goddess. Shrek is the first that comes to mind. The ogre goes on a journey to keep his home from the king’s soldiers and eventually finds the princess and falls in love and they live happily ever after. This story also works opposite of Shrek, because the princess ogre was really beautiful on the inside, rather than ugly and evil.
1. What is another modern day example of this story?
2. What other story is Ramakrishna in common with?
3. Do you think the famed prince charming holds as strong as the goddess figure in the stereotypical story fables.
Paragon-
Bliss-
Capacious-
Woman as the Temptress
The Woman as Temptress describes the relationship between the hero and the woman as a complete bond. The woman is said to be life and the hero is the all knower and master of life. The hero's mother and father's have stepped out of the picture and are replaced by the hero and his woman. Once the hero has found his own companion, he no longer has the jealousy towards his father. The hero seems blocked by perfection and has no more motivation to continue of his quest. Yet, the hero once again finds imperfection by standing still and eventually moves on as explained in the Den of Lions, and Mounts of Leopards.
The problem with the Woman as Temptress is that they can sometimes be deceiving to the hero. Like the Syrians in the Odysseys, the hero is lured in by their beautiful voices and cast onto the island for the rest of their lives. The promise land is filled with Fiery serpents! For the hero, he must use the knowledge he gained along his journey and be weary of the devil in disguise.
1. What is the relevance of hamlet in this story?
2. What modern day examples can you think of?
3. Do you believe women are a temptress as Campbell describes them?
Zionward
Indignant-
Apparations-

Atonement with The Father
The atonement with the father describes the relationship between the father and son and how the image of the father is portrayed on his child. The father symbolizes power and strength to the son and he then idolizes this image to eventually become an adult. The son feels that he must prove himself to win the love of the father. Campbell quotes Jonathan Edwards, on the Wrath of God, using this to symbolize the power of the Divine and the insignificance of the Devil. Campbell then describes the story of the Navaho twins. Once they reach their father's castle, they are met by an angry god who wishes to destroy them. It is until they follow the advice given to them by the Spider Woman, that the father finally allows them to be a part of his household.
Campbell believes that in order to reach the father, the child needs to let go of his ego, both God and Sin. This practice is called Atonement. I find it interesting how Campbell points out that in most mythologies, the images of mercy and grace are rendered as vividly as those of justice and wrath, so that the balance is maintained, and the heart is buoyed rather than scourged along its way.
1. What is the significance of the last sentence in the paragraph above?
2. Is the father merciful?
3. Is what does the Great Father Snake represent?
Mystagogue-
Omnipotent-
Benediction-
Apotheosis
Campbell starts off the chapter by describing the beloved Bodhiasattva. It signifies a blessing that holds the sins of evil people within itself so they can prosper, as in the Jewel of the Lotus. It contains both female and male qualities making it the perfect union. Bodhiasattva is defined as “he who is being enlightenment.” In the following section, he describes the human nature to love and protect only which is in their immediate proximity, including the self. This area of protection does not include the rest of the world, and this is why normally peaceful groups fight wars. For one to be truly enlightened and to be able to fully become the hero is to escape from the past materialistic life and self concerned ego is to truly be transformed into a hero.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” This quote is important in the text because it brings up the question on whether we are a part of God or simply his figure puppets. “God walks on earth, and thereupon the building the wall of Paradise”, which is then used to bring about the lack of mans ability to recollect the image of God. When reading this passage, I felt it to be more out of place in the book than any other passage read so far.
1. What normally accompanies Bodhiasattva?
2. Do you think the whole reason for continuing on this journey is to reach Nirvana?
3. How can one reach enlightenment?
Enlightenment-
Ascetic-
Sublime-
Ultimate Boon
Campbell describes a seemingly easy task at the beginning of the story and then leads on to say the hero has become a superior man, a born king. At this point in the journey, the hero's desire to be immortal like the gods and obtain their grace and power overtakes the hero. Campbell describes the World Navel as holding a flaming water that represents the indestructible essence of existence. Defense mechanisms are brought up in this reading on the basis of infantile body destruction fantasies. These mechanisms are abreaction and projection. Abreaction is where the insides have already been destroyed, and projection is foreign sorcerers who shoot disease substances into people. Every culture has a spiritual essence of the Ultimate Boom, including the Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian.
The Ultimate Boon represents something that every human being wishes to obtain, immortality. That immortality can come in any form, not just by living forever. The story of elixir is described in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the legendary king of the Sumerian city of Erech. The king is told of the dangers ahead and is offered peace and a bounty of food but he persisted on moving on and eventually regrets his journey. Campbell later describes the miracle of miracles and glorified the effulgence of true being.
1. What is the significance in the three water bottles from the flaming well?
2. What is the World Navel?
3. What does the story of Maui of Polynesia represent?
Vogler’s Last Chapters
Voglers stories have a direct correlation with the stories described by Joseph Campbell. The Hero with a Thousand Faces entails the hero’s journey which Vogler bases his writings on. Vogler first outlines the stages of the hero’s journey in a simple list on names that Joseph Campbell takes an entire book to describe. On the beginning of Vogler’s Hero’s Journey, he starts out be describing how a journey can be any situation whether its going to the grocery store, walking in the park, or traveling outside the country.
The ordinary world is setup as the boundary between the normal world the hero encounters and the new world her will eventually step into. The call to adventure is the presentation of a challenge or a problem that leads to the adventure. The refusal of the call is about fear, it deters the hero from going on the journey but eventually they head off. The mentor is the guidance of some entity to help the hero on their way. Crossing of the first threshold is when the hero finally commits to the journey. Tests, allies, and enemies is the natural occurrences of problems on the journey. Approach to the inmost cave is the first encounter of a dangerous place. The ordeal is the “black moment” where suspense is encountered. The reward is where the hero takes the treasure after surviving death. The road back is the vengeful forces the hero encounters on the way back from his journey. The resurrection is where the hero is reborn from the underworld to the normal world again. Return with the elixir is the return with the prize of going on with the journey. Vogler gives a very identical writing og the hero’s journey in a present time fashion.
1) Why does Vogler re-write Campbells, Hero of a Thousand Faces?
2) Does Vogler relate well to our time period?
3) Which story, out of Vogler and Campbell, is easier to comprehend?
Elixir-
Archetypes-
Wisdom-