Archetypes in Mythology

Situational

Symbolic

The Task

Light v. Darkness

Hercules has many incidences in which he shows both a light and dark side of his personality. By performing the 12 tasks Hercules shows hope for a cleansing of his mind after killing his entire family. However Hercules also show a disregard for authority and this causes him to undergo many challenging situations. He is also very ignorant in his ways. He kills a child for spilling water on him and kills many others before thinking.

Hercules is well known for doing many tasks throughout his life. Most of the task are done to achieve some kind of benefit for himself but Hercules performed tasks for others as well with no reward. One of the best examples for tasks that Hercules performs are the 12 labors that Hercules completes as a way to cleansed of the guilt of killing his wife and children. Due to fact that Hercules performs task after task he is a perfect example of The Task archetype.

Archetypes in Mythology

Situational

Character

The Hero

The Shadow

The Task

In this myth Thor is the one who must complete "the task". He must fight and defeat the giant Hrungnir. This task requires superhuman or god like abilities because throughout all Norse myths it is quite apparent that giants are not easy things to kill. Thor has superhuman abilities that include being nearly impervious to pain and extreme strength. Due to his attributes he is able to complete his task of killing Hrungnir and he brings even more glory to his own name as well as glory to all the gods and goddesses of Asgard.

Since birth Hercules was different he killed a snake sent into his crib and killed many beasts as a child. He continued on through life completing many different tasks and quests.mmThroughout most of Hercules adventures he remains the protagonist. He goes out of his way to help the people he cares about and almost always makes up for any mistakes he may have committed. Hercules risks his life many times in order to help others and this why he is a perfect example of the Hero Archetype.

In This Myth Hrungnir plays the part of "The Shadow". In Norse Mythology the giants are usually seen as the enemies to the gods so it makes sense that a giant would ask to duel a god. The duel was fought to the death and Thor won the fight, however Hrungnir did land the first blow that forever lodged a piece of stone in Thor's forehead. Hrungnir not only played the part of the thing Thor had to fight but he also played a part in revealing Thor's dark side which is that he is a warrior that will kill the enemy with no hesitation, mercy, or remorse.

Hercules

- Norse Mythology

Thor's Duel with Hrungnir

Symbolic

The Magic Weapon

Perseus

Situational

Odin rode his horse to Jotunheim and encountered Hrungnir. Odin challenged him to a race on horseback in which Odin won while also succeeding in bringing Hrungnir to Asgard. Once at Asgard the gods got Hrungnir drunk and told Thor to come and kill Hrungnir. Thor came and was going to kill Hrungnir but instead Hrungnir challenged Thor to a duel in which Thor won almost uncontested. However Thor did get a piece of Hrungnir's weapon stuck in his head and the sorceress was unable to remove it with her singing charms.

One of Thor's most notable accessories is his hammer. The hammer is used by Thor to direct lighting and lay waste to anything he chooses to hit with it. This hammer's incredible strength is one of the reasons that he is able to defeat Hrungnir. The Hammer was created by the dwarfs and is capable of leveling mountains. That is why when Thor uses to strike Hrungir's face he is able to kill him and turn his body into nothing but ruble. Thor's hammer provides a perfect example of The Magic Weapon archetype.

The Quest

Hamilton's Mythology-

Perseus is known for the quest he went on in order to save his mother. He had to perform many tasks and seek aid from many different beings but in the end he was able to kill the snake haired creature. He then used it to take over the throne and brought in a new era to a kingdom. Because Perseus was able to complete his quest and bring a new age to the place he called home he is a prime example of The Quest Archetype.

Odin's Eye

Character

Character

Symbolic

The Creature of Nightmare

Threshold Guardian

The Magic Weapon

Throughout Perseus's quest he receives assistance as well as various weapons from different gods. He gets winged shoes and a helmet from Hermes, He also gets a sword and a shield with which he cuts of the head of a beast. Then Perseus also wields the head as a weapon to kill the people in the kingdom which he then took over. All in all Perseus would never have completed his quest if it weren't for the weapons he was given from the gods.

Odin went to Mimir’s Well which is at the roots of the world tree Yggdrasil. Where Mimir, a shadowy being lived. His knowledge of all things was practically unparalleled among the inhabitants of the universe. He achieved this status by taking his water from the well, whose waters give him this cosmic knowledge. When Odin arrived, he asked Mimir for a drink of the water. Mimir knew the value of the water and refused to give Odin some unless the he offered an eye in return. Odin cut out one of his eyes and dropped it into the well. Having made the necessary sacrifice, Mimir dipped his horn into the well and offered the now-one-eyed god a drink.

In the myth of Perseus he must kill a beast named Madusa that has snakes for hair and turns people into stone with just one look. This beast is a creature of nightmare because it instills fear into all people who have heared of it and it also threatens the life of the hero. In the end however Perseus is able to kill the beast by using the reflection in his shield and he is able to use the head as a weapon.

Works Cited

The myth of how Odin lost his eye also contains parts of a threshold guardian archetype. In the myth in order to receive a drink from Mimir's well, which will in turn grant him unparallelled wisdom, he must preform a task set forth by the guardian of the well. The task being the cutting out of his own eye. The guardian of the well is a threshold guardian because in order for Odin to be worthy of all knowledge he must first prove himself worthy.

Dan McCoy, Dan McCoy. Norse Mythology

for Smart People. Dan McCoy, 2012. web. Oct. 10, 2014.

Symbolic

Situational

Threshold

The Unhealable wound

In this myth the symbolic archetype of the threshold is clearly present. The threshold is not into another world but it is a passing from one state of mind to a complete different state. Upon drinking the water of Mimer's well Odin is not physically transported to another place but he is mentally changed and his mind passes though a threshold to a place of unparallelled knowledge. So the threshold in this myth is not one the hero must travel to, but it is one in which the hero's mind must journy to a whole new level.

In this myth Odin clearly receives an injury that is unhealable. Odin is well known for the fact that he wears an eye patch and this myth provides a back story for that, while also acting as a symbolic message. The underlying message behind this myth is the fact that in search of unlimited wisdom one will do unthinkable things including gouging out their own eye. This also proves that the wound Odin received was not only physical but physiological as well.