What is the Hero's Journey?

The following is a rough draft of the text of a project I'm working on for my favorite band The Irons.

The Hero's Journey is a recurring narrative pattern first identified by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949). It is also known as the monomyth — a single story that echoes across all times and cultures, from ancient myths and epics to modern blockbusters.

The Odyssey, The Epic of Gilgamesh, Beowulf, Dante's Inferno, Hamlet, Star Wars, The Matrix, Harry Potter, The Lion King, Dune, The Lord of the Rings, The Hunger Games, The Wizard of Oz, and now: The Irons.

Campbell argued that The Hero's Journey is so pervasive because we are all living parts of it in one way or another. The Hero who completes the journey emerges transformed for the better, but many of us are stuck, unable to move forward. We are paralyzed by doubt, lost without direction, or overwhelmed by one sad experience after another. Many believe that to experience the full cycle of The Hero's Journey through word, image, or song is to be given a map to your own self-realization.

Scroll to experience the different landmarks of The Hero's Journey told through 4 concept albums by the alternative rock band The Irons.

1. Peter Clear Boy / Taking Off

A Departure or Separation

The hero leaves the familiar world behind.

2. Taking It All In / Exploring

A Descent into the Unknown

The path darkens. The hero faces trials, temptations, and inner doubts. Nothing is easy. Allies may falter. Identity unravels.

3. He's About To Blow / Suffering

A Confrontation with Death

Something breaks. And the hero disappears.

4. ??? / Transforming

The Return Home

The Hero's Journey consists of a transformative journey away from the familiar, into the unknown, and, eventually, back home.