Publisher's Synopsis
The Hero with a Thousand Faces (first published in 1949) is a work of comparative mythology by Joseph Campbell, in which the author discusses his theory of the mythological structure of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world myths. Since the publication of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell's theory has been consciously applied by a wide variety of modern writers and artists. Filmmaker George Lucas acknowledged Campbell's theory in mythology, and its influence on the Star Wars films.
The Power of Myth is a book based on the 1988 PBS documentary, "Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth". The documentary was originally broadcast as six one-hour conversations between mythologist Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) and journalist Bill Moyers. It remains one of the most popular series in the history of American public television. The Power of Myth is essentially based on the interviews between Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers that were the basis for the acclaimed television series. It deals with the universality and evolution of myths in the history of the human race and the place of myths in modern society. Campbell blends accounts of his own upbringing and experience with stories from many cultures and civilizations to present the reader with his most compelling thesis that modern society is going through a transition from the old mythologies and traditions to a new way of thinking where a global mythology will emerge. In these discussions Campbell presents his ideas about comparative mythology and the ongoing role of myth in human society. These talks include excerpts from Campbell's seminal work The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Some of the material in the first chapter comes from Campbell's previously published books, The Hero with a Thousand Faces and The Masks of God. The main theme of the book is the universality of myths-what Campbell calls "Mankind's one great story."- that occur throughout the history of Mankind, no matter which epoch or whichever culture or society is considered. Myths are the body of stories and legends that a people perceive as being an integral part of their culture. Before the invention of writing, these stories and legends were handed down from generation to generation in the form of rituals and oral traditions. The reappearance of certain themes, time and again, in different mythologies, leads to the realization that these themes portray universal and eternal truths about mankind. Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell are two of the most prominent explorers of the psychoanalytical and mythological origins for human and social behavior. Carl Jung expanded the work of Sigmund Freud and the unconscious mind to emphasize the mythological forces working within the individual to shape his or her personality. It is my contention that we can trace a lineage of Gnostic influences in the works of Joseph Campbell, Carl Gustav Jung, and Jordan Peterson to see how virtually everything that these writers preach is simply repacked ancient Gnostic Luciferian doctrine. As such, what we have seen in modern mythological studies and modern psychology is not just Campbell's Hero With a Thousand Faces, but rather, The Gnostic Serpent from The Biblical Garden With a Thousand Faces, forever repackaged as something enticing for a modern age to worship in doctrine, intellectual study, and ritual. The ideas of Jung have generated renewed interest due to the writings, lectures and appearances of Canadian clinical psychologist, professor of psychology and best-selling author, Jordan Peterson. And The Serpent With a Thousand Faces is leading the way into that Gnostic Luciferian abyss.
