Mono-Myth Archetypes

ARCHETYPES

I. Hero - The Hero affects change through invention or discovery. The Hero is called out to embark on a Sacred Journey which will forever change his or her world. It is through the eyes of the Hero that we experience the Journey.

II. Herald - The Herald announces the Call to Adventure and/or issues the Challenge to our Hero. The Herald can take virtually any possible form or incarnation. Once the call and/or challenged has been made by the Herald, the Hero must then choose to accept, reject, or pause in reluctance to consider the Call to Adventure and/or Challenge.
It is important to note that the Herald can appear at any point during the Hero's Journey.

III. Wise Man/Woman - The Wise Man/Woman (usually supernatural/otherworldly in nature) guides the Hero towards his or her Path. The Wise Man/Woman offers instruction and insight, and may even equip the Hero with a magical gift/tool/weapon that will aid in the Hero in his or her Journey.
The Wise Man/Woman is a mentor who can/will only journey so far with the Hero before he or she must take their appropriate absence. Their purpose is to guide the Hero toward his or her Call to Adventure.

IV. Threshold Guardian - The Threshold Guardian guards the Gate to the Unknown. This Guardian must be challenged and defeated through bargaining or death in order for the Hero to move forward in his Journey.
The Guardian's defeat and the crossing of the Threshold represent the Point of No Return. The Hero has accepted his Call and must now see it through.

V. Magical Helper - The Magical Helper or Helpers are allies that the Hero gains along his Journey into the Unknown/Abyss. These Helpers can offer insight into the local terrain, grant magical assistance/aid, offer magical gifts, and/or simply offer a Ministry of Presence.

VI. Shapeshifter - The purpose of the Shapeshifter is to bewilder, confuse, help, delay, progress, regress, and otherwise leave a Hero dumbfounded. The Shapeshifter contributes uncertainty, doubt, and tension to the Journey. Often the true intentions of the Shapeshifter are never known or understood until the last possible moment, if ever at all.
The Shapeshifter can be an ally, an enemy, or even part of the Hero himself.

VII. The Shadow - The Shadow is the reflection of the Hero's Darkest desires, rejected attributes, and repressed/untapped energies/resources. Often it is the mirrored image of Darkest parts of the Hero's being. However, the Shadow is not always a completely negative force. It can reveal redeeming and humanizing qualities that the Hero (or other caster of the Shadow) has rejected, feared, or otherwise avoided.
The Shadow can be symbolized through physical manifestation/incarnation or an internal struggle. The Shadow's defeat (or in some cases it's embrace) is pinnacle to the Hero being able to rise above his or her Self, so that he or she may find the strength/skill/ability to complete their Journey.

VIII. The Trickster - The Trickster is much like the Shapeshifter. It is the purpose of the Trickster to bring all accepted ideologies into question through disruption and apparent chaos. The Trickster breaks down the Ego of the Hero and (many times) all else he or she (or it) encounters. The Trickster is to affect lives; to cause the Hero to challenge, question, and break down his or her Understanding and Expectations.

IX. The Dragon - The Dragon is the Arch-Enemy of the Hero. The Dragon is that which must be slain in order for the Hero to complete his or her tasks. It is the barrier that attempts to prevent the birth of the important, significant, necessary change and progress that the Hero was meant to affect. The Dragon must be killed, or otherwise overcome, by the Hero.