Probe on Myth and Hero, A Case Study of Harry Potter: Asserting Harry Potter as a Modern Mythical Hero

A Hero is the one who stands unique as his own, based on the presumption that, he is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. Throughout this research paper, there have been undertaken many references and probes to the realm of ‘Hero’, obviously that of ‘Mythical Hero’, as the ideology concerning hero dates back it’s root in ancient myths and legends all over the world. Myriads of attempts have been made to the ‘Hero Myth Cycle’ proposed by Campbell, to assert the novel conception, concerning the well renowned fictional character, Harry Potter as a ‘Modern Mythical Hero’.

In order to investigate and to sustain the ideology concerning 'Mythical Hero', this research paper relies on the theory of 'Myth' and also the theory of 'Archetypes'. The very term Myth invokes thoughts and images that line up with make-believe, stories of gods, fairy tales, or tales of heroes. Myths, whatsoever, deserves incredible significance and belongs as such to every culture, and making 'myth' synonymous with untrue story is an awful and unfortunate development of rationalism! Each culture and civilizations brings up and nurture myths of their own and maintain them as part of their origin and evolution. The well-known American Mythologist Joseph Campbell once opined that myth is what we call other people's religion. The term 'myth' has its evolution from the Greek word "Mythos", meaning story. But, if we attempt a close reading, it could be trace out that myth is not just a mere story and is more elevated than even history, rather it is something more reliable and true than them! Campbell, one of the greatest archetypal critic, made serious probe in studying mythical stories across the world since the evolution of man and discovered they all had twelve common features. And this has come to be known as the 'Hero's Journey', and these features are at play in almost every legendary stories ever told since Odysseus.
Following many challenges, and tasks, it is quite astonishing, how Harry potter tend to be accepted as an 'Archetypal or mythical hero'. So, as it is interesting and informative, in finding and asserting the fact that, Harry potter is a Mythical hero, lets eye more on the Heroic Journey, the popular ideology moulded by Campbell in his pioneering work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Campbell once asserted in it, the normal process of Heroic Journey, "A hero ventures forth from the world of common day in to a region of supernatural wonders: Fabulous forces are there encountered a decisive victory is won; the hero comes back this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow his fellow man" (Campbell 30 in Harry Potter. This notion might serve as a surprise to readers who recount all the schools and churches that banned Harry Potter! As it seems promoting 'witchcraft', but on the contrary Rowling recurrently seems relying on 'Christianity'. This is damn provable in this very last and the seventh sequel of the series, The Deathly Hallows! Along with this religious mythical allusion, one such another religious allusion we could sort out from the very series is 'Nagini'. From the very beginning of the series itself we are familiar with the very Creature  While all these add colours to the hero myth qualities of Harry, there is Lord Voldemort, 'Archetypal or mythical foe or evil' force. As in the case of Harry, Rowling did same in the case of Voldemort! He also embodies the attributions of an 'a mythical devil'.
The general qualities emphasized on 'devil archetypes' are, 'forces within and outside of us of war against the power of positive life and change, enormous opposition to the very experiences or insights that would lead to healing'. Moving to the mythical characteristics Voldemort shares in Harry Potter. Voldemort is the main antagonist and archenemy in the series, he is such a bizarre nightmare that no one dares call him by his name, instead using phrases like, "You-Know-who', "He-Who-Must-not-Be-Named", "The Dark Lord" etc.
"…'we know the snake's not in Albania, it's usually with Vol-'. "Didn't I ask you to stop saying that?"…'I'm telling you, if there was one place vol-'. Oi" (Deathly Hallows 325-326).
So, in summing up this research paper, one is capable enough of asserting and welcoming the fact that Rowling took myriads of amazing mythical or legenderic characteristics from all around the world. It is not that surprising that the world of Harry Potter is ever memorable and ardently admirable as it mirrors the actual world itself, since the myth always presses the real world of humanity, and Harry himself embodies as "A Modern Mythical Hero".