Orion's Guiding Stars

The myth of the hero, the grand motif of folklore, is a three-part story that is found in human cultures across time and terrain, ever since we were hunter-foragers. Here, a veteran teacher shows that the myth of the hero best reveals itself through a jewel of many facets rather than a single clear lens. You have to stand back at the proper distance from the painting in order to see the myth of the hero pop out.<p>He explores the essential features of the myth, where these stories came from and what they are really about and analyzes how regular people see these stories, revealing an unexamined dimension.<p>Combining science, history and literature, this information-packed book presents a wide-ranging tour from the pygmies to the Eskimo to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to explore the roots and the meanings of humanity's universal myth.<p>The author explores the essential features of the myth and how it aligns with life in traditional societies – and even in baboon tribes, and goes on to speculate about what these stories reveal about humanity.