Hero Formula

Just finished Robert W. Brockway's Myth from the Ice Age to Mickey Mouse. One of the most interesting points was from Lord Raglan's formula of the making of a hero in myth. The steps of the classic hero are:

- Prophecies of his birth
- Attempt on his life (usually by father)
- "Spirited away" and raised by foster parents far away
- Little or nothing is said of his childhood
- When he becomes a man, he defeats a king or giant or dragon or creature
- Becomes king
- Married princess (often the daughter of the old king)
- Initially uneventful reign
- He gives out laws
- Loses favor with gods and subjects
- Deposed and exiled
- Dies a strange and/or mysterious death (usually atop a hill)
- If he has children, they do not rule in his place
- He is not buried but has at least one sepulcher

Raglan gave the model a total of 22 points (not clearly spelled out in the book). Heroes that scored high were:

Moses 21
Oedipus 20
Theseus 20
Dionysus 19
Romulus 17
Bellerophon 16
Perseus 16
Jason 14
Pelopes 14
Zeus 14
Asclepius 12
Joseph 12
Apollo 11
Elijah 9
Siegfried 9

By my count Darth Vader scored a 16, Jesus 14, and Simba of The Lion King 11. If there's a perfect 22, I'd like to hear about it.