Martin Crim attempts to fit the average birth into Campbell's Monoquest.
The counter-example might be Hon-Eel's various birth quests, all of which do fit the model. She sets out with intent, passes various tests, lies with a father (Flamal or Yelm) [Sacred Marriage], has a difficult birth [Flight, culminating in Return Threshold]. The elixir is, of course obvious. Hers are definitely heroquests, and they involve birth.
In most births, there is no "Call to Adventure," since it's more or less an accidental side effect. I hope it isn't crass to say there are no tests (medical examinations are not something you have to overcome with wit or strength).
>Birth is dramatic and universal. It was probably the most
>dramatic event in early humans' lives.
I do not deny this. Nor do I deny that it's magical. Only that it's a heroquest.
So how is your new baby?
Loren Miller gives a more convincing shoehorning, though it sorta works only for the first kid, given that the Call to Adventure is falling in love with other parent. His sequence would probably work better for marriage, where the "Sacred Marriage" portion is the acceptance of the marriage proposal, the "Flight" the various obstacles involved in actually getting to the ceremony. The wedding ceremony itself would be the Crossing the Return Threshold, and the elixir brought back to the world is either the party (well, I like to think we threw a good one for our relatives and friends) or matrimonial bliss.
The problem with treating birth as a heroquest, though, is that there really is no threshold, there's no "other place" where transmundane events happen. (Falling in love may be magical, but surely you don't leave that state once birth happens.)
OK, I've spoken twice, and will try to be silent on this topic.
Powered by hypermail