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In today’s rational and pragmatic world, interest in mythology is growing and becoming more profound. Myths, like centuries ago, enchant and fascinate, and ancient tales become relevant. Campbell’s work is dedicated to the most frequently encountered mythological plot – the story of a hero, his miraculous birth, deeds, marriage to a beautiful woman, wise reign, and mysterious death. One of the chapters of Padraic Colum’s book The Children of Odin describes the birth and youth of Sigurd – a character of the Norse mythology and the central hero in the Volsunga saga. In the context of the Campbells’ structure of the mythic hero’s journey, Sigurd’s youth resonates with the Separation phase. The paper will further analyze how the myth, with some deviations, represents a classic example of a hero’s journey and will provide evidence to support its stages.
Separation
The evolvement of a mythic hero has a specific structure. Campbell weaved together various elements of constructing a basic framework that helps create stories (Mondragon). The chapter “Sigurd’s Youth,” given its title, already tells the reader that it will describe the beginning of a story about Sigurd. Although it resonates with the Separation phase, it does not get to the first stage, the Call to Adventure, right away.
Limitations in the Concept
The writer introduces Sigurd in the first paragraph of the chapter. However, by referring to him as a “foster son,” it is unclear if he or King Alv, who was “wise and good,” is the hero of the myth (Colum, 1). Colum spends time describing the circumstances that led to Sigurd’s appearance in the house of King Alv. The Campbells’ concept does not provide for such a preparatory stage. However, it seems quite crucial in Sigurd’s myth because it helps to build the readers’ understanding of how and why a boy, albeit of royal descent, becomes a hero. Sigurd was born to Queen Hiordis and King Sigmund, who was killed in a battle with King Lygni (Colum, 1). The writer notes that King Sigmund belonged to the race of Volsungs, Odin’s successors, therefore leading the readers to the fact that Sigurd is of a God’s descent.
Call to Adventure
At the beginning of the story, it seems that Sigurd’s birth and youth are represented as nothing but the ordinary. In the second paragraph, the writer states that Sigurd was “so fearless and so strong that he once captured a bear of the forest and drove him to the King’s Hall” (Colum, 1). In line with Campbell’s concept, Sigurd’s childhood nevertheless is shown to be quite normal for a king’s son. He is praised by the people who say that “he is as mighty as any that have gone before” (Colum, 2). However, his eagerness for adventure is outlined when the writer mentions that he built a hut in the forest and hunts with wild animals (Colum, 2). These parts of the story tell the readers that the hero on the verge of heading into the adventure.
The Refusal of Call
The presentation of the second stage of the Separation in the story – the Refusal of Call – is controversial. One day Sigurd is challenged by Regin, a blacksmith who teaches him how to work with iron, to question his stepfather King Alv. Regin quotes King Alv to Sigurd, saying that “he treats thee as if thou wert thrall-born” (Colum, 4). It seems, however, that Sigurd is feared to stand up to his father. His inaction may also represent Campbell’s fear “to breach the walls of the unknown” (Mondragon, para. 14). Otherwise, his attitude towards the King may also be interpreted as respect when he mentions that “he would let me have riches if I had need of them (Colum, 4). Therefore, it is unclear whether the writer followed Campbell’s structure of a hero’s journey or not by providing this information to the readers.
Supernatural Aid
The third stage of the Separation phase is represented in the story of Sigurd’s youth quite evidently. Rigid is referred to as an Enchanter by Colum when the readers first meet the character (4). He is the “wise sage who aids in matriculation as well as provides knowledge and skills necessary to contend in the next stage” (Mondragon, para. 15). Alternatively, the stranger Sigurd met by the river may also be presented as the magic force since he was the one who let Sigurd pick his horse. The writer even hints that the stranger might be the God Odin himself when he notes that “only one of his eyes was to be seen, but that eye might see through a stone” (Colum, 5). By adhering to Campbell’s concept here, the writer prepares the readers to a notion of the hero’s preparedness to venture into the new world. In other words, it opens doors to the next phase of the Monomyth – the Initiation.
Sigurd’s Youth follows the concept developed by Campbell, but to a certain extent only. It does resonate with the first phase of the pattern – the Separation. However, the interpretation of the specific stages is quite controversial and has some deviations. While the Supernatural Aid is presented in a quite obvious manner, the Refusal of Call stage is somewhat limited and may not be interpreted as such. The writer also deviates from the pattern by providing a thorough background story of the circumstances under which the future hero was born to show the importance of his descent to the further story’s development.
Works Cited
Colum, Padraic. The Children of Odin: The Book of Northern Myths. The Project Gutenberg eBook, 2008. Web.
Mondragon, Angel. “The Hero With 1,000 Faces” Commentary & Summary.” Medium, 2019, Web.
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