"The Myth of the Birth of the Hero: A Psychological Interpretation of Mythology" by Otto Rank unveils strikingly similar stories of how heroes are supposedly born. Rank's work presents the hero birth myth as a widespread phenomenon. The common elements found in diverse characters' origin stories, ranging from tales of abandonment to extraordinary survival, act as a mirror to the universal psyche. Rank puts forth the concept that these myths are not isolated incidents but rather share symbolic and psychological patterns. The book begins by examining existing theories, but moves towards a more intense analysis of hero narratives, such as those of Sargon, Moses, Karna, and Œdipus, in an effort to uncover the core human psychology beneath the surface of the stories.
The Myth of the Birth of the Hero: A psychological interpretation of mythology
By Otto Rank
Across cultures, legends tell similar tales of chosen ones abandoned at birth, only to overcome fate and rise to greatness.
Summary
About the AuthorOtto Rank was an Austrian psychoanalyst, writer, and philosopher. Born in Vienna, he was one of Sigmund Freud's closest colleagues for 20 years, a prolific writer on psychoanalytic themes, editor of the two leading analytic journals of the era, including Internationale Zeitschrift für Psychoanalyse, managing director of Freud's publishing house, and a creative theorist and therapist. In 1926, Rank left Vienna for Paris and, for the remainder of his life, led a successful career as a lecturer, writer, and therapist in France and the United States.
Otto Rank was an Austrian psychoanalyst, writer, and philosopher. Born in Vienna, he was one of Sigmund Freud's closest colleagues for 20 years, a prolific writer on psychoanalytic themes, editor of the two leading analytic journals of the era, including Internationale Zeitschrift für Psychoanalyse, managing director of Freud's publishing house, and a creative theorist and therapist. In 1926, Rank left Vienna for Paris and, for the remainder of his life, led a successful career as a lecturer, writer, and therapist in France and the United States.
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