Investigating the Archetype of Hero’s Journey in Almas-Khan Kandoolaei’s Khorshid and Kharaman

Abstract

Joseph Campbell introduced the universal archetype for the monomyth theory of hero’s journey according to Freud and Jung (regarding discovery of the unconscious). He conteded that this archetype is universal and stories in different countries imitate it. Drawing from analytical-descriptive method, the present study addresses the archetype of hero’s journey in a lyric-epic Kurdish poem entitled Khorshid and Kharaman by Almas-Khan Kandoolae. This study aims to examine different characteristics of the journey according to Campbell’s theory and the extent to which Khorshid and Kharaman imitates it. The findings demonstrate that the given archetype is utilized in Kurdish narrative works and the conformity of its seventeen stages with this theory highlights its universality. The mentioned poem imitates three stages, namely departure, initiation and return with regard to Campbell’s archetype of hero’s journey. Khorshid Khavar, the hero, moves from immaturity to maturity, revival and knowledge with the help of journey archetype in collective unconsciousness.

Keywords

• khorshid and kharaman
• almas-khan kandoolaei
• hero's journey
• joseph cambell