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June 21, 1988

Miniseries

An exhilarating journey into the mind and spirit of a remarkable man, a legendary teacher, and masterful storyteller Joseph Campbell, conducted by TV journalist Bill Moyers in the acclaimed PBS series.

01. The Hero's Adventure

Long before medieval knights charge off to slay dragons, tales of heroic adventures were an integral part of all world cultures. Campbell challenges everyone to see the presence of a heroic journey in his or her life.

About Campbell, hero types, hero deeds, Jesus Christ, the Buddha, Krishna, movie heroes, Star Wars as a metaphor, an Iroquois story: the refusal of suitors, dragons, dreams and Jungian psychology, “follow your bliss,” consciousness in plants, Gaia, Chartres cathedral, spirituality vs. economics, emerging myths, “Earthrise” as a symbol.

58min
June 21, 1988

02. The Message of the Myth

Campbell compares the creation story in Genesis with creation stories from around the world. Because the world changes, religion has to be transformed and new mythologies created. People today are stuck with myths that don't fit their needs.

Creation myths, transcending duality, pairs of opposites, God vs. Nature, sin, morality, participation in sorrow, the Gospel of Thomas, Old Time Religion, computers, religion as “software,” the story of Indra: “What a great boy am I!,” participation in society.

1h 0min
June 22, 1988

03. The First Storytellers

Campbell discusses the importance of accepting death as rebirth as in the myth of the buffalo and the story of Christ, the rite of passage in primitive societies, the role of mystical Shamans, and the decline of ritual in today's society.

Animal memories, harmonization with body and life-cycle, consciousness vs. its vehicle, killing for food, story: “The Buffalo's Wife,” buffalo massacre, initiation ritual, rituals diminishing, crime increasing, artists, the Shaman, the center of the world.

1h 0min
June 23, 1988

04. Sacrifice and Bliss

Campbell discusses the role of sacrifice in myth, which symbolizes the necessity for rebirth. He stresses the need for every one of us to find our sacred place in the midst of today's fast-paced, technological world.

Chief Seattle, the sacred Earth, agricultural renewal, human sacrifice, sacrifice of the Mass, transcendence of death, story: “The Green Knight,” societal dictates vs. following bliss, “hidden hands” guiding life's work.

1h 0min
June 24, 1988

05. Love and the Goddess

Campbell talks about romantic love, beginning with the 12th century troubadors, and addresses questions about the image of women - as goddess, virgin, Mother Earth.

The Troubadours, Eros, romantic love, Tristan, libido vs. credo, separation from love, Satan, loving your enemy, the Crucifixion as atonement, virgin birth, the story of Isis, Osiris and Horus, the Madonna, the Big Bang, the correlation between the earth or mother Goddess and images of fertility (the sacred feminine).

1h 0min
June 25, 1988

06. Masks of Eternity

Campbell provides challenging insights into the concepts of God, religion, and eternity, as revealed in Christian teachings and the beliefs of Buddhists, Navajo Indians, Schopenhauer, Jung and others.

Identifying with the infinite, the circle as a symbol, clowns and masks, epiphanies and James Joyce, artistic arrest, the monstrous as sublime, the dance of Shiva, that which is beyond words.

1h 0min
June 26, 1988

98. Selections from Sukhavati - Place of Bliss

This was not an episode of the original Power of Myth broadcast, it was an extra included in a DVD set later. It should be deleted from Season 1 and - optionally - listed as a Special (Season 0) instead.

This was listed on the DVD as "Selections from Sukhavati - Place of Bliss", it contains clips from a separate full length release.

9min
October 27, 1998

99. Selections from The Mythology of Star Wars

This was not an episode of the original Power of Myth broadcast, it was an extra included in a DVD set later. It should be deleted from Season 1 and - optionally - listed as a Season 0 special instead.

It is a 15 minute interview with George Lucas about the mythology of Star Wars, a clip taken from a longer 60 minute program.

15min
September 1, 2000