the Hero, by Lord Raglan

The book contains 3 parts: 1) "traditional narratives are never historical", 2) "that they are myths, and that a myth is a story told in connection with a rite", 3) "it is the dramatic features of ritual which give rise to the myth -- that is, to the traditional narrative", and classic drama.

I read the book in order to have a solid background of Jung's hero archetype. Only part 2 of the book serves this book. The entire book could be very interesting for the right readers, but not for me. I feel it is too academic, e.g. part 1 spends too much space listing the opinions and statements from many many other people and then argues that they are wrong.

Read first 4 chapters, entire part 2, and first and last chapter of part 3.

Greenwood Press.  1975. ISBN 0837181380.