作者：Robin Koman

引言

几个月前我便开始掂量着写一篇关于游戏设计中的神话故事的文章，并且因为我最近重新燃起了对于Joseph Campbell（游戏邦注：是一位喜欢研究所有伟大神话共同之处的学者）所提出的“英雄周期”的兴趣，所以我认为是时候与一些游戏设计者分享我关于神话故事的想法了。

根据教学理论，我认为有必要让人们能够在生活中随时了解神话，为了在游戏设计中注入更多新鲜的内容，我们有必要将其教授给那些欲迈入游戏产业的学生们。我很荣幸能够待在扬帆世界教育学校(冬园)|Full Sail Real World Education）3年并教授游戏开发和电脑动画课程。为何是电脑动画？我们发现原型角色和多文化色彩特征都是对艺术家有帮助的好工具，而如果他们能够知晓多种不同的神话故事，那么便有可能设计出更多有特色的角色。

神话课程

在这个神话课程中我们将会提及一些基础的观点，这也是我们每个月都会教授给学生的内容，我们将在此进行讨论。首先便是“神话”这个词。在现代西方文化中，这个词经常会与“迷信”，“不合逻辑”或者“不真实”等联系在一起。像“流言终结者”这类型的节目就是对于“神话传说”的一种抨击。而现在，是时候驱散现代这种对于神话的错误理解了。

简单来说，神话是一种用来传达心理社会真理的故事。所以神话是一种贯穿于故事中的信仰系统，不论是书面还是口头上，都能够为读者诠释整个世界，并描绘人们是如何在这个世界中生活着。按照这些说法，任何神学系统也可以被当成神话系统，但是神话中却很少涉及一些有关宗教的细节问题。

学生们都必须熟悉神话研究的相关历史，包括Carl Jung的相关理论。Jung是位著名的心理学家，被称为当代的弗洛伊德（奥地利精神分析学家）。但是他摆脱了弗洛伊德以及心理分析学家身份的束缚，而转向对集体无意识主义的探索（游戏邦注：集体无意识主义主要是宣称所有人类都共享一种心理能量，并通过原型或者普遍的模型传达出来）。正是基于这些原型概念所表现出来的神话理论，推动了Joseph Campbell创造出《千面英雄》，并且他在此定义了“英雄周期”的步骤，而这也是后来世界上普遍使用的英雄神话原型。

“英雄周期”

“英雄周期”并不是凭空而生的一个概念，Campbell定义“英雄周期”包括3个主要部分：离开，启蒙，回来，即在一个年轻人花费时间学习各种英雄神话故事。在《千面英雄》中，他详细列举出了英雄们在完成“离开，启蒙，回来”这3部分所经历的17个原型步骤。说到“英雄”，我这里所说的是包括了男女两种性别。因为Jordie Fine已经很详细地描述了英雄周期，所以我便不在此详细说明。但是在Cambell的文章中，他同样也定义了6个渗透了英雄神话的角色原型，让我们就此进行论述。

首先是“英雄”，这个角色在冒险中拥有很重要的存在感。他的身边总是围绕着一群忠实的朋友或者伙伴，也就是“Herald”。还有一个谨慎，聪明的人总是会给予英雄建议或者法宝，他便是“Mentor”。“Trickster”则是欢乐的化身，但是在他出现的任何地方都会打来各种破坏。“Shape-shifter”会发生生理和心理上的转变，并给英雄带来各种疑惑。最后，但并不是最终，Campbell还设定了“Shadow”，这个总是给予英雄直接反击的角色。

英雄神话

怎样才能将这些观念传达给学生们？最有效的办法便是结合它们所来自的不同神话故事进行描写。教授学生各种各样的英雄神话，等同于告诉他们关于这些英雄所诞生的背景文化，让他们能够在不同背景设置下更好地理解英雄周期中的各个元素。同时，他们也能够借此体验这种叙述结构下的故事魅力。在这里英雄周期巧妙地利用了英雄这个形象，而不只是他们的物理表现。对于每一种物理改变，也有相应的心理改变与之呼应。

在创意写作领域中，我们将此称之为角色发展。让我们正视一个问题，即当电子游戏背后的创造技术变得越来越高级的同时，人们也期待着能够看到更多精细的故事。游戏的整体叙述结构非常重要，很多游戏中都设定了非常紧凑的情节，让玩家总是会对游戏结果报以期待。但是这是角色的发展过程，不论是角色的改变还是完善，都将能够创造出一种经典。《梦陨: 无尽的旅程》的April Ryan，《Silent Hill 2》的James Sunderland以及《战神》中的Kratos都是些非常典型的例子。在一个结构不错的叙述中添加一些较有目的性且多样的角色发展将能够帮助游戏成功地转变成优秀的艺术品。

因为扬帆世界教育学校提供了加快课程以帮助学生能够最快地获得肄业证书，学士学位以及硕士学位，所以通常情况下一个学期的课程会被压缩到1或2个月的课程中。历史原型和神话课程的学习时间是1个月，而在这段时间里，我们的学生必须学习各种神话，包括爱尔兰-凯尔特神话故事中的Ulster Cycles传奇，挪威、埃及、美索不达米亚以及希腊罗马时期的神话故事。除此之外，我们还要求学生们了解印度教，佛教，日本神道教，以及所有带有英雄角色的内容，如《罗摩传》（游戏邦注：印度古代梵语两大史诗之一），悉达多（佛教创始人释迦牟尼的本名）故事集，以及阿伊努族的神话故事。

每一堂课的开始都会从社会-政治以及历史角度简短地介绍不同神话的文化背景，随后便展开对这些神话故事的讲说。其中包括解析这些神话故事中所传达的主题，讨论特定文化中所使用的不同标志性颜色等。一旦确定了相应的框架，学生们便会开始学习神话系统中的一些创造性元素，并讨论不同的神灵，英雄角色以及各种鬼怪。讨论中总是会提到那些被用于游戏创造中的神话元素。如果没有哪一款畅销游戏使用了我们所讨论到的神话，那我们的话题便会转变到这种文化主题是如何对我们本身产生影响的。而这些内容对于学生们未来在游戏产业中的发展都将很有帮助。

文化多样性

对于我们教授各种各样的神话故事其实有很多优点。我发现那些曾经接触过神话故事的学生们，不论是在学校中还是在自己的课外拓展中，所了解到的“经典”神话故事也多半是希腊，罗马或者挪威的神话。也难怪这么多年来我们所看到的神话题材小说或者游戏等都是关于小矮人，精灵，食人魔或者巨人等来自挪威神话中的生物，或者牛头人，半人马等来自于希腊神话中的鬼怪，而不是JRR Tolkien（游戏邦注： 英国语言学家、作家，他因创作了奇幻小说《魔戒》三部曲而得名）笔下的那些生物。

想想创造一款充满创造性故事情节和游戏设置的游戏其实很简单，特别是冒险类游戏，动作冒险类游戏以及角色扮演类游戏，只要将它们的背景设置在一个交错的神话故事中便可。假设将角色扮演游戏的背景设定为印度的神话故事，没有精灵或者小矮人，玩家可以选择人类或者那伽（水神）或者苏格里瓦王(King Sugriva)中的大额神猴（这是印度人崇拜的神祇之一）。而遭受的敌人也不再是食人魔，巨人或者地精，玩家在这里将面临的是罗刹魔以及可怕的食尸鬼，被称作“Bhutas”和“Churels”。在这类型的神话故事中，我们能看到世界上最鲜明的色彩以及广阔的河流，并清晰地辨明出上帝的性别。而与西方神话的不同背景设置也包含了地理和建筑风格的不同，从而能带给游戏一种不一样的新鲜感。

亚洲的神话故事也非常适合用于游戏的校准系统中。举个例子来说，日本文化中的一些鬼怪：如天狗。根据记载，天狗是住在深山里的乌鸦身状的人。如果正直的人进入了天狗所在的树林中并寻求帮助，那么它就会伪装成一个老人的形象出现，它有一张很红的脸以及长长的鼻子，会教授这个英雄武术，并赐予他法宝。相反地，如果进入树林的是一个邪恶的小人，天狗便会变成地精，不断折磨戏弄他直到逃离出这片树林。天狗也有不同种类，所以也有属于水怪的天狗，这种天狗身形有点像水龟，在头上有一个浅浅的凹口，注满了水。如果人们与自然和谐相处，那么天狗便会教授人们如何治疗受伤的骨骼以及使用各种草药，但是如果人们滥用土地并污染河流，那么天狗便会引来洪水惩罚人们。在游戏《神鬼寓言》以及《星球大战：共和国武士》中都运用了这一技巧，从而让广大游戏玩家感受到来自亚洲神话的别样魅力。

学习各种各样的神话故事同样也让学生们能够了解到更多不同的主题，并推动他们在自己的游戏中创造更多不同的角色和文化。在凯尔特和希腊文化中，总是很突出地强调了外在完美和个体荣耀的理念，例如关于弩阿达国王与火神赫菲斯托斯的故事，很显然这种观念深受西方文化的影响，你可以从有关的游戏角色中发现这种魅力。挪威文化同样也强调了个体荣耀，但是对于那些只会追求瓦尔哈拉殿堂荣耀的懦夫们来说，外在完美便不再那么重要了。Tyr（诸神中的力士，也是战神。传说是巨人的儿子）是唯一有勇气把手放进Loki（北欧神话中的火神，是宇宙间的恶势力）的狼子Fenrir口中的神，尽管他失去了手臂但却受到世人的尊重。但是对于Tyr来说，他的胜利是一种勇气的象征，能够让他获得瓦尔哈拉殿堂永世的荣耀，因为瓦尔哈拉殿堂是那些死去的勇士们装载荣誉的圣地。而这种文化间的细微差别能够帮助设计者创造出更丰富且更让人满意的游戏体验。

同时这种差别也是设计者们进行本土化区分的一种有力工具。就像是虽然个人荣耀在西方文化中非常盛行，但是对于中东或者亚洲地区的人们却没有多大影响。而通过学习不同地区的神话故事和文化，能够教会学生们如何去针对不同市场而创造出不同主题的游戏设计。除此之外，基于这种差别也能够帮助我们的学生创造出更多多元化的英雄角色。就像我们在角色发展中提到的，各种角色也需要有多种心理动机。只有在接触不同的主题，我们的学生们才能为玩家创造出更多新的英雄角色。

世界神话

并不是说游戏设计学生们只要学好了各种类型英雄神话便可。不论游戏情节多么有趣还是游戏角色多么吸引人，如果你所创造的游戏世界不具备任何现实性或者深度，那么玩家也不会愿意尝试游戏。为了避免这一结果，设计者必须学习“创世纪”或者“宇宙论”中关于社会结构的相关知识。在任何一种文化中都能够找到类似的故事，即关于宇宙是如何形成，植物，动物，水以及最重要的智慧生命等是如何形成。对于一款幻想与现实交汇的游戏来说，开发者必须了解“创世纪”中的一些共同观点，从而才能在游戏中创造出更深层次的现实性以及更加丰富多彩的想象世界。

Marie-Louise Von Franz（游戏邦注：瑞士容格心理学家）在她的著作《Creation Myths》中列举了一些在宇宙论中常见的不同原型。首先便是上帝，这位伟大的宇宙（包括地球和所有生命）创造者。通常，上帝的身边总会有一名母亲形象与之相应，就像地球是母亲，天空是父亲这样。上帝是宇宙最初存在的统一体，而他必须将这混沌的统一体打破而创造出生命。而这种碎片便形成了各种不同的神明，也就是我们所谓的上帝的后代。

很多造物神话都是发祥于河流。就像在大地潜水者的神话中，描绘的就是如水取土，创造大地的故事。就像很多关于宇宙创造的神话故事中都描写了世界轮回一样：创造者摧毁了所有的一切，并尝试着去创造一个更加完美的宇宙。随着植物，动物以及人类的出现，我们开始生活并逐渐成长。造物神话的另外一个共同要素是“偷尝禁果”。这是指一些瑕疵侵蚀了宇宙而引起毁灭。

每个月当我在教授学生们关于造物神话的课程时，我总是会让他们编写一则关于造物的故事，而他们就像是巫师，尝试着向人们解释万物起源。但是当我在评价他们所创造的故事时，会发现在6个原型中他们总是会漏掉3-4个。这种编写故事的课程除了能让我的学生们了解到更多关于集体无意识主义，同时也能够让学生们知道如何在一定时间内创造出一个负责的世界以及信仰系统：一位高高在上的上帝统治着一片独立的土地，更重要的是，在这块土地上也会出现“偷尝禁果”的情形。偷尝禁果是邪恶的根源，将会影响世界的平衡，并对英雄角色设下重重考验。如果没有了这个“问题”，世界也就一片平静，而英雄也就只能无所事事了。

虽然神话故事中不乏精彩的观点和主题，但是从现代教育系统来看，它还是存在许多未被开发的资源。而本篇文章便是对于其它游戏设计课程的一种补充。英雄神话和造物神话中都有许多故事情节以及各种各样的角色，以及各种各样的哲学和科学观点。这些元素都让神话故事成为各种游戏开发辅助学科（如创意写作，人文学科，社会科学，心理学以及社会学等）的最佳补充内容。我们也能够在网上或者书上看到许多神话内容，以下我总结了一些电子游戏中曾经出现过的神话故事角色：

凯尔特神话：

Epona-《塞尔达传说：时之笛》

挪威神话：

Odin-《最终幻想3》，《最终幻想7》，《最终幻想8》以及《最终幻想11》（超级任天堂，PS1和PS2）

Fenrir-《最终幻想11》（PS2/个人电脑）

Thor-《Too Human》（XBOX 360）

Baldur-《Too Human》（XBOX 360）

Asgard-《Too Human》（XBOX 360）

Funeral Ship-《Too Human》（XBOX 360）

希腊神话：

Minotaur-《战神》（PS2）

Siren-《战神》（PS2）

Cerberus-《最终幻想1》，《最终幻想8》以及《最终幻想11》（超级任天堂，PS1和PS2）

Cerberus-《战神》（PS2）

Hydra-《战神》（PS2）

Cyclops-《战神》（PS2）

Titan-《最终幻想3》，《最终幻想7》（超级任天堂，PS1）

中东神话：

Minotaur-《战神》（PS2）

Siren-《战神》（PS2）

Cerberus-《最终幻想1》，《最终幻想8》以及《最终幻想11》（超级任天堂，PS1和PS2）

Cerberus-《战神》（PS2）

Hydra-《战神》（PS2）

Cyclops-《战神》（PS2）

Titan-《最终幻想3》，《最终幻想7》（超级任天堂，PS1）

中东神话：

Dahaka-《Prince of Persia Warrior Within》（PS2）

Gilgamesh-《最终幻想1》和《最终幻想8》（PS2）

印度神话：

Shiva-《最终幻想10》，《最终幻想11》（PS2）

日本神道教：

Amaterasu-《Okami》（PS2）

Susano-《Okami》（PS2）

Orochi-《Okami》（PS2）

玛雅神话：

Quetzalcoatl-《最终幻想8》（PS1）

游戏邦注：原文发表于2007年3月20日，所涉事件及数据以当时为准。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Epic Vision: Mythology and Game Design

- Robin Koman

Introduction

I’ve been thinking about writing an article on mythology in game design for a few months now, and with the recent burst of renewed interest in Joseph Campbell’s Hero Cycle it seems like the perfect time to share my thoughts on teaching mythology to game designers.  In a compliment to Jordie Fine’s Game Career Guide article on the Gamer’s Journey, and Gamasutra’s podcast on using the Hero Cycle for narrative structure, this article will serve as a pedagogy paper, and as an expansion on Campbell’s ideas, with a little Mythology 101 thrown in.

In terms of teaching theory it’s my belief that while anyone can learn about mythology at any time in their life, in order to bring fresh mythological and archetypal concepts into the forefront of game design it’s vital to teach the subject to students who will be going out into the industry.  It’s been my pleasure to teach mythology for three years now at Full Sail Real World Education in the Game Development and Computer Animation programs.  Why Computer Animation?  We’ve found the archetypal characters and multicultural color symbolism make great tools for artists, and knowledge of different mythologies can help keep them from designing stale characters. That being noted, let’s get back to the game designers.

Mythology Course

In this Mythology course there are a few foundational ideas that we introduce to the students each month that are worthwhile to discuss here.  First there are the words “mythology” and “myth”.  In modern western culture these words usually have the connotation of being a lie–some superstitious or illogical untruth that should be discarded.  Shows like “Myth Busters” are a great example of how the idea of “myth” has been hijacked.  Well, now it’s time to throw the modern misconceptions of myth away.

Simply put, a myth is a story that is used to communicate a psycho-social truth.  So Mythology is a system of beliefs communicated through story, whether written or oral, to explain the world and to give examples of how people should live in it.  In these terms, any theological system could also be considered a mythological system, though mythology doesn’t often deal with the details of ritual.

Students should also be familiarized with the history of the study of mythology, including the theories of Carl Jung.  Jung was a psychologist, a contemporary of Sigmund Freud.  He broke away from Freud and the psychoanalysts to explore ideas about the Collective Unconscious, which basically states that all humanity shares a mental energy that expresses itself through archetypes, or universal patterns. It was this concept of archetypes which would transform the study of mythology, inspiring Joseph Campbell’s text The Hero with 1,000 Faces, where he identifies the steps of the Hero Cycle, the archetypal pattern of heroic myths around the world.

The Hero Cycle

One key thing to remember about the hero cycle is that it wasn’t created in a vacuum.  Campbell identified the three main sections of the Hero Cycle:  departure, initiation, and return, after a youth spent studying various hero myths.  In The Hero with 1,000 Faces he detailed the seventeen archetypal steps heroes take to complete the departure, initiation, and return. With the term hero, by the way, I refer to heroes of all gender identifications.  I think the term “heroine” has gone the way of “actress”.  Jordie Fine does a great job discussing the hero cycle, so I won’t rehash those details.  But in this seminal text Campbell also identified six character archetypes that permeate these heroic myths, let’s talk about those.

First is the Hero, the one who is called out on the adventure.  The hero usually has a loyal friend or companion that goes with them, that’s the Herald.  There is also a sage, or wise person, who gives the hero advice or a talisman, that’s the Mentor. The Trickster is the hilarious embodiment of change, wreaking jolly havoc all over the place. There is also a Shape-shifter, a character who transforms both physically and psychologically and causes great confusion in the hero.  Last, but not least, Campbell identified the Shadow, the force working in direct opposition to the goals of the hero.

Heroic Myths

The most effective way to communicate these concepts to students is to expose them to the different heroic myths they were derived from.  Teaching the students about various heroic myths, as well as giving them information about the cultures they arose from, allows them to see how the elements of the hero cycle work in a variety of settings.  It also allows them to examine the storytelling power of this narrative structure.  When the hero cycle is utilized skillfully the hero isn’t just transformed physically.  For each physical change there is a psychological transformation.

In the creative writing world we call this character development.  And let’s face it, as the technology behind video games becomes increasingly sophisticated, people expect more sophisticated stories.  The structure of the overall narrative to the game-play is incredibly important, and many games have solid plots that players connect with, making them eager to see the resolution of the game.  But it’s the development of the characters, their change and growth, which creates a classic.  April Ryan from The Longest Journey and Dreamfall is a great example, as is James Sunderland in Silent Hill 2, or Kratos from God of War. Adding rich, purposeful character development to a well-realized narrative can transform a successful title into a work of art.

Since Full Sail Real World Education offers accelerated learning to earn Associates, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees, a semester’s worth of work is condensed down into a one or two month class.  In Historical Archetypes and Mythology we have one month, and in that time period our students have exposure to the Mythological and Ulster Cycles of Irish-Celtic mythology, as well as Norse, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Greco-Roman mythology.  Students are also exposed to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shinto, all rich with heroic accounts such as The Ramayana, the tale of Siddhartha, and The Kotan Utunnai respectively.

Each class begins with a brief socio-political and historical review of the culture where the myths we’ll be discussing that day had their start.  This includes an identification of the main themes being expressed in those myths, as well as a discussion of how color was used symbolically in that given culture.  Once that framework has been laid, the students are taught the creation account for that myth system, followed by a discussion of various deities, heroes, and supernatural beings.  Discussions usually close with an example of how some element from that mythology has been used in the game industry.  If there isn’t a widely marketed game that uses elements from that mythology then discussion usually turns to a discussion of how the themes of that culture influence our own.  Both are valuable examinations for these students who are the future of the industry.

Cultural Variety

There are many advantages for teaching such a wide breadth of mythology.  I have found that most students who have been exposed to mythology, either in school (which has become increasingly rare) or in their own study, have primarily read “classical” mythology, that of the Greeks and Romans, or Norse mythology.  It is no surprise then that so many games, when dealing with the “fantastic” or the world of magic, tend to have encounters with dwarves, elves, ogres, or trolls–all creatures of Norse mythology, not creations of JRR Tolkien–or encounters with sirens, minotaur, and centaurs, all supernatural beings of Greek mythology.

Think how simple it would be to create games–particularly of the adventure, action-adventure, and RPG genres–that feel innovative in story and game play, by setting them in the mythos of an alternate culture.  Imagine the RPG set in mythic India, where instead of being an elf, human, or dwarf, the player chooses between humans, Naga (snake-people), and the wise monkeys of King Sugriva.  Where instead of encountering enemies composed of ogres, trolls or goblins, they are fighting the demonic Rakshasas, and the horrific ghouls known as Bhutas and Churels.  It would be a world of vivid color and wide rivers, where the gods (who are really all one god) can walk on the face of the world as women and men.  The change in setting, both in geography and architecture, would immediately create a fresh feel for the game.

Asian mythologies also lend themselves very well to the idea of alignment systems in games.  Take, for example, some of the supernatural beings of Japan:  Tengu and Kappas.Tengu are raven-headed men of the mountain forests.  It is said that when a valiant hero enters the woods of a Tengu in need of aid, one of the raven-men will appear in the guise of an old man, with a red face, and a long nose to teach the hero martial arts or the way of the sword. On the other hand, if one of ill will enters those same woods the Tengu will behave like goblins, torturing and taunting that person until they flee.  Kappas are water demons, little turtle-men with shallow indentations in the tops of their heads filled with water.  If people tend to nature kindly it is said that Kappas will teach them to mend bones and use medicinal herbs, but if people abuse the land and pollute the waters, Kappas will begin drowning anyone who comes near.  This technique has been used in games such as Fable and Star Wars:  Knights of the Old Republic, and could be given a fresh life by a shift into a mythical Asian world.

A study of various mythologies also gives students exposure to a wider variety of themes to motivate the characters and shape the cultures in their games.  The ideas of physical perfection and individual glory so prominent among the Celts and the Greeks–see the stories of King Nuada and Hephaestus if you have any doubts–obviously still have a large impact on Western culture; look at the relative attractiveness of most game avatars.  The Norse valued individual glory as well, but physical perfection would only be sought by a coward who chose life over the glory of Valhalla.  Tyr, one of the most popular gods among the people, was revered for the hand he lost to Fenrir, the wolf-child of Loki.  For Tyr this was a badge of bravery which could earn him an eternity in Valhalla, the land of brave fallen warriors.  These nuances of belief can help designers create a richer, more satisfying game experience.

It also provides designers with an important localization tool.  The idea of individual glory that motivates so much of western culture is not necessarily a motivating force for many people in the Middle East and Asia.  By studying the mythologies and cultures of different world regions students can learn to create designs with a wide variety of thematic concerns, capable of reaching multiple markets right from the outset.   This is also another route to the dynamic hero.  Remember our discussion on character development–characters need a variety of psychological motivations to be fully rounded.  Tapping into a variety of themes can bring a hero–the player’s avatar–to new heights.

World Myths

This isn’t to say that heroic myths, with all their action, adventure, and supernatural beings, are the only type of mythology that game design students should study.  No matter how interesting the plot, or intriguing the character, if the “world” the game takes place in has no realism or depth players will not get a full gaming experience.  To this end, it is vital for designers to study the mythic structure of the Creation or Cosmology account.  These are stories, found in every culture, of how the universe was created, along with plants, animals, water, and, most importantly, intelligent life.  For a game in any fantasy or alternate-reality setting, knowledge of the common tropes of Creation accounts can bring a higher depth of realism, a special richness, to the imagined world.

Marie-Louise Von Franz, in her text Creation Myths, identifies several different archetypes that occur in most cosmologies.  First there is the idea of a Supreme Being(s), a powerful figure (or figures) that creates the universe, including planets and life.  Often these Supreme Beings are paired into Mother/Father figures with earth as the Mother and sky as the Father.  This Supreme Being represents the original unity of the universe, and often it must be fragmented for life to begin.  This fragmentation often manifests as a creation of different deities, and this is referred to as Generations After.

Many creation myths also include creation beginning with primordial waters.  When land is brought up from under this endless ocean this is referred to as a Diver’s Myth.  As the universe is being created many myths describe World Cycles:  the creator destroying everything and recreating it in an attempt to improve or perfect the universe.  Once the cycle stops and the world made, life will be created.  Birth begins as plants, animals, and people begin to live and grow.  Another common element of creation myths is the Loss of Innocence. This is basically the idea that some type of imperfection creeps into the universe that will eventually cause its downfall.

Each month as I’m teaching students about creation myths I take them through an activity where they are asked to write a story of a world’s creation as if they were shaman trying to explain the beginning of the universe to their people.  A review of the tales created, without fail, shows that three to four of the six archetypes appear with no prompt at all.  Besides being an excellent validation of the collective unconsciousness this activity also shows students how a detailed world and belief system can be created in a short period of time:  an individualized land with unique gods, and most importantly, that loss of innocence.  The loss of innocence will become the root of evil or unbalance in the world, and the eventual source of the hero’s foes.  Without this “problem” the world would be perfect and there would be no adventure for the hero to undertake.

Despite all the wonderful ideas and themes it has to offer, mythology is a widely untapped resource in the modern educational system.  This subject would make an excellent addition to any game design program.  Heroic and creation myths offer brilliant storytelling, rich characters, and an exposure to a wide variety of philosophies and societies.  This makes mythology a perfect complement for many courses already offered in game development programs such as creative writing, the humanities, and social sciences such as psychology and sociology.  There are many mythology resources available online and in a variety of books, and for a starting point I’ve included a list of some mythological figures featured in video games.  Enjoy!

Examples

Celtic:

Epona–Legends of Zelda:  Ocarina of Time (GC)

Norse:

Odin–Final Fantasy 3, 7, 8, and 11 (SNES, PS1 and 2)

Fenrir–Final Fantasy 11 (PS2/PC)

Thor–Too Human (XBOX 360)

Baldur–Too Human (XBOX 360)

Asgard–Too Human (XBOX 360)

Funeral Ship–Too Human (XBOX 360)

Greek:

Minotaur–God of War (PS2)

Siren–God of War (PS2)

Cerberus–Final Fantasy 1, 8, and 11 (SNES, PS1 and PS2)

Cerberus–God of War (PS2)

Hydra–God of War (PS2)

Cyclops–God of War (PS2)

Titan–Final Fantasy 3, 7 (SNES, PS1)

Middle Eastern:

Dahaka–Prince of Persia Warrior Within (PS2)

Gilgamesh–Final Fantasy 1 and 8 (PS2)

Hindu:

Shiva–Final Fantasy 10, 11 (PS2)

Shinto:

Amaterasu–Okami (PS2)

Susano–Okami (PS2)

Orochi–Okami (PS2)

Mayan:

Quetzalcoatl–Final Fantasy 8 (PS1) （source:gamecareerguide）