The hero's town
The hero's town is an important kind of imagery because it sets the tone for the character's personality. Even the most sparky, rambunctious hero takes elements of culture from their hometown. Until the use of last names, the hometown was very frequently a part of the hero's name, like Jesus of Nazareth, for example. The hometown defines the cultural instruction of the hero, and the imagery of the town provides a backdrop for the action of the hero's journey, because the hero must exit the status quo imagery of their home and venture out on a circular journey, one that typically ends at home.
The dark world of chaos
When heroes depart from the land of their upbringing, they find a new kind of place. In this dark new world of chaos, there are untold, unknown dangers that plague the hero. There are baddies in the dark, and around every corner is another problem to be solved. Through their survival and journey in this dark realm, the hero is refined. As they solve problems, they grow into their own self, becoming their full person. The accomplished hero is one who has experienced the worst of life and who has survived it.
The sublime powers of nature
While in the realm of the unknown, past the borders of societal law and influence, the hero finds herself subject to a new kind of power—the sublime powers of nature. The mythology of the world frequently places the hero on a crash course with deities, demons, magicians, and all kinds of underworldly agents. These spiritual entities demonstrate the powers of nature. Through imagery, the hero learns that the same forces that control their external world control their internal world, and they are awakened to the magic of their own nature.
Battle and victory
After the road of growth and awakening, the hero engages in the climactic imagery of combat, battle, and victory. Sometimes the hero dies, making the final passage through the toils of the afterlife into their place of glory and honor (this is typically the case in ancient myths). Sometimes, the hero manages to use what they learned to defeat evil, to vanquish some element of chaos that they oppose, and in that case, the imagery of battle is rewarded with a boon that the hero can take home to their village.
