Beowulf

Anglo-Saxon epic

Beowulf fights three monsters: Grendel (the shadow), then Grendel's mother deeper in the mere (the Great Mother), and, fifty years later as an old king, the dragon (death at old age). Each battle represents a different stage of the Hero's individuation.

The last battle kills the hero. Individuation ultimately requires the Hero to die: the ego to surrender its heroic identity.

The pattern underneath: The Hero. The part of you that says yes to the hard thing.