In every culture's literature the motif of "the hero" is present. This archetype occurs in three basic stages for all literature. These stages are an unusual birth, initiation, death and victory. In Greek culture, these stages occur in stories about Hercules. Whereas in Indian culture, they occur in stories about Budda. For Judaen culture, they occur throughout Moses' life. In present day literature, the hero's stages are demonstrated in Richard Wright's "Big Boy Leaves Home." .
The birth stage, which consists of the hero's birth in some way being connected or associated with God or gods, can be seen in every culture's literature. The connection of a birth associated with the gods or God in Indian culture is in the story of "Mahu-Maya and Budda." In this story, Queen Mahu-Maya has a dream, where she is carried to the Himalaya Mountains by four guardian angels (Leeming25). There, she is accompanied by the Future Budda, who impregnates her in the form of a white elephant. Later, when the dream is shared, a Brahman prophesizes that in the womb of Mahu-Maya is a baby, who will be a universal monarch, or Budda. This retelling confirms the dream and actually shows a connection to a god with the birth of Budda. .
In Greek myths about Hercules, the association of the hero's birth to a god is similar. Only instead of Hercules' mother being carried to a mountain, she is impregnated by Zeus, where she lives. This impregnation is similar to Budda's in the fact that Zeus has to change in form. He does so in the form of Alchmene's husband. The only association to God in the story about Moses is by God's protection. This protection comes at a time when Pharoah was having every Hebrew male child killed. Moses escapes this death by being put in a woven basket and floats down the Nile where Pharoah's daughter just happens to be. The consequence of her finding and protecting Moses shows God's hand at work.
