Mythology: Archetype Class Notes Archetype is a term that was first used primarily in the analytical psychology of Carl Jung. Jung believed that all human beings share a universal, collective unconscious that certain patterns of behavior, belief, thinking, and experiences are common to all people. Because of this, responses to certain powerful images and ideas are also shared by all human beings. These images are archetypes instinctive patterns that come from the collective unconscious of humankind. An archetype can be thought of as a super symbol and can take on many forms: -An abstract idea or entity -A person or figure -A pattern of behavior -A theme -An image or symbol -A plot pattern Think of an archetype as a universal pattern within literature, dreams, religion, folklore, and mythology regardless of culture or historical period. Definitions of Archetype: A universally recognizable element... that recurs across all literature and life (Latrobe 13). Psychologist Carl Jung called these elements a kind of collective unconscious of the human race, prototypes rather than something gained from experience. The word is derived from the Greek: arche, original, and typos, form or model; thus, original model (Latrobe 13). An archetype is the first real example or prototype of something (as the Model T is the prototype of the modern automobile). In this sense an archetype can be considered the ideal model, the supreme type or the perfect image of something (Brunel 111-112, 114). A key to understanding folk literature is to understand archetypes. An archetype is to the psyche what an instinct is to the body..... Archetypes are the psychic instincts of the human species. (Edinger as quoted in Knapp 10). Archetypes are universal in human beings. Archetypes result in a deep emotional response for readers. Archetypes are repeated patterns that recur in the literature of every age (Sloan 48). Examples of Archetypes: Characters Hero, Mother figure, Fairy Godmother, Earth Mother, God-teacher/mentor, Child/Youth, Inexperienced adult, Villain, Devil, etc. Actions/Events Journey, Quest, Rites of initiation, Test or Trial, Coming of age, Creation/Origin, Birth/Death and Rebirth, etc.
Mythology: Creation Archetype Creation myths, narratives that address the question of how the universe or the earth and its inhabitants first came into existence, can be found in almost all cultural traditions. With relatively few exceptions, peoples from around the world seek to explain their origins and thereby define their cultural identities in their creation myths. Recurring Patterns: Emergence of order from a state of chaos (chaos is the state of nothingness that exists before the creator deity brings the world into being) The creator usually makes the earth, heavens, and living beings by successive acts of thought, word, or deed (sometimes there is a sacrifice, sometimes creators mold humans beings from natural materials, a piece of themselves, or a dismembered body of a primordial being) Original chaos is often represented as the primal waters that exist before creation begins The universe, the earth, the original deities, or the first living beings are born of a cosmic egg The fertile egg serves as a familiar emblem of the source of existence Creation arises from a primal mound, a small bit of earth that rests upon the surface of the primordial sea An act of descent (earth-diver): the world grows from a primal mound that is created when a deity or animal swims to the bottom of the primal void to recover and then bring to the water s surface a particle of earth Emergence: human beings or animals ascend from the depths of the earth to reach the world that exists on its surface Primal parents give birth to the world Primal parents (usually earth mother and father sky) must be separated before creation can occur Creator deities sometime re-create their beings if they are not satisfied with what they first make Cosmogony: A story that recounts the birth of the universe Theogony: A story that focuses on the origins of the gods Anthropogony: A story that traces the origins of human beings Creator deities of myth bring human beings to life for a variety of reasons: To crown their creations by granting dominion over the world to the beings gods make in their own images To serve the gods and to honor them in ritual, ceremony, and sacrifice To create being who will praise and love the gods To form companionship beings for the gods
Mythology: The God-Teacher Archetype Although man worshipped the gods, he also feared them. As quickly as god(s) created life, they destroyed it without warning or reason. Man then felt it necessary to seek the gods approval for all of his activities. However, no great god would ever consider having contact with the lowly man to teach him what was right and wrong, approved or forbidden. In order to be at peace with the worries they had with upsetting the gods, humans created an intermediary a kind of go between to allow communication among mortals and gods a link between the heavens and the earth. Myths about the god-teacher provided this divine sanction for the rituals and traditions by which men lived. In Greek mythology, Prometheus was the god-teacher (Athena is also associated with this archetype). Many myths around the world have their own Prometheus figure. The Prometheus figure is the one that takes pity on ignorant man and teaches him arts and skills. He leads him out of ignorance and gives him god-like knowledge and awareness and responsibilities of civilization. Civilization is the greatest gift the god-teacher gives man. A god-teacher is a liaison between divinity and humans o A god in human/animal/mortal form o A person touched with special powers (Yoda, The Dalai Lama, etc.) He brings knowledge o Helps people sometimes knowledge is dangerous (fire is a gift with a lot of power) o Corrects behavior Usually god-teacher brings fire and civilization
Mythology: Childhood s End This archetype focuses on stories of both loss of innocence and the acquisition of knowledge. What is the meaning of lost childhood or falling down? In life, it is called growing up. It is the time when innocence somehow fades away and is replaced by experience or knowledge of the world. But in the imagination, it is the opening of a forbidden jar, the eating of a forbidden fruit, the death of a loved one, or the destruction of something beautiful. It is a story or an event that is a symbol of a universal human experience. The fall from innocence is an archetypal event. It signifies the realization that we cannot hide from time. It is the discovery that all the potential for happiness that we feel in childhood is often not realized in adulthood. It is the discovery that playing house is not the same thing as running a home, that playing war is not the same thing as putting a bullet through a man s head (Jewkes 43). The fall is facing the fact of death and the facts of life, seeing the reality behind the mystery and the mystery behind the reality (Jewkes 143). What causes the fall? --discontent, chance, fate, time, a god s whim or a man s pride, etc. Ancient man marked the passage from childhood to adulthood with rituals, many of which still survive and convey a sense of mystery. --a bride wears white and is carried over they threshold, initiation into a fraternity, etc. Through myths, literature is able to regain certain aspects of childhood and innocence. Usually it is changed, though it may by mature innocence, or integrity, or nobility, or identity.
Mythology: The Hero Archetype Myths inspire the realization of the possibility of your perfection, the fullness of your strength, and the bringing of light into the world. Slaying monsters is slaying the dark things. --Joseph Campbell In Joseph Campbell s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, he analyzes the stages of the heroic journey, emphasizing the archetypal experiences that most mythic heroes share. Departure o The Call to Adventure o Refusal of the Call o Supernatural Aid o The Crossing of the First Threshold o The Belly of the Whale Initiation o The Road of Trials o The Meeting with the Goddess o Woman as the Temptress o Atonement with the Father o Apotheosis o The Ultimate Boon Return o Refusal of the Return o The Magic Flight o Rescue from Without o The Crossing of the Return Threshold o Master of the Two Worlds o Freedom to Live