Soman
Jungian Archetypes as Found Within the Epic of Gilgamesh and Beyond Carl Jung’s breakdown of mankind’s psyche into separate archetypes gives us a road map to follow when reading mythological mythological stories. These archetypes can be identified within most myths as various characters, protagonists, antagonists and other actors that fulfill the roles of shadow, anima or animus and reflection of Self in the story. story. They help us understand the darker darker or shadow side of a hero or main character as he or she progresses and struggles through trials and tribulations in their journey to become become more than they they were originally originally, more integrated and and a better, better, more capable person. person. The archetypes also show us the male and feminine aspects of the character’s mind respectively through their animus animus and anima. The journey towards a more integrated integrated and capable Self is achieved achieved through the interplay of these archetypes in rising above the struggle or imbalance of one aspect into a harmony of all, allowing the Self to emerge. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh, a solar logos type of character (Baring, “Solar Hero”) goes through a series of trying events and encounters with archetypal counterparts to aspects of himself in his quest towards becoming a better man and achieving immortality. He begins as a prideful king who who does not always always treat his subjects well well and demonstrates demonstrates a lack of maturity maturity in some ways (Thury and Devinney 168). 168). Gilgamesh first becom becomes es aware of his own shadow when the men of Uruk and the gods themselves complain about him and lament that he should be a shepherd to his people (172). His shadow later externalizes externalizes and solidifies solidifies in the form of of Humbaba, guardian guardian of the Lebanon cedars and nemesis nemesis to both him and Enkidu.. Both microcosm and macrocosm macrocosm being aware of Gilgamesh’s Gilgamesh’s misdeeds are symbolic of his initial initial awareness of personal flaws on some level. level. Out of this awareness comes the development of the desire and manifestation of the creation of his anima, his counterpart of feminine fertility in nature. What is interesting about this story is that Gilgamesh’s Gilgamesh’s main anima is not female but comes in the form of his wild ‘man of the woods’ brother Enkidu. While he does meet women such as Ishtar, goddess of love as well as beauty and other goddesses such as Ninsun and Sidura, both more positive aspects of his anima, arguably none of them become
Soman his companion in spirit as much as Enkidu, and at least for a time Enkidu is much like a female in nature. While the sequence of marriage marriage proposal from Ishtar occurring after the defeat of Humbaba Humbaba is in line with Jungian symbolism in journey towards Self, in this story the attraction is lukewarm at best. Ironically, Ironically, Enkidu encounters encounters what would more more accurately be a kind of animus role, role, were he a woman, in the form of the harlot who Gilgamesh Gilgamesh sends to sleep with him. him. She represents the modernity and rational reason of the city and perhaps became the whore of Babylon of later Mesopotamian Mesopotamian myth associated also with the the corruption, greed and sin of civilization. civilization. Since he is male however, however, she is his anima, the darkest aspect of which appears in a dream as Ereshkigal (183). Gilgamesh’s Gilgamesh’s quest towards Self-attainment is alluded to in various ways but it is not something he fully ever receives. He fails to achieve immortality, immortality, as was his somewhat altruistic goal for himself and his people. His interpretation of Enkidu’ Enkidu’ss dream shows a predilection towards towards Self-growth and wisdo wisdom m (174), which spurns him towards towards other kinds of seeking. He encounters 3 main representatives of Selfhood, and in this part of his journey his admissions of weariness are a kind of spiritual angst. Firstly, Firstly, his encounter with archetypes of individualized Self begin with the scorpion-man, gatekeeper gatekeeper of spiritual truths, secondly as Urshanabi, ferryman and gatekeeper to the real sage, Utnapishtim. Utnapishtim. When he finally meets the wise sage, sage, he does not get what he expects in the form of immortality, immortality, and yet the revelations shared with him are deeply spiritual and reflective of Self-awareness. He does not achieve enlightenment enlightenment in the form of the herbs of immortality immortality or metaphorically metaphorically the Philosopher’s Philosopher’s Stone. The story ends on a more tragic note, yet he comes back to Uruk with the tale of his journey against many obstacles towards Self-attainment inscribed on a stone (192). Symbols and archetypes are important to study because they reveal within myth and other kinds of stories universal themes themes and dramas at play that go beyond the specifics specifics of any story. story. They mirror the progression we go through in our own lives, in the process of individuation individuation and integration of Self. Jung’s Jung’s archetypes and process of individuation individuation very much remind remind me of a bodywork modality I have studied in the the past. Integrative massage incorporates incorporates the body ‘character ‘character structures’ originated by Wilhelm Wilhelm Reich, which resemble archetypes in many ways. Reich noticed regularities
Soman in the postural tendencies and connective tissue holding patterns of different people and came up with these various body types, relating them to particular psychological psychological characteristics or habits. These traits are not just postural habits and body structure but also reflective of the myths we create about ourselves in the form of our persona. A couple couple of structures that correlate with Jungian Jungian archetypes of anima and animus are respectively the oral and ‘rigid’ or phallic structures. Once a therapist becomes aware of these traits in their client they could help them work on achieving a postural and emotional emotional stance more more reflective of a fully fully expressed Self, less bound bound by their personal personal archetypal attributes attributes or the holding pattern ‘armor’ associated with them. them. Both Reich and Jung were students of and therefore influenced influenced by Freud (Baker 1).. Another parallel that relates relates even more directly to the process of individuation and Jung’s studies of Western esotericism (Hoeller, “Alchemical Renewal”) Renewal”) is an alchemical motto, the Latin phrase “Visita “ Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Invenies Occultum Occultum Lapidem,” Lapidem,” or VITRIOL, which translates as “visit the interior of the Earth and by rectifying, find the hidden hidden stone” (Pineda 82). Each letter of the word represents a stage of self-growth, such as the call to end personal suffering, to attempt a synthesis of opposing drives and to achieve spiritual attainment through union with what is referred to as one’s Holy Guardian Angel (83), or fully integrated Self. Self. Everyone can relate to some degree degree of awareness of personal qualities qualities they would rather rather not admit to, to, or an encounter with with someone of the opposite opposite sex who truly inspires a stirring of the spirit within within them. Some may even know know the experience of having a fully integrated and individuated Self. However, Jung’s psychological psychologica l work brought to light a public awareness awareness of these deep causal processes processes that all people people encounter in their lives, in the journey journey towards individuation individuation and re-integration re-integration of self. It seems that he illuminated universal universal elements within us and inside our stories that are as old as humankind that will forever express themselves as emanations of the collective unconscious, in myth and beyond. Works Cited Baker, Elsworth. “Sexual Theories of Wilhelm Reich.” The Journal of Orgonomy Vol 20 Number 2. 2. 1982. Print. Baring, Anne. “The Lunar and Solar Hero.” 2005. 17 July, July, 2005. Web.
Soman Devinney, Margaret K. and Thury, Eva M. Introdu M. Introduction ction to Mythology: Mythology: Contemporary Contemporary Approaches Approaches to Classical and World Myths. New Myths. New York: York: Oxford University University Press, 2009. Print. Hoeller, Hoeller, Stephan A. “C.G. Jung and the Alchemical Renewal.” The Gnosis Archive. n.d. Web. Pineda, Daniel. The Book of Secrets. Secrets . San Francisco: Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC, 2011. Print.
Animus - Enkidu is a living incarnation of this energy, energy, the fertile, wild male aspect of nature Self/growth of the individual/hero individual/hero - Rama as selfless, righteous king, godlike as an avatar of Vishnu
