Jungian
Archetypes by Ann Gimpel
Archetypes
Entering
the world of fairy tale and myth is a fascinating journey. If you read a lot of
these types of tales, you’ll become aware of recurring character types and relationships.
Basically, an archetype is an ancient pattern of personality that’s part of the
shared heritage of the human race.
Carl
Jung, a psychiatrist who practiced during the first half of the twentieth
century, believed in the concept of a Collective Unconscious. According to him,
fairy tales and myths are the dreams of an entire culture, springing from the
Collective. It is not accidental there are relatively few archetypal patterns.
It is also not accidental that archetypes have been amazingly constant
throughout all times and cultures, occurring in the dreams and personalities of
individuals as well as in the mythic imagination of the entire world.
A
few of the common Archetypes are:
Hero:
The
hero’s journey is a basic underpinning of a majority of stories. Usually the
hero begins as a rather ordinary person, but is presented with a seemingly
impossible challenge. He (or she) rises to the bait and begin an incredible
journey that draws us along with him. Along his path, the hero finds teachers,
guides, demons, gods, servants, scapegoats, masters, seducers, betrayers, and
allies. At some point along the way, the hero comes face to face with his own
shadow, which is Jung-speak for the darker parts of ourselves. How he (or she)
overcomes this confrontation is often key to whether the story has a happy
ending, or a tragic one.
Mentor:
Mentors
show up when the hero needs to learn something. Mentors are often former heroes
passing on life’s knowledge and wisdom. Obi Wan is Luke Skywalker’s mentor. To
bring it closer to home, in my book, Dragon Maid, Maggie’s grandmother
becomes her mentor after many tense years. Britta’s dragon, Tarika, mentors
her. And Jonathan’s mother shows up after a thirty plus year absence to become
a crusty mentor to him.
Threshold Guardian:
As
our hero chases his/her goal, he comes up against the “guardian of the gates.”
Getting past them is crucial, but not easy. Sometimes we create our own
internal demons. In Dragon Maid, Jonathan has shoved his unpleasant
childhood to a back burner and Britta has done the same with her
single-mindedness regarding becoming a dragon shifter. She ran rough-shod over
anyone who stood in her way.
Herald:
They
announce the need for change. Heralds call to us and provide motivation.
They’re frequently who throws down the gauntlet and urges the hero to begin his
journey. Shakespeare is chockfull of heralds. You have to hunt harder to find
them in modern fiction.
Shapeshifter:
They
change appearance or mood and are difficult for the hero to pin down. Wizards,
witches, and ogres are traditional shapeshifters in fairy tales. When the hero
keeps wondering if he’s about to be betrayed, a shapeshifter is almost always
present. In Dragon Maid, a dragon shifter shows up and blows Jonathan’s
carefully balanced world to smithereens.
Shadow:
Our
shadow side represents the power of repressed feelings. When emotions are
hidden/denied, they can turn into something that wants to destroy us. Many
Shadow figures are also Shapeshifters, like vampires and werewolves. Shadow
challenges the hero and may also wear other archetypal masks. Look at Hannibal
Lector, who also functions as Jodie Foster’s mentor.
Ally:
Allies
thrive in modern storytelling. They suggest alternative paths for
problem-solving and push the hero to ask for and receive help. Allies don’t
have to be human. They can be animals, spirits, angels, or shifters! In Dragon
Maid, Jonathan finds an unlikely ally in his mother, just as Maggie did in
her grandmother in book one of that series.
Last but not least, the Trickster:
Tricksters
cut big egos down to size and make heroes loveable. They provide comic relief.
Look at Loki, Norse god of trickery and deceit. He serves the other gods as
their legal advisor, but also plots their destruction.
Not
all stories have every archetype, but if you keep your eyes open, you’ll begin
to start picking them out as you read. Who’s your hands-down favorite hero?
Why?
Dragon Maid
Dragon Lore, Book II
Ann Gimpel
Publisher: Taliesin
Publishing
Release Date: 1/2/14
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Dragons have always fascinated me. Creatures fresh out
of legend, they tempt the soul to stretch its wings. This book is dedicated to
Kheladin and Tarika, two wonderful dragons who live in my imagination and who
were generous enough to grace the pages of my books.
Jonathan Shea is a software
engineer. When pressed, he admits to being a closet witch, but he’s always been
a shade ambivalent about his magic—until a dragon shows up in Inverness, and
then all bets are off. Along with others in his coven, Jonathan is both charmed
and captivated by the creature fresh out of legend.
Britta is a dragon shifter.
Dragged from the Middle Ages by the Celtic gods, she and her dragon prepare for
a battle to save Earth. The first human she lays eyes on in modern times is
Jonathan. There’s something about him. She can’t quite pinpoint it, but he has
way more magic than any witch she’s ever come across before. Aside from magic,
Jonathan is drop dead gorgeous. For the first time ever, Britta questions the
wisdom of remaining a maid.
Surrounded by dragon
shifters, Celtic gods, Selkies, and a heaping portion of magic, Jonathan comes
into his own fast. Good thing, too, because fell creatures have targeted him,
Britta, and the dragons. In the midst of chaos, he finds passion so poignant
and love so heartbreakingly tender, it will change his life forever.
Available for purchase:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Available for purchase:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
About the Author
Ann Gimpel is a clinical psychologist, with a Jungian
bent. Avocations include mountaineering, skiing, wilderness
photography and, of course, writing. A lifelong aficionado of the
unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago. Since then her
short fiction has appeared in a number of webzines and anthologies. Several
paranormal romance novellas are available in e-format. Three novels, Psyche’s
Prophecy, Psyche’s Search, and Psyche's Promise are small press publications
available in e-format and paperback. Look for three more urban fantasy novels
coming this summer and fall: To Tame a
Highland Dragon, Earth’s Requiem and
Earth’s Blood.
A husband, grown children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids
round out her family.
@AnnGimpel (for Twitter)
Review by Melissa Snark:
