Psychology of the Unconscious: A Study of the Transformations and Symbolisms of the Libido. A Contribution to the History of the Evolution of ThoughtJung, C. G. (Carl Gustav)
Philosophy
Psychology of the Unconscious: A Study of the Transformations and Symbolisms of the Libido. A Contribution to the History of the Evolution of Thought
Jung, C. G. (Carl Gustav)
Libido (Psychology); Mother and child; Psychoanalysis; Subconsciousness; Symbolism (Psychology)
The phallus is the being, which moves without limbs, which sees without
eyes, which knows the future; and as symbolic representative of the
universal creative power existent everywhere immortality is vindicated
in it. It is always thought of as entirely independent, an idea current
not only in antiquity, but also apparent in the pornographic drawings of
our children and artists. It is a seer, an artist and a worker of
wonders; therefore it should not surprise us when certain phallic
characteristics are found again in the mythological seer, artist and
sorcerer. Hephaestus, Wieland the smith, and Mani, the founder of
Manicheism, whose followers were also famous, have crippled feet. The
ancient seer Melampus possessed a suggestive name (Blackfoot),[212] and
it seems also to be typical for seers to be blind. Dwarfed stature,
ugliness and deformity have become especially typical for those
mysterious chthonian gods, the sons of Hephaestus, the Cabiri,[213] to
whom great power to perform miracles was ascribed. The name signifies
“powerful,” and the Samothracian cult is most intimately united with
that of the ithyphallic Hermes, who, according to the account of
Herodotus, was brought to Attica by the Pelasgians. They are also called
μεγάλοι θεοί, the great gods. Their near relations are the “Idaean
dactyli” (finger or Idaean thumb),[214] to whom the mother of the gods
had taught the blacksmith’s art. (“The key will scent the true place
from all others! follow it down!—’twill lead thee to the Mothers!”) They
were the first leaders, the teachers of Orpheus, and invented the
Ephesian magic formulas and the musical rhythms.[215] The characteristic
disparity which is shown above in the Upanishad text, and in “Faust,” is
also found here, since the gigantic Hercules passed as an Idaean dactyl.
The colossal Phrygians, the skilled servants of Rhea,[216] were also
Dactyli. The Babylonian teacher of wisdom, Oannes,[217] was represented
in a phallic fish form.[218] The two sun heroes, the Dioscuri, stand in
relation to the Cabiri;[219] they also wear the remarkable pointed
head-covering (Pileus) which is peculiar to these mysterious gods,[220]
and which is perpetuated from that time on as a secret mark of
identification. Attis (the elder brother of Christ) wears the pointed
cap, just as does Mithra. It has also become traditional for our
present-day chthonian infantile gods,[221] the brownies (Penates), and
all the typical kind of dwarfs. Freud[222] has already called our
attention to the phallic meaning of the hat in modern phantasies. A
further significance is that probably the pointed cap represents the
foreskin. In order not to go too far afield from my theme, I must be
satisfied here merely to present the suggestion. But at a later
opportunity I shall return to this point with detailed proof.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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