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 water of life; that death, with its cold embrace, might be the
mother’s womb, just as the sea devours the sun, but brings it forth
again out of the maternal womb (Jonah motive[444]). Life believes not in
death.
“In the flood of life, in the torrent of deeds,
I toss up and down,
I am blown to and fro!
Cradle and grave,
An eternal sea;
A changing web,
A glowing life.” —_Goethe: Faust._
That ξύλον ζωῆς, the wood of life, or the tree of life, is a maternal
symbol would seem to follow from the previous deductions. The etymologic
connection of ὕο, ὕλε, υἱός, in the Indo-Germanic root suggests the
blending of the meanings in the underlying symbolism of mother and of
generation. The tree of life is probably, first of all, a fruit-bearing
genealogical tree, that is, a mother-image. Countless myths prove the
derivation of man from trees; many myths show how the hero is enclosed
in the maternal tree—thus dead Osiris in the column, Adonis in the
myrtle, etc. Numerous female divinities were worshipped as trees, from
which resulted the cult of the holy groves and trees. It is of
transparent significance when Attis castrates himself under a pine tree,
i. e. he does it because of the mother. Goddesses were often worshipped
in the form of a tree or of a wood. Thus Juno of Thespiæ was a branch of
a tree, Juno of Samos was a board. Juno of Argos was a column. The
Carian Diana was an uncut piece of wood. Athene of Lindus was a polished
column. Tertullian calls Ceres of Pharos “rudis palus et informe lignum
sine effigie.” Athenaeus remarks of Latona at Dalos that she is ξὐλινον
ἄμορφον, a shapeless piece of wood.[445] Tertullian calls an Attic
Pallas “crucis stipes,” a wooden pale or mast. The wooden pale is
phallic, as the name suggests, φάλης, Pallus. The φαλλός is a pale, a
ceremonial lingam carved out of figwood, as are all Roman statues of
Priapus. Φάλος means a projection or centrepiece on the helmet, later
called κῶνος just as ἀναφαλ-αντίασις signifies baldheadedness on the
forepart of the head, and φαλακρός signifies baldheadedness in regard to
the φάλος-κῶνος of the helmet; a semi-phallic meaning is given to the
upper part of the head as well.[446] Φάλληνος has, besides φαλλός, the
significance of “wooden”; φαλ-άγγωμα, “cylinder”; φάλαγξ, “a round
beam.” The Macedonian battle array, distinguished by its powerful
impetus, is called φάλαγξ; moreover, the finger-joint[447] is called
φάλαγξ. φάλλαινα or φάλαινα is a whale. Now φαλός appears with the
meaning “shining, brilliant.” The Indo-Germanic root is _bhale_ = to
bulge, to swell.[448] Who does not think of Faust?
“It grows, it shines, increases in my hand!”
That is primitive libido symbolism, which shows how immediate is the
connection between phallic libido and light. The same relations are
found in the Rigveda in Rudra’s utterances.
_Rigveda_ 1, 114, 3:
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