The Sword and the Scabbard: The Political and Spiritual Ethos of Arthurian Legend

Part III: The Puer Archetype and the Warrior King

The third part of this blog explores the warrior king as the Jungian puer archetype with regard to the Qabalistic understanding of the scabbard and sword and its political application.

Most of us know King Arthur as the courageous “once and future king” destined to unite Great Britain and establish the peaceful kingdom of Camelot by creating the Knights of the Round Table. However by examining his shallow understanding of the scabbard and sword, it is clear that he personifies the Jungian archetype of the Puer, and that this more than anything else shapes his destiny. The Puer is the quintessential “innocent” eternal male-child who acts in the world without thoughtful consideration often possessed of an early realization of deeper spiritual truths which are treated in a casual manner without mature judgment and value. Since Arthur chooses the importance of the sword over the scabbard, he acts like the quintessential Puer, unable to relate to the world with mature self-regulation. The Puer has an overly-developed fantasy life; layers of illusion cover the reality of his situation which is perhaps why he is unable to at first realize Morgan’s trickery in switching Excalibur and its scabbard for those of unequal value. According to Kime, the sword serves the psychological function as the “…main means of communication with the material world”. The end result is the misappropriation of the use of the sword.

The sacred task which Arthur must accomplish is to learn how to use the sword and more importantly when to use it. Discrimination comes with maturity, which the Puer never obtains. The sword can be used rightly to destroy illusion, as the sword is symbolic of cutting through falsehood to the truth. However, there are times when the sword must remain within the scabbard, as removing illusion would bring about worse consequences clothed in despair and bitterness. Again, the wisdom that divines truth from illusion is beyond the capability of the Puer. Kime contends that this wisdom involves comfort with ambiguity, and understanding the distinction between absolutism and relevance, as well as the ability to reconcile the human with the sacred.

The sword should only be removed from the scabbard in times of real need as Merlin has advised. King Arthur, conversely, wages unrelenting war and kills wantonly, leading to   cruelty and vengefulness. As Kime indicates, King Arthur exhibits the neurotic type of hero behavior, often bursting into action after missing signs and ignoring cues and advice so he is forced into desperate heroic action that could have been prevented. War is partly the history of the actualization of the use of weapons. Once we have the weapons, the desire to use them is strong and the ability to control the outcome suffers. Arthur cannot resist the hold Excalibur has over him and suffers as a result. Arthur believes that Excalibur gives him the ultimate power over his destiny, however, the power lies within him to make use of both the sword and the scabbard as complementary opposites so that he may act with consistency and rule wisely. 

The Sword and the Scabbard: The Political and Spiritual Ethos of Arthurian Legend

Part II.  The Sacred Warrior King

Apologies for the delay in continuing this series of blogs on Arthurian legend.  Moving and an operation from which I am fully recovered has sidelined me for the last six months.  So onward!  The second part of this blog series further discusses Arthur, the sacred warrior king, as the archetypal hero of British legend and his relationship to the divine feminine and further explores the Celtic narrative in which he is situated.

Very little of this world has the staying power of mythology. Mythological narratives make use of spiritual and psychological archetypes, as well as, material symbolism to work on the subconscious in an attempt to bring realization of spiritual truths to the level of consciousness.  Its archetypal nature is found, as Jung points out, in the collective unconscious of humanity, and is therefore salient to all cultures. Archetypes are primal, such as the great mother/father, warrior, hero, fool, and puer (the eternal male child). Primal archetypes are reinvented and cast in different cultural stories throughout the ages.  In western mythology, none is arguably more powerful and pervasive than the mythology surrounding King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Perhaps this is due to Arthur’s later twelfth century medieval personification as the resurrected Christ.  Similar to the Christ story, the sacred warrior king and his chivalrous Knights of the Round Table will return when the time is right.

This sacred warrior king encapsulates the archetypal hero like no other.  And I say “encapsulates” because a wealth of imagery and narrative stories have been built up around him, situated firmly in the elemental/magical forces found in Celtic mythology.  The Arthurian narrative is replete with supernatural beings, magical powers, entrapment, testing of one’s resourcefulness and mettle, and of course, the rapturous love and desire of the troubadour tradition passed on by the oral songs of the bardic poet.

The Arthurian narrative is also found in pre-Christian Celtic mythology in stories of young sacrificial gods such as Oengus, Merlin Emrys, and Segda Saerlabraid. The young gods, who serve in a sacrificial role, follow the story cycle of a mysterious conception, fosterage, and pre-destined fate. The sacred king is neither human nor divine but connected and sanctioned by the elements through his relationship with the Goddess of the Land, also known as Sovereignty. Their sacred union is a key feature of Celtic kingship.  As such, the sacred king has not only a sacred obligation to the land but to magically empowering objects which he must guard and revere. These objects are called the Hallows of the land, given as gifts by the Goddess of Sovereignty to hold in trust for the entire kingdom. 

The Hallows are charged with magical power and held in an Otherworld such as Avalon, where new kings must seek them to bring back to the kingdom to recharge the land.  Each Hallow is representative of the four elements, therefore symbolic of the balanced kingship.  The Hallows most often include the staff or spear, the sword, the caldron or cup, and the stone representing air, fire, water and earth, as well as the directions of east, south, west and north, respectively.  They also relate to Otherworldly lands of the Faerie in addition to regions in Celtic countries such as Ireland.  The Hallows were not only representative of the elements of the land but were believed by the Celts to be powerful manifestations of the gods and therefore not to be trifled with.  This power was recognized and sealed within the fate of the sacred warrior king by means of the Elemental Pledge to destroy whoever does not keep faith with the sacred land. 

King Arthur: The Making of a Celtic Hero-God

This is the first blog in a series of blogs exploring the symbolic, spiritual and archetypal aspects and meanings of the sacred sword Excalibur and the scabbard in which it rests ready for battle.  How the sword is used either for noble purpose or callous disregard will perhaps give us a greater awareness of our own energetic forces where ever they lie—in the personal, political or spiritual arenas.

Two primary, and from all appearances, competing stories of how Arthur came to possess Excalibur have been passed down though legend.  The first of which we are most familiar is the pulling of the sword from the stone or an anvil set on a stone; the second, less fanciful and more in line with Celtic rather than Classical mythology, is the gifting of the sword to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake.  The disneyfied version shows Arthur achieving his kingship and all the authority that goes with it by simply drawing the sword from the stone.  However, the story of King Arthur and his predestined rise to kingship of legendary status is steeped in more complex and multifaceted Celtic mythology. Although both stories exemplify Celtic tradition to a greater or lesser degree, they must be seen together as contiguous parts of Arthurian legend to gain a better historical and symbolic understanding of the customs, traditions and spirituality underlying Celtic mythology.

The drawing of the sword out of the stone is traditionally seen as a test for kingship—one of many Celtic tests for ones suitability to be declared king.  Only the rightful heir to this position, which conferred heroic and godlike attributes, could perform this deed.  As the heroic-god king, Arthur’s authority comes not from his legal position per se but from the way he used his position.  He is characterized as excelling above “all other princes in courtesy, prowess, valor and generosity” (Markale, 1994, p 141). Indeed, his sense of nobility and chivalry set the tone of his court, at least before jealousy and betrayal took hold.  However, in reality according to Celtic traditions , kings were also bound by a myriad of so-called geisa, taboos or prohibitions determining how the king must carry out his duties. Transgression of a geisa usually rendered the king impotent, destitute or dead and his kingdom turned to a wasteland.  Kings were often no more than tribal chieftains of a group of related families or king of a province.  

The Sword and Scabbard: Symbols to Live By

While working on my second children’s book in the Urwelt Chronicles series (see urweltchronicles.com), I am also writing about archetypal symbolism found in Arthurian legend, focusing on the sword and scabbard (stone) which features in The Lioness of Brumley Hall.  This symbolism has a far greater meaning and application than merely entertainment for children.  These are spiritual symbols for life and hence politics.  Below is an introductory preview with more to come over the new year.  Happy New Year and my best wishes for a wonderful, safe and prosperous 2015!

Merlin watches as Arthur is presented Excalibur by the Lady of the Lake

The sword and scabbard are at the symbolic core of Arthurian legend.  Their symbolism not only dwells in the stories of the coming of Arthur into his destiny as the great king of the round table and the gifting of the magical sword, Excalibur, by the Lady of the Lake.  It also comes down through the ages from the teachings of the Kabbalah and the reworking of archetypal imaging found in other legends of Norse and Greek legacy.  From Greek myths we have the magical sword of Peleus, and from Norse mythology we have the god-given sword driven into the Branstock tree by the great god, Odin, to be at last drawn out by Sigmund, the youngest son of the dynastic House of King Volsung.  But none quite captures the mystical realm of King Arthur and his legendary knights of the round table. Other iconic archetypes include Merlin, at once arch druid, sage, magician, magus and Arthur’s closest counselor; Arthur’s faerie bride, Guinevere, from the Summerland and her star-crossed lover, Sir Lancelot; and finally, Morgan le Fay, priestess, enchantress, healer, half-sister and true mystical consort of the sacred king, Arthur.

Books, poems, blogs on each one of the characters comprising Arthurian legend abound, but I will focus on how the many storied aspects of the legend relate to the overarching symbolism of the sword and scabbard set in Celtic mythology, Kabbalistic symbolism, and further realized through Jungian archetypes. These archetypes are acted upon in our daily lives and come into play in our political engagements as well.  Think, hero, fool, protector, avenger, healer, etc. which many politicians inhabit during the course of conducting affairs of state.  I will post my next in-depth article on these symbols to live by soon.

The Destroyer: Rebirth or Destruction

The Destroyer comes unbidden but not without warning to wake us up from our sleepy complacency. The majority of Americans are disconnected, almost anesthetized from our politics preferring to complain rather than actively engage.  This leaves a power vacuum into which the Destroyer seeps and grows over time.  The Destroyer is the wake-up call for an initiation into a new ethos.  The new ethos can be under the Destroyer’s control or we can choose a different path of transformation.  The Destroyer also brings us closer in touch with our own mortality, providing us with the opportunity through awareness to recognize the preciousness of life and to act on what we desire for ourselves in the remaining time left and  what we aspire to leave behind as our legacy.

The Destroyer serves a useful purpose in that it stirs things up creating a temporary chaos, cleansing the old order away so the new can grow in its place.  This is the way of life from the beginning of time; the old dies off and makes way for the new.  However, to evolve and grow without complete self-destruction, we must be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water so we have a solid foundation upon which to recreate our lives and our society.  Our children build upon the lessons past generations have learned.  They also move forward based on past achievements as well.  No generation wants to start from scratch.  Human growth and development relies on the removal of the dross but also on retaining the gold.

Robert F. Kennedy: An Iconoclast for the 60s

Brent Budowsky, a former aide to Senator Lloyd Bensten recently wrote a brief article about Robert Kennedy in The Hill comparing Obama to RFK.   In my last post I made reference to the rarity of an iconoclast leader.  RFK was such a leader in that he was able to transcend the politics of the day and hold fast to his vision which many times lay outside the mainstream consensus.  While holding the post of Attorney General from 1960 to 1963, he supported the civil rights movement taking actions which ran counter to the  establishment of the day.  Originally supporting the Vietnam War, he split with President Johnson and opposed the war’s escalation before most of his colleagues in the Senate and the country at large.  The following quote is a portion of RFK’s remarks made during a speech at the University of Kansas on March 18, 1968 after declaring his intention to run for the presidency.

“And if we seem powerless to stop this growing division between Americans, who at least confront one another, there are millions more living in the hidden places, whose names and faces are completely unknown – but I have seen these other Americans – I have seen children in Mississippi starving, their bodies so crippled from hunger and their minds have been so destroyed for their whole life that they will have no future.  I have seen children in Mississippi – here in the United States – with a gross national product of $800 billion dollars – I have seen children in the Delta area of Mississippi with distended stomachs, whose faces are covered with sores from starvation, and we haven’t developed a policy so we can get enough food so that they can live, so that their children, so that their lives are not destroyed, I don’t think that’s acceptable in the United States of America and I think we need a change.

Politics Is Perception: Why Iconoclasts Rarely Rule

Have you ever considered that who you think you are is a mental construct of your thoughts, beliefs and experiences and that your identity is forged by this construct?  Neuroscience tells us that once we form a perception of the world we find it very difficult to see in ways different to what we already expect.

In his book Iconoclast, neuroscientist Gregory Berns states that the brain is structured for efficiency, not original thinking, so the average person’s brain falls into efficiency traps.  The brain functions more efficiently when our perceptions match what is already stored in our memory files.  It is much easier to place an event, emotion, thought or visual into a file that already exists than to create a new file.  Fear of uncertainty and public ridicule further re-enforce concepts we already hold to be true that have a history of support and acceptance.

“Everything that the brain sees or hears or touches has multiple interpretations.  The One that is ultimately chosen—the thing that is perceived—is simply the brain’s best guess at interpreting what flows into it…These guesses are heavily influenced by past experience and … what other people say.”¹ 

People who go against the grain (of either past experience or the opinion of others) or change their stripes midstream are often cast out. This is true socially and politically.  Most leaders rarely change their opinion and perceptions based on new information or changes in circumstances.  These changes come slowly and many only realize their mistaken perceptions in hind sight long after they have left political office.  The brain does not embrace uncertainty, ambiguity and novelty easily.  The iconoclast leader is a rare bird indeed.

Politics of the Trickster: Not What You Think

“Character is destiny” is a saying by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus often quoted when assessing political leadership.  This presumes that individuals including political leaders exhibit only one true defining persona.  James Hillman, a Jungian psychologist, suggests in his book  Re-Visioning Psychology that a more useful understanding of personalities is to re-personify personalities into metaphors—embodying and acting through various aspects of ourselves when called upon.  No, I am not referring to dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder) which is clearly pathological, but to the capability for each of us to live with an inner plurality of personae that respond differently depending on the current situation in our lives.  This model of psychology calls on us to embrace different aspects of ourselves to express the diversity of our wholeness while at the same time letting go of the illusion of a unified Self.

Most of the time we present one persona publicly while repressing the less socially acceptable or dysfunctional aspects of our personality.  This is a sign of a healthy mature individual.  You may feel like behaving like a two-year old by throwing a temper tantrum but are able to repress the impulse to act on that persona in order to present a more effective adult behavior in dealing with a particular issue.  However, I am not speaking of behavioral impulses when referring to persona plurality; I am pointing to embracing different HEALTHY aspects of our personality which come forth during particular times in our lives such as developmental stages or moments of crisis.

The Land of the Orphan and the Home of the Rebel

Americans have become Orphans, abandoned by their leaders as we descend further into the abyss of debt default.  The president has thrown his progressive base and the Democratic leadership in Congress under the proverbial bus, while the tea party wing of the Republican party wants to dismantle the entire federal government in favor of a Darwinian free-for-all.

The White House continues to focus on the Republicans and making the “deal” while ignoring the Democratic leadership which is now calling for the president to invoke the 14^th Amendment to raise the debt ceiling and be done with it.  Even Bill Clinton has weighed in saying if it were his call, he would do so “without hesitation” and let the courts work it out.  Yet unbelievably the president insists that this option is not in play.  The White House at the very least is showing an appalling lack of strategic political skill.

Meanwhile, Americans are struggling to maintain what little economic security they have in spite of the continued rise is joblessness and foreclosures, while a Democratic president seems intent on trading the social safety net that has been the hallmark of Democratic legislation over the last 80 years for a one shot deal and a bad deal at that.  Americans are being abandoned and increasingly feel like exiles in their own country unable to trust in functioning legislative and executive branches  elected with the belief that the people’s business will be attended to.  Right now, this means providing JOBS and financial stability to continue to grow the economy.

Transforming Leadership Workshop

For Politico Mythos readers interested in a deeper understanding of how archetypal symbolism and energies affect leadership roles, this is an excellent workshop to attend.  I have attached the workshop description and registration information below.

PACIFICA GRADUATE INSTITUTE PRESENTS

Transforming Leadership
A Depth Psychological Approach
with Carol Pearson

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Friday, August 12
7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Saturday, August 13
9:00 am-5:00 pm
Sunday, August 14
9:00 am-12:00 pm

11.5 Continuing Education Credits
MFTs, LCSWs, RNs, and Counselors

$370 General Admission

$320 Special Admission
(Full-Time Students, Pacifica Alumni, and Seniors)

$295 Active Pacifica Students
(Fees include Friday dinner; Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner; and Sunday breakfast and lunch)

The international financial meltdown—along with the current ecological crisis and devastating wars around the planet—shows how impossible it is to solve global problems with leadership coming from an ego perspective, disconnected from the soul. We are past the point in human history when leaders can operate from the ego’s separated, fear-based place, or believe that business leadership is solely about profits, political leadership is only about winning, nonprofit leadership is just about fundraising, and higher education leadership is simply about prestige. It is now essential that leaders connect not only with their own souls, but also with the soul of the world.

This workshop, however, is not an impractical call to morality, but a serious and practical look at how leaders can balance their desire for success and satisfaction with the ability to contribute to the success of their organizations or community and to the common good.