Written by: Robert J. Escandon C.Ht., MA
This is the 1st part of The Sword, The Armor and the Shield.
Introduction
According to ancient Greek philosopher Plato, the world is full of frameworks, which he calls forms. Aristotle, student of Plato calls these frameworks, Universal Forms, and states that these forms are a deeply rooted part of the human condition. Carl Jung, who studied Platos, refers to these forms as archetypes and believes them to be collective references of human traits that can be traced thoughout history. These archetypes stem from as early as pre-history and extend all the way into our modern world. Where these forms actually originated from is for the most part inconclusive. Archetypes exist in all aspects of mythology and extend into life itself as part of the collective unconsciousness according to Jung. The traits that are represented in archetypes are universal, they supersede language barriers, time and even logical understanding. Archetypes are perhaps the one aspect of ancient civilizations that can be found in popular culture still intact. Though there are many archetypes in Jungs analysis of Platos forms, Robert L. Moore, a student of Jung provides a breakdown of four archetypes that are commonly identified within the human condition; the King, Warrior, Lover and Magician. [1]
Archetypes are in a sense a kind of database that humans borrow from in order to make the individual self at a very early age according to Jung. [2] However, among all of these archetypes, the Warrior archetype holds dominant traits that most humans carry with them.
Within the body of this paper, we will analyze the Warrior archetype of Jung and his student Moore, while contrasting the work of Plato. Upon establishing an understanding of the Warrior archetype, we will analyze the shadow and light side of the archetype and its importance to the warrior. We will then discuss the emergence of the Warrior archetype during the Pre and Post Neolithic Revolution, using the works of notable scholars, Graeme Barker, Andrew Schmookler and Marija Gimbutas. We will then look at the Sumerian and Babylonian Warrior archetype using the works of Stephanie Dalley and Samuel Noah Kramer, followed by a discussion of the Warrior archetypes found in Scandinavian and Greek mythology. We will then identify how these Warrior archetypes exist within popular culture. We will conclude with an analysis of why the Warrior archetype is important according to Plato, Aristotle, Jung and Moore.
References
[1] Robert L. Moore, King, Warrior, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine (United Kingdom: Harperone Publishing, 1991), #47-119.
[2] Carl Jung, The Collected Works: The Archetypes of the Collective Unconsciousness (Princeton University Press, 1981), #3-42.