Heroes and Monsters: Persona and Shadow in Literature

In my last article I spoke of mankind's earliest literature, myths. Myths emerged early and were often related to survival issues. Who were the gods that needed to be appeased in order for life's daily needs to be met? What made the sun, the source of light and warmth, rise? What caused the seasons to change? Mankind's connection to the nurturing earth and his dependence upon the benign forces of nature for survival were clearly reflected. Myths, however, focused primarily on how the universe worked as personified by gods and goddesses.

Another form of early literature overlaps with and almost becomes part of the mythology. It is literature that changes the focus from the gods to mankind himself and answers the question, "Who are we as a people, and what is our story?" Epic poems (and Old Testament history in the Bible which reads somewhat like an epic or series of epics) identify heroes who both are the great leaders of the society and at the same time embody the important ideals of that society. The question answered by the early epics reflects mankind's growing consciousness of himself and his civilization. Not only are these early epics good stories which reveal something of the culture from which they arose, but they also display archetypal themes as mankind comes to know himself.

The earliest such epic (which notably predates the Bible) is the Mesopotamian "Gilgamesh." The title character was made as a perfect man, like the biblical Adam. But as King of Uruk, his arrogance became abominable to the gods who cried out to Aruru, the goddess of creation to make his equal. "...let it be as like him as his reflection, his second self, stormy heart for stormy heart. Let them contend together and leave Uruk in quiet." (Sandars 62)

The goddess then dipped her hands in water and made Enkidu from clay and placed him in the wilderness. He was familiar with the animals but knew nothing of civilization. Sometimes called a wild man, Enkidu represented the shadow, the primal man. As the story progresses, Enkidu is discovered by a hunter, eventually tamed by a maiden, and brought into the city where he and Gilgamesh wrestle. This part of the story reflects for us the process of becoming aware of the shadow, the more instinctual part of ourselves, and coming to terms with it. In the epic, Gilgamesh and Enkidu became the best of friends; both were changed by their initial encounter. Gilgamesh became more humble and humane while Enkidu became more civilized. The two together presented a more balanced whole. Encounters with the shadow likewise have transformative effects within the psyche.

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