An Evening With Art Delibert: “Dummling” Fairytales: Ego Development in Service to the Anima

Classical Jungian theory holds that fairytales often function on a societal level in the same way dreams function on an individual level – as compensation for aspects of the psyche that are out of balance. Certain Dummling stories, in which a rather unfocused young prince brings missing “feminine” energy back to the kingdom in the form of a powerful anima figure, are generally interpreted in this light.  But Dummling stories also offer another, more compelling message.

We live in a time when the human ego – mostly the male ego – seems to develop untethered from anything except its own aggrandizement. There is a serious risk that our runaway egos will destroy the Earth, or at least render it unfit for human habitation.  In this world, certain Dummling stories may present a better model for human development:  Ego development in service to the anima.

These stories, combined with recent research on the matriarchal nature of prehistoric societies, can also lead us into some intriguing questions about Jung’s approach to the hero archetype in a patriarchal society.

In this evening program, we’ll discuss these questions, focusing on the fairytale of “The Three Feathers” and, to a lesser extent, on Chretien’s story of Perceval and the Grail.

Art Delibert, Ph.D., holds a degree in Mythological Studies from Pacifica Graduate Institute, where his dissertation focused on Chretien des Troyes’ Story of Perceval, or the Grail, as a story of male development specifically taking place in 12th century Europe, an era much like today in that goddess energy came strongly to the forefront in Western culture. The dissertation focuses on the roles of puer, senex, anima, and shadow and explores in depth the contrast between Perceval and Gawain, to whom Chretien devoted some 40 percent of the story.