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Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who was likely one of the main characters of stories aimed at young children.

Women's Studies professor Lori Baker-Sperry and Sociology professor Liz Grauerholz looked into the prevalence of what they call "the feminine beauty ideal" in fairy tales.

"Children's fairy tales, which emphasize such things as women's passivity and beauty, are indeed gendered scripts and serve to legitimize and support the dominant gender system," they explain.

They analyzed stories from a 1992 English-language translation of The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, which is based on the seventh edition of Children and Household Tales (1857). The collection includes 250 stories, but Baker-Sperry and Grauerholz didn't consider fairy tales without human characters nor ones that weren't available in English in the 1800s. Consequently, only 168 fairy tales are represented in their dataset. They framed their review of the literature with a few pointed questions, such as "Is there a clear link between beauty and goodness?" and "Are there instances where danger or harm is associated with beauty or desirability?"

Some 31 percent of the fairy tales associate beauty with goodness, while 17 percent associate evil with ugliness.

Ninety-four percent of the fairy tales include descriptions of human characters, both female and male, with the average number of mentions per story being 13.6. "There is no substantive gender difference in the number of times physical appearance is mentioned (the average number of times that physical appearance is mentioned in reference to men is 6.0 and for women is 7.6)," they note, "but there is a notable difference in the range of references for men and women. The number of references to men's physical appearance ranges from 0 to 35 per story, whereas the range for women is 0 to 114."

Digging deeper into mentions of beauty/handsomeness by gender and age revealed that "women's beauty is highlighted more than men's attractiveness, and that beauty plays a more dominant role for younger women than for older ones." They found "approximately five times more references to women's beauty per tale than men's handsomeness (the average number of references to women is 1.25 and 0.21 for references to men's handsomeness)."

As to their initial research questions, Baker-Sperry and Grauerholz found "a clear link between beauty and goodness, most often in references to younger women, and between ugliness and evil." Some 31 percent of the fairy tales associate beauty with goodness, while 17 percent associate evil with ugliness.

One example of this connection can be read in the story Mother Holle, which begins, "A widow had two daughters, one who was beautiful and industrious, the other ugly and lazy." As the story plays out, beauty is rewarded with good fortune, lack of beauty is punished.

Still, while fairy tales may uphold standards of gendered beauty, Baker-Sperry and Grauerholz recognize that they "cannot determine the extent to which messaging concerning feminine beauty found in fairy tales have in fact been internalized or by whom." And though not the norm, movies such as Shrek, in which the main character, Fiona, is transformed into an ogre rather than a "beautiful maiden," can be seen as a challenge to traditional constructs of beauty and goodness.

However, "such retellings of fairy tales are rare, and the cumulative effect of the more traditional tales, in conjunction with the unidirectional nature of media, makes such agency difficult," they conclude.
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Children's Fairy Tales and Feminine Beauty - JSTOR Daily

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Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who was likely one of the main characters of stories aimed at young children. Women's Studies professor Lori Baker-Sperry and Sociology professor Liz Grauerholz looked into the prevalence of what they call "the feminine beauty ideal" in fairy tales.

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Apprentice Mickey labors with heavy buckets of water while the Sorcerer works his magic -- until Mickey has a bright idea that ends in chaos.

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Russian Philharmonic - Moscow City Symphony

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Archetypes in Lord of the Flies Scholarly with Abstract

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Archetypes in Lord of the Flies Scholarly with Abstract

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Archetypal literary criticism is a type of analytical theory that interprets a text by focusing on recurring myths and archetypes (from the Greek archē, "beginning", and typos, "imprint") in the narrative, symbols, images, and character types in literary works. As an acknowledged form of literary criticism, it dates back to 1934 when Classical scholar Maud Bodkin published Archetypal Patterns in Poetry.

Archetypal literary criticism's origins are rooted in two other academic disciplines, social anthropology and psychoanalysis; each contributed to literary criticism in separate ways.[citation needed ] Archetypal criticism peaked in popularity in the 1940s and 1950s, largely due to the work of Canadian literary critic Northrop Frye (1912-1991). In the twenty-first century, archetypal literary criticism is no longer widely practiced; there have not been any major recent developments in the field (with the possible exception of biblical literary criticism), but it still has a place in the tradition of literary studies.

The anthropological origin of archetypal criticism can pre-date its analytical psychology origins by over 30 years. The Golden Bough (1890-1915), written by the Scottish anthropologist Sir James George Frazer, was the first influential text dealing with cultural mythologies. Frazer was part of a group of comparative anthropologists working out of Cambridge University who worked extensively on the topic. The Golden Bough was widely accepted as the seminal text on myth that spawned numerous studies on the same subject. Eventually, the momentum of Frazer's work carried over into literary studies.

In The Golden Bough Frazer identifies practices and mythological beliefs shared among primitive religions and modern religions. Frazer argues that the death-rebirth myth is present in almost all cultural mythologies, and is acted out in terms of growing seasons and vegetation. The myth is symbolized by the death (i.e., final harvest) and rebirth (i.e., spring) of the god of vegetation.

As an example, Frazer cites the Greek myth of Persephone, who was taken to the Underworld by Hades. Her mother Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, was so sad that she struck the world with fall and winter. While in the underworld Persephone ate six of the twelve pomegranate seeds given to her by Hades; consequently, she was forced to spend half the year, from then on, in the Underworld, representative of autumn and winter, or the death in the death-rebirth myth. The other half of the year Persephone was permitted to be with Demeter in the mortal realm, which represents spring and summer, or the rebirth in the death-rebirth myth.[citation needed ]

While Frazer's work deals with mythology and archetypes in material terms, the work of Carl Gustav Jung, the Swiss-born founder of analytical psychology, is, in contrast, immaterial in its focus. Jung's work theorizes about myths and archetypes in relation to the unconscious, an inaccessible part of the mind. From a Jungian perspective, myths are the "culturally elaborated representations of the contents of the deepest recess of the human psyche: the world of the archetypes" (Walker 4).

Jungian analytical psychology distinguishes between the personal and collective unconscious, the latter being particularly relevant to archetypal criticism. The collective unconscious, or the objective psyche as it is less frequently known, is a number of innate thoughts, feelings, instincts, and memories that reside in the unconsciousness of all people. Jung's definition of the term is inconsistent in his many writings. At one time he calls the collective unconscious the "a priori, inborn forms of intuition" (Lietch 998), while in another instance it is a series of "experience(s) that come upon us like fate" (998). Regardless of the many nuances between Jung's definitions, the collective unconsciousness is a shared part of the unconscious.

To Jung, an archetype in the collective unconscious, as quoted from Leitch et al., is "irrepresentable, but has effects which make visualizations of it possible, namely, the archetypal images and ideas" (988), due to the fact they are at an inaccessible part of the mind. The archetypes to which Jung refers are represented through primordial images, a term he coined. Primordial images originate from the initial stages of humanity and have been part of the collective unconscious ever since. It is through primordial images that universal archetypes are experienced, and more importantly, that the unconscious is revealed.

With the same death-rebirth myth that Frazer sees as being representative of the growing seasons and agriculture as a point of comparison, a Jungian analysis envisions the death-rebirth archetype as a "symbolic expression of a process taking place not in the world but in the mind. That process is the return of the ego to the unconscious-a kind of temporary death of the ego-and its re-emergence, or rebirth, from the unconscious" (Segal 4).

By itself, Jung's theory of the collective unconscious accounts for a considerable share of writings in archetypal literary criticism; it also pre-dates the height of archetypal literary criticism by over a decade. The Jungian archetypal approach treats literary texts as an avenue in which primordial images are represented. It would not be until the 1950s when the other branch of archetypal literary criticism developed.

Bodkin's Archetypal Patterns in Poetry, the first work on the subject of archetypal literary criticism, applies Jung's theories about the collective unconscious, archetypes, and primordial images to literature. It was not until the work of the Canadian literary critic Northrop Frye that archetypal criticism was theorized in purely literary terms. The major work of Frye's to deal with archetypes is Anatomy of Criticism but his essay "The Archetypes of Literature" is a precursor to the book. Frye's thesis in "The Archetypes of Literature" remains largely unchanged in Anatomy of Criticism. Frye's work helped displace New Criticism as the major mode of analyzing literary texts, before giving way to structuralism and semiotics.

Frye's work breaks from both Frazer and Jung in such a way that it is distinct from its anthropological and psychoanalytical precursors. For Frye, the death-rebirth myth, that Frazer sees manifest in agriculture and the harvest, is not ritualistic since it is involuntary, and therefore, must be done. As for Jung, Frye was uninterested about the collective unconscious on the grounds of feeling it was unnecessary: since the unconscious is unknowable it cannot be studied. How archetypes came to be was also of no concern to Frye; rather, the function and effect of archetypes is his interest. For Frye, literary archetypes "play an essential role in refashioning the material universe into an alternative verbal universe that is humanly intelligible and viable, because it is adapted to essential human needs and concerns" (Abrams 224-225).

There are two basic categories in Frye's framework, comedic and tragic. Each category is further subdivided into two categories: comedy and romance for the comedic; tragedy and satire (or ironic) for the tragic. Though he is dismissive of Frazer, Frye uses the seasons in his archetypal schema. Each season is aligned with a literary genre: comedy with spring, romance with summer, tragedy with autumn, and satire with winter.

Comedy is aligned with spring because the genre of comedy is characterized by the rebirth of the hero, revival and resurrection. Also, spring symbolizes the defeat of winter and darkness. Romance and summer are paired together because summer is the culmination of life in the seasonal calendar, and the romance genre culminates with some sort of triumph, usually a marriage. Autumn is the dying stage of the seasonal calendar, which parallels the tragedy genre because it is, above all, known for the "fall" or demise of the protagonist.

Satire is metonymized with winter on the grounds that satire is a "dark" genre; satire is a disillusioned and mocking form of the three other genres. It is noted for its darkness, dissolution, the return of chaos, and the defeat of the heroic figure. The seasons are associated with narrative parallels:

Summer - comedy. The birth of the hero.

Autumn - tragedy. Movement towards the death or defeat of the hero.

Winter - irony or satire. The hero is absent.

Spring - romance. The rebirth of the hero.

The context of a genre determines how a symbol or image is to be interpreted. Frye outlines five different spheres in his schema: human, animal, vegetation, mineral, and water. The comedic human world is representative of wish-fulfillment and being community centred. In contrast, the tragic human world is of isolation, tyranny, and the fallen hero. Animals in the comedic genres are docile and pastoral (e.g. sheep), while animals are predatory and hunters in the tragic (e.g. wolves).

For the realm of vegetation, the comedic is, again, pastoral but also represented by gardens, parks, roses and lotuses. As for the tragic, vegetation is of a wild forest, or as being barren. Cities, a temple, or precious stones represent the comedic mineral realm.

The tragic mineral realm is noted for being a desert, ruins, or "of sinister geometrical images" (Frye 1456). Lastly, the water realm is represented by rivers in the comedic. With the tragic, the seas, and especially floods, signify the water sphere.

Frye admits that his schema in "The Archetypes of Literature" is simplistic, but makes room for exceptions by noting that there are neutral archetypes. The example he cites are islands such as Circe's or Prospero's which cannot be categorized under the tragic or comedic.

Maud Bodkin wrote Archetypal Patterns in Poetry in 1934, applying the ideas of Jung to poetry, and examining archetypes such as the ancient mariner and rebirth, heaven and hell, images of the devil, the hero and God.

In his 1949 book Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell pioneered the idea of the 'monomyth' (though the term was borrowed from James Joyce), a universal pattern in heroic tales across different cultures and genres. His deep examination of the eight step hero's journey (and the common variations that exist) had a huge impact on the Abstract Expressionists of the 1950s, and continues to inspire creative artists today.

It has been argued that Frye's version of archetypal criticism strictly categorizes works based on their genres, which determines how an archetype is to be interpreted in a text. According to this argument the dilemma Frye's archetypal criticism faces with more contemporary literature, and that of post-modernism in general, is that genres and categories are no longer distinctly separate and that the very concept of genres has become blurred, thus problematizing Frye's schema.

For instance Beckett's Waiting For Godot is considered a tragicomedy, a play with elements of tragedy and satire, with the implication that interpreting textual elements in the play becomes difficult as the two opposing seasons and conventions that Frye associated with genres are pitted against each other. But in fact arguments about generic blends such as tragicomedy go back to the Renaissance, and Frye always conceived of genres as fluid. Frye thought literary forms were part of a great circle and were capable of shading into other generic forms. (He contemplated including a diagram of his wheel in Anatomy of Criticism but thought better of it.) Myth and archetype deals with origin of literary.

Femme Fatale: A female character type who brings upon catastrophic and disastrous events. Eve from the story of Genesis or Pandora from Greek mythology are two such figures.

The Journey: A narrative archetype where the protagonist must overcome a series of obstacles before reaching his or her goal. The quintessential journey archetype in Western culture is arguably Homer's .

Archetypal symbols vary more than archetype narratives or character types. The best archetypal pattern is any symbol with deep roots in a culture's mythology, such as the forbidden fruit in Genesis or even the poison apple in Snow White. These are examples of symbols that resonate with archetypal critics.

Archetypes are said, by archetypal critics, to reveal shared roles among universal societies. This archetype may create a shared imaginary which is defined by many stereotypes that have not separated themselves from the traditional, biological, religious and mythical framework.[citation needed ]

Abrams, M. H. "Archetypal Criticism." A Glossary of Literary Terms. Fort Worth: HBJ, 1993. 223 - 225

Bates, Roland. Northrop Frye. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1971.

Frye, Northrop. "The Archetypes of Literature." The Norton Anthology: Theory and Criticism. Ed. Vincent B. Leitch. New York: Norton, 2001. 1445 - 1457

Knapp, Bettina L. "Introduction." A Jungian Approach to Literature. Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press, 1984. ix - xvi

Leitch, Vincent B. "Northrop Frye." The Norton Anthology: Theory and Criticism. Ed. Vincent B. Leitch. New York: Norton, 2001. 1442 - 1445

-- "Carl Gustav Jung." The Norton Anthology: Theory and Criticism. Ed. Vincent B. Leitch. New York: Norton, 2001. 987 - 990

Segal, Robert A. "Introduction." Jung on Mythology. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998. 3 - 48

Sugg, Richard P., ed. Jungian Literary Criticism. Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University Press, 1992. (439 pgs.)

Walker, Steven F. Jung and the Jungians on Myth. New York: Garland Publishing, 1995. 3 - 15

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Archetypal literary criticism - Wikipedia

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Archetypal literary criticism is a type of analytical theory that interprets a text by focusing on recurring myths and archetypes (from the Greek archē, "beginning", and typos, "imprint") in the narrative, symbols, images, and character types in literary works.

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The Self in Jungian psychology is a dynamic concept which has undergone numerous modifications since it was first conceptualised as one of the Jungian archetypes.

Historically, the Self, according to Carl Jung, signifies the unification of consciousness and unconsciousness in a person, and representing the psyche as a whole. It is realized as the product of individuation, which in his view is the process of integrating various aspects of one's personality. For Jung, the Self is an encompassing whole which acts as a container. It could be symbolized by a circle, a square, or a mandala.

The idea that there are two centers of the personality distinguished Jungian psychology at one time. The ego has been seen as the center of consciousness, whereas the Self is defined as the center of the total personality, which includes consciousness, the unconscious, and the ego; the Self is both the whole and the center. While the ego is a self-contained center of the circle contained within the whole, the Self can be understood as the greater circle.

Jung considered that from birth every individual has an original sense of wholeness-of the Self-but that with development a separate ego-consciousness crystallizes out of the original feeling of unity. This process of ego-differentiation provides the task of the first half of one's life-course, though Jungians also saw psychic health as depending on a periodic return to the sense of Self, something facilitated by the use of myths, initiation ceremonies, and rites of passage.

Once ego-differentiation had been more or less successfully achieved and the individual is somewhat anchored in the external world, Jung considered that a new task then arose for the second half of life - a return to, and conscious rediscovery of, the Self: individuation. Marie-Louise von Franz states that "The actual processes of individuation - the conscious coming-to-terms with one's own inner center (psychic nucleus) or Self - generally begins with a wounding of the personality". The ego reaches an impasse of one sort or another; and has to turn for help to what she termed "a sort of hidden regulating or directing tendency...[an] organizing center" in the personality: "Jung called this center the 'Self' and described it as the totality of the whole psyche, in order to distinguish it from the 'ego', which constitutes only a small part of the psyche".

Under the Self's guidance, a succession of archetypal images emerges, gradually bringing their fragmentary aspects of the Self increasingly closer to its totality. The first to appear, and the closest to the ego, would be the shadow or personal unconscious - something which is at the same time the first representation of the total personality, and which may indeed be at times conflated with the Self. Next to appear would be the Anima and Animus, the soul-image, which may be taken as symbolising the whole Self. Ideally however, the animus or anima comes into play in a mediating role between the ego and the Self. The third main archetype to emerge is the Mana figure of the wise old man/woman - a representative of the collective unconscious akin to the Self.

Thereafter comes the archetype of the Self itself - the last point on the route to self-realization of individuation. In Jung's words, "the Self...embraces ego-consciousness, shadow, anima, and collective unconscious in indeterminable extension. As a totality, the self is a coincidentia oppositorum; it is therefore bright and dark and yet neither". Alternatively, he stated that "the Self is the total, timeless man...who stands for the mutual integration of conscious and unconscious". Jung recognized many dream images as representing the self, including a stone, the world tree, an elephant, and the Christ.

Von Franz considered that "the dark side of the Self is the most dangerous thing of all, precisely because the Self is the greatest power in the psyche. It can cause people to 'spin' megalomanic or fall into other delusionary fantasies that catch them up", so that the subject "thinks with mounting excitement" that he has grasped the great cosmic riddles. He therefore risks losing all touch with human reality.

In everyday life, aspects of the Self may be projected onto outside figures or concepts such as the state, God, the universe or fate. When such projections are withdrawn, there can be a destructive inflation of the personality - one potential counterbalance to this being however the social or collective aspects of the Self.

Young-Eisendrath and Hall write that 'in Jung's work, self can refer to the notion of inherent subjective individuality, the idea of an abstract center or central ordering principle, and the account of a process developing over time'.[citation needed ]

In 1947 Michael Fordham proposed a distinct theory of the primary self to describe the state of the psyche of neonates, characterised by homeostasis, or 'steady state' in his words, where self and other (usually the mother) are undifferentiated. It predicates that there is no distinction between the internal and external world, and there are as yet no different components in the internal world. Fordham derived his hypothesis partly from the Jungian concept of the archetype of the self, and the psychoanalytic idea of internal 'objects'. The primary self, taken as the original totality of each person, with its 'archetypal' tendencies to develop aspects, such as language, complexes etc., enters into relation with the external world through a continuous dual process of de-integration and re-integration, a process said to be characteristic of the first half of life.

Redfearn, for instance, who has also synthesised the classical archetypal theory with a developmental view based on years of clinical observation, sees the self as probably consisting of a range of subpersonalities over a lifetime.

According to Peter Fonagy the connections between "post-Freudians" and "post-Jungians" have been further strengthened after the advent of contemporary neuroscience in this connection, as outlined in his foreword to Jean Knox's update on the "formation of internal working models", which he describes as a milestone.

Fritz Perls objected that 'many psychologists like to write the self with a capital S, as if the self would be something precious, something extraordinarily valuable. They go at the discovery of the self like a treasure-digging. The self means nothing but this thing as it is defined by otherness'.

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The Self in Jungian psychology is a dynamic concept which has undergone numerous modifications since it was first conceptualised as one of the Jungian archetypes . Historically, the Self, according to Carl Jung, signifies the unification of consciousness and unconsciousness in a person, and representing the psyche as a whole.

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The Truth Behind Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes | Offbeat Poet

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Simple and seemingly harmless nursery rhymes we all grew up reciting hide a twisted and dark history.

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Typed by Brett Fishburne Proofed by Reina Hosier and Kestrell.

The Only True Mother Goose Melodies

An exact reproduction of the text and illustrations of the original edition.

With introduction by Rev. Edward Everett Hale, D.D.

Introduction.

The editor of the new edition of Mother Goose's Melodies knows much more about the curious history of the Boston edition than I do. And the reader will not need, even in these lines of mine, any light on the curious question about Madam Vergoose, or her son-in-law Mr. Fleet, or the Contes de Ma Mere l'Oye, which are so carefully discussed in the preface. All this is admirably discussed also in Mr. William Whitmore's paper published in Albany in 1889, and reprinted in Boston in 1892. In that paper he reproduced in facsimile Isaiah Thomas's edition of Mother Goose published first in 1785.

What I want to tell, is of Mother Goose in the nineteenth Century-the Mother Goose on which the old Boston line was brought up-a line now nearly forgotten. But there were days, Gentle Reader, when an excellent body of people in this little Town of Boston grew up all together loving and loved, brought up their children here, loving and loved, and amused those children from babyhood in their own way. The centre of the baby life of this race was Mother Goose's Melodies in the dear little quarto edition, of which a precise copy is in the reader's hands.

It is this Mother Goose of which the New Englander, if his age be more than three score years and ten, speaks when he speaks of Mother Goose at all. The historical ear marks in it are rather curious. Perhaps the printing of this very edition may raise up some antiquary who can tell us how it came into existence. I wish I knew. I hope some reader of these lines may know. What I know is this, that when the nineteenth century began, in the years from 1800 to 1820, the impression of what we still called the "Mother Country" upon Boston was very strong. The old nurse who took care of me in my babyhood spoke of "weal" and "winegar," where my father and mother spoke of veal and vinegar, just as if she had been a London Cockney. Children played the games of English origin,

"Lady Queen Anne, she sits on her throne,"

though it were fifty years after the Declaration of Independence. I may say in passing, that within the last dozen years I stopped to hear some North End children sing the song Queen Anne, without the slightest idea, I suppose, of who Queen Anne was, or what was their business with her. Alas, and alas, I did not write down the words of that song on the moment!

The truth is that Boston was still a place of foreign commerce. Our ties with London, such as John Adams and other Revolutionaries spoke of so freely, still existed, and a Baby's Song Book like Mother Goose, might still recall, and I suppose repeat, the song of Cockney homes.

So in the nursery, whether one of the North End sailors' home, or of Beacon Street, or Park Street, or Pearl Street, the baby was sung to sleep with London ditties.

All this was sung to New England children, thank God without note or comment, and with no other explanation. But the American traveler who goes into Baring Brothers', Bishopsgate, with his credit, feels a thrill which the clerk who attends to him does not understand, if one speaks to him of St. Helen's or St. Ann's.

All this accounts for Mother Goose as Fleet reprinted her baby songs as early as the year 1700. But as the reader will see, somebody had the editing of the baby's text book who was not afraid of his own time. I think that the very latest verses which will be found here are those of Scott's Donald Dhu. Walter Scott wrote this for Campbell's Anthology in 1816. The presence of these verses fixes the latest date of any lines in the collection, except, as Mr. Whitmore has observed, the line "Boston Town" is changed into "Boston City," so that must have been written after 1822.

But it is interesting to see that no American line of comment seems to have slipped in. There was no lack of nationalism in the air, but I cannot find any reference to a cent[*], a dime, a governor, or a President. Now in the printed handkerchiefs, such as children used to buy on Election Day in the street, I remember the Ballad of John Gilpin ended,

Now, let us sing, "Long live the President And Gilpin, Long live he." But the wise editor of our Boston Mother Goose had no such fears for the republicanism of his baby hearers. Those were happy years in which the imagination of babies and their older brothers and sisters were permitted to run free.

[*][Note from Brett: See the rhyme which starts "Little Jack
Nory..." for such a reference.]

I have asked and asked and have received no answer, as to the artist who made many of the admirable designs which are distinctive in this book. Abel Bowen's[*] name is signed to one, and his initials appear on several. N.D. means Nathaniel Dearborn[+]. One is signed "Chicket,"[&] but this does not account for the greater number of them. I was the son of a printer and type-founder, so we had a "type book" as a classic in our nursery. So I knew even as a little child, that there were pictures in Mother Goose which were put there merely because the block from which they were printed existed in the printer's office. But there were other designs made by some artist of genius; and who was he? He represented the man in the moon, hanging with one arm to the crescent of the moon. That man, whoever he was, is to be ranked among the original artists of the world. He gave to childhood his first and best images of the blackbirds who were baked in the pie.

[*][Note from Brett: Abel Bowen (1790-1850) was Boston's first wood engraver and is perhaps most well known for his work on the "Farmer's Almanac."]

[+][Note from Brett: Nathanial Dearborn (1786-1852) was with the Holland Printing Company and is perhaps most well known (in 2002) for the difficulty he had in setting plates for a 13 cent stamp used in Hawaii (second issue). He also was a printer and author of "The American Textbook for Making Letters." He would have been well remembered in Boston at the time of this book.]

[&][Note from Brett: "Chicket" is terribly obscure and the only reference I could possibly find was to a Mr. Chicket who was apparently murdered in a bar (the Brushmakers Arms) in Upham, New Hampshire and supposedly haunts the bar. Whether this has anything to do with the Chicket in the text is highly questionable, but would make for a great story.]

This question I have asked again and again, and no man and no woman has answered it. But the chances seem to be that we owe them also to Abel Bowen, the first wood engraver recorded among the engravers in the period after the Revolution. We have specimens of his work more in pictures of landscape or of buildings than in drawings of men and women. But there can be but little doubt that most of the blocks from which the Mother Goose of our childhood were printed were engraved by him, and there seems to be good reason to believe that the designs were by him as well. The pity is that no old portfolio can be found with other designs from his pencil. But, alas, the chances are that they have gone where so many other manuscripts have gone, which would delight the antiquaries.

Thanks to the publisher and editor of this book, the designs, of whatever hand, are now preserved for another generation.

I have said that I am not learned in the interesting genealogical discussion of the subject, but I like to call attention to the fact that the English Norwich was the birthplace and home of Fleet, and that it is possible that in the annals of that city light may be gained as to the history of the man in the Moon.

I have always thoughtt that the close connection of our maritime people with London had something to do with the names of our streets. The most striking instance is in the name of Cornhill, where this very Thomas Fleet had his book store, and where book stores have been an institution from that day to this. Our Cornhill in its relations to our water front occupies the same conditions which the London Cornhill had and has to the river front in London. The young reader should remember that Washington Street so far as it had one name was called the Main Street. Coming North from our Dover Street, the traveler passed through Orange Street, then through Newbury Street, next through Marlborough Street, which extended from Winter Street to School Street, and then through Cornhill northward to Dock Square. This is precisely as in passing east through what was the Main Street of London of those days, the traveler would have passed through the Cornhill of that thoroughfare. The London Cornhill retains its name. Ours was changed in 1824 to the all-conquering name of Washington, which is now applied to the whole of the "Main Street" and "the Neck" of the Fathers, as indeed, it is applied by local authorities many miles further.

But in familiar conversation, the old name Cornhill was retained for a generation, and indeed, would be understood to-day, if you were speaking to Boston people more than fifty years old. The name Cornhill is now applied to the Market Street of an earlier period.

Young readers should remember that Orange Street, Newbury street, and Marlborough Street were names given in honour of the Prince of Orange of the Puritan victory at Newbury, and of the Duke of Marlborough. All of them show what were the Whig and Puritan feelings of the people who gave them. All three of the names in our time have been transferred from the old localities.

We are all greatly obliged to Mrs. Harriet Blackstone C. Butler for the pains she has taken to rescue for popular use this interesting memorial of the education of the fathers and mothers of New England.

[signed]Edward E. Hale

The Only True

Mother Goose

MELODIES,

Without addition or abridgement.

Embracing, also, a reliable

LIFE OF THE GOOSE FAMILY,

Never before published.

Numerous illustrations.

My dear little Blossoms, there are now in this world, and always will be, a great many grannies besides myself, both in petticoats and pantaloons, some a deal younger to be sure; but all monstrous wise, and of my own family name. These old women, who never had chick nor child of their own, but who always know how to bring up other people's children, will tell you with very long faces, that my enchanting, quieting, soothing volume, my all-sufficient anodyne for cross, peevish, won't-be-comforted little bairns, ought to be laid aside for more learned books, such as THEY could select and publish. Fudge! I tell you that all their batterings can't deface my beauties, nor their wise pratings equal my wiser prattlings; and all imitators of my refreshing songs might as well write a new Billy Shakespeare as another Mother Goose-we two great poets were born together, and we shall go out of the world together.

No, no my Melodies will never die,
While nurses sing, or babies cry.

History of the Goose Family.

[FROM THE BOSTON TRANSCRIPT.]

Cotton Mather And Mother Goose.

MR. EDITOR:-Your correspondent, N.B.S., has so decisively given a QUIETUS to the question as to the birthplace of Cotton Mather, that there is no danger of its ever being revived again. But there is another question of equal importance to many, to the literary world in particular, which should in like manner be put to rest. WHO WAS MOTHER GOOSE? and WHEN were her melodies first given to the world? These are questions which have been often asked, but have never been satisfactorily answered. The recent publication of a book called "Mother Goose for Old Folks" has again revived these questions, which serves to show that the subject has not yet lost its interest.

Many persons imagine that Mother Goose is a myth,-that no such person ever existed. This is a mistake. MOTHER GOOSE was not only a veritable personage, but was born and resided many years in Boston, where many of her descendants may now be found. The last that bore this ancient paternal cognomen died about the year 1807, and was buried in the Old Granary Burying Ground, where probably lie the remains of the whole blood, if we may judge from the numerous grave-stones which mark their resting place. The family originated in England, but at what time they came to this country is unknown,-but probably about the year 1656. This was the "Wealthy family of Goose" which is immortalized by Mr. Bowditch in his book of Suffolk Names, who at the same time has immortalized himself. They were landholders in Boston, so early as 1660. Nearly half the space between West and Winter streets, on Washington street, and extending westerly towards Tremont street, 275 feet belonged to this family, as did also a large tract of land on Essex, Rowe, and Bedford streets, upon which now stand two churches and a large number of dwelling houses. SO MUCH FOR MOTHER GOOSE. Now for her melodies.

It is well known to antiquarians that more than TWO hundred years ago there was a small book in circulation in London bearing the name of "Rhymes for the nursery; or Lulla-Byes for Children," which contained MANY OF THE IDENTICAL PIECES which have been handed down to us and now from part of the "Mother Goose's Melodies" of the present day. It contained also other pieces much more silly, if possible, and some that the AMERICAN types of the present day would refuse to give off an impression. The "cuts" or illustrations thereof were of the coarsest description.

The first book of the kind known to be printed in this country bears the title of "Songs for the Nursery; or, Mother Goose's Melodies for Children." Something probably intended to represent a goose with a very long neck and mouth wide open, covered a large part of the title page, at the bottom of which, Printed by T. Fleet[*], at his printing house, Pudding Lane, 1719. Price, two coppers. Several pages were missing, so that the whole number could not be ascertained.

[*][Note from Brett: T. Fleet is probably Thomas Fleet (1685-1758) and is referenced by John Fleet Elliot (a descendent). Thomas Fleet was married to Elizabeth Goose (AKA Vertigoose), and is the presumed author. Unfortunately, modern research and research at the time failed to substantiate the existence of this book. This information is culled in part from the introduction to L. Frank Baum's edition of "Mother Goose" in 1897. The introduction written by Mr. Baum considered this line of reasoning and this article is referenced by him.]

This T. Fleet, according to Isaiah Thomas[*], was a man of considerable talent and of great wit and humor. He was born in England, and was brought up in a printing office in the city of Bristol, where he afterwards worked as a journeyman. Although he was considered a man of sense, he was never thought to be overburdened with religious sentiments; he certainly was not in his latter days. Yet he was MORE than suspected of being actively engaged in the riotous proceedings connected with the trial of Dr. Sacheverell, in Queen Ann's time. In London, Bristol, and many other places, the mobs and riots were of a very serious nature. In London several meeting houses were sacked and pulled down, and the materials and contents made into bonfires, and much valuable property destroyed. Several of the rioters were arrested, tried and convicted. The trials of some of them are now before me. How deeply Fleet was implicated in these disturbances was never known, but being of the same mind with Jack Falstaff, that "the better part of valor is discretion," thought it prudent to put the Ocean between himself and danger. He made his way to this country and arrived in Boston, 1712. Being a man of some enterprise he soon established a printing office in Pudding Lane (now Devonshire Street), where he printed small books, pamphlets, ballads, and such matter as offered. Being industrious and prudent, he gradually accumulated property. It was not long before he became acquainted with the "wealthy family of Goose," a branch of which he had before known in Bristol, and was shortly married to the eldest daughter.

By the record of marriages in the City Registrar's office, it appears that in "1715, June 8, was married by Rev. COTTON MATHER, THOMAS FLEET TO ELIZABETH GOOSE." The happy couple took up their residence in the same house with the printing office in Pudding lane. In due time their family was increased by the birth of a son and heir. Mother Goose, like all good grandmothers, was in ecstasies at the event; her joy was unbounded; she spent her whole time in the nursery, and in wandering about the house, pouring forth, in not the most melodious strains, the songs and ditties which she had learned in her younger days, greatly to the annoyance of the whole neighborhood-to Fleet in particular, who was a man fond of quiet. It was in vain he exhausted his shafts of wit and ridicule, and every expedient he could devise: it was of no use-the old lady was not thus to be put down; so, like others similarly situated, he was obliged to submit. His shrewdness, however, did not forsake him; from this seeming evil he contrived to educe some good; he conceived the idea of collecting the songs and ditties as they came from his mother, and such as he could gather from other sources, and publishing them for the benefit of the world-not forgetting himself. This he did-and thus "Mother Goose's Melodies" were brought forth. The adoption of this title was in derision of his good mother-in-law, and was perfectly characteristic of the man, as he was never known to spare his nearest friends in his raillery, or when he could excite laughter at their expense.

COTTON MATHER AND MOTHER GOOSE thus stand in juxtaposition; and as the former was instrumental in cementing the union, which resulted in placing the latter so conspicuously before the world, it is but just that it should be so,-although the one was a learned man, a most voluminous writer, and published a great many books, some wise and some foolish, it may well be doubted whether any one, or all of them, together, have passed through so many editions,-been read by so many hundreds of thousands, not to say millions,-put so many persons to sleep, or in general done so much good to the world as the simple melodies of the other.

Requiescat.

Goose's Melodies.

To market, to market, to buy a penny bun,
Home again, home again, market is done.

Charley Wag,
Ate the pudding and left the bag.

Sing, Sing!-What shall I sing?
The Cat's run away with the Pudding-Bag String.

When I was a little boy, I washed my mammy's dishes,
Now I am a great boy I roll in golden riches.

There were two birds upon a stone,
Fal de ral-al de ral-laddy.
One flew away, and then there was one,
Fal de ral-al de ral-laddy.
The other flew after, and then there was none,
Fal de ral-al de ral-laddy.
So the poor stone was left all alone,
Fal de ral-al de ral-laddy.
One of these little birds back again flew,
Fal de ral-al de ral-laddy.
The other came after, and then there were two,
Fal de ral-al de ral-laddy.
Says one to the other, Pray how do you do,
Fal de ral-al de ral-laddy.
Very well, thank you, and pray how are you,
Fal de ral-al de ral-laddy.

Shoe the horse, and shoe the mare,
But let the little colt go bare.

You owe me five shillings,
Say the bells of St. Helen's.

When will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old Bailey.

When I grow rich,
Say the bells of Shoreditch.

When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney.

I do not know,
Says the great Bell of Bow.

Two sticks in an apple,
Ring the bells of Whitechapel.

Halfpence and farthings,
Say the bells of St. Martin's.

Kettles and pans,
Say the bells of St. Giles.

Old shoes and slippers,
Say the bells of St. Peter's.

Pokers and tongs,
Say the bells of St. John's.

Once in my life I married a wife,
And where do you think I found her?

On Gretna Green, in velvet sheen,
And I took up a stick to pound her.

She jumped over a barberry-bush,
And I jumped over a timber,

I showed her a gay gold ring,
And she showed me her finger.

And why may not I love Johnny?
And why, &c. &c.

TO BE SUNG IN A HIGH WIND.

Daffy-down-dilly is new come to town,
With a petticoat green, and a bright yellow gown,
And her white blossoms are peeping around.

Great A, little a, bouncing B,
The Cat's in the cupboard, and she can't see.

Tell tale tit, your tongue shall be slit,
And all the dogs in our town shall have a bit.

Hen. Cock, cock, cock, cock,
I've laid an egg,
Am I to gang ba-are-foot?
Cock. Hen, hen, hen, hen,
I've been up and down,
To every shop in town,
And cannot find a shoe
To fit your foot,
If I'd crow my heart out.

[To be said very quickly, except the last two words in each verse, which are to be "screamed" out.]

Shake a leg, wag a leg, when will you gang?
At midsummer, mother, when the days are lang.

Hop away, skip away, my baby wants to play.
My baby wants to play every day.

Bow, wow, wow, whose dog art thou?
Little Tom Tinker's dog, bow, wow, wow.

Hey ding a ding, ding, I heard a bird sing,
The parliament soldiers are gone to the king.

About the bush, Willie, about the bee-hive,
About the bush, Willie, I'll meet thee alive.

We're three brethren out of Spain,
Come to court your daughter Jane.

My daughter Jane she is too young,
She has no skill in a flattering tongue.

Tom, Tom of Islington,
Married a wife on Sunday,
Bro't her home on Monday,
Hired a house on Tuesday,
Fed her well on Wednesday,
Sick was she on Thursday,
Dead was she on Friday,
Sad was Tom on Saturday,
To bury his wife on Sunday.

[*][Note from Brett: "V" and "W" appear to be intentionally inverted to favor the rhyme.]

[*][Note from Brett: "ee" is correct. I have no idea what it means.]

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Typed by Brett Fishburne Proofed by Reina Hosier and Kestrell. The Only True Mother Goose Melodies An exact reproduction of the text and illustrations of the original edition. With introduction by Rev. Edward Everett Hale, D.D. Introduction. The editor of the new edition of Mother Goose's Melodies knows much more about the curious history of the Boston edition than I do.

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The Tales of Mother Goose
As First Collected by Charles Perrault in 1696

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The figure of Mother Goose is the imaginary author of a collection of French fairy tales and later of English nursery rhymes. As a character, she appeared in a song, the first stanza of which often functions now as a nursery rhyme. This, however, was dependent on a Christmas pantomime, a successor to which is still performed in the United Kingdom.

The term's appearance in English dates back to the early 18th century, when Charles Perrault's fairy tale collection, Contes de ma Mère l'Oye, was first translated into English as Tales of My Mother Goose. Later a compilation of English nursery rhymes, titled Mother Goose's Melody, or, Sonnets for the Cradle, helped perpetuate the name both in Britain and the United States.

Mother Goose's name was identified with English collections of stories and nursery rhymes popularised in the 17th century. English readers would already have been familiar with Mother Hubbard, a stock figure when Edmund Spenser published the satire Mother Hubberd's Tale in 1590, as well as with similar fairy tales told by "Mother Bunch" (the pseudonym of Madame d'Aulnoy) in the 1690s. An early mention appears in an aside in a versified French chronicle of weekly events, Jean Loret's La Muse Historique, collected in 1650. His remark, comme un conte de la Mère Oye ("like a Mother Goose story") shows that the term was readily understood. Additional 17th-century Mother Goose/Mere l'Oye references appear in French literature in the 1620s and 1630s.

Speculation about origins

In the 20th century, Katherine Elwes-Thomas theorised that the image and name "Mother Goose" or "Mère l'Oye" might be based upon ancient legends of the wife of King Robert II of France, known as "Berthe la fileuse" (" Bertha the Spinner") or Berthe pied d'oie ("Goose-Footed Bertha" ), often described as spinning incredible tales that enraptured children. Other scholars have pointed out that Charlemagne's mother, Bertrada of Laon, came to be known as the goose-foot queen ( regina pede aucae). There are even sources that trace Mother Goose's origin back to the biblical Queen of Sheba. Stories of Bertha with a strange foot (goose, swan or otherwise) exist in many languages including Middle German, French, Latin and, Italian. Jacob Grimm theorised that these stories are related to the Upper German figure Perchta or Berchta (English Bertha). Like the legends of "Bertha la fileuse" in France and the story of Mother Goose Berchta was associated with children, geese, and spinning or weaving, although with much darker connotations.

Despite evidence to the contrary, it has been stated in the United States that the original Mother Goose was the Bostonian wife of Isaac Goose, either named Elizabeth Foster Goose (1665-1758) or Mary Goose (d. 1690, age 42). She was reportedly the second wife of Isaac Goose (alternatively named Vergoose or Vertigoose), who brought to the marriage six children of her own to add to Isaac's ten. After Isaac died, Elizabeth went to live with her eldest daughter, who had married Thomas Fleet, a publisher who lived on Pudding Lane (now Devonshire Street). According to Early, "Mother Goose" used to sing songs and ditties to her grandchildren all day, and other children swarmed to hear them. Finally, it was said, her son-in-law gathered her jingles together and printed them. No evidence of such printing has been found, and historians believe this story was concocted by Fleet's great-grandson John Fleet Eliot in 1860.

Iona and Peter Opie, leading authorities on nursery lore, give no credence to either the Elwes-Thomas or the Boston suppositions. It is generally accepted that the term does not refer to any particular person.

Charles Perrault, one of the initiators of the literary fairy tale genre, published a collection of such tales in 1695 called Histoires ou contes du temps passés, avec des moralités under the name of his son, which became better known under its subtitle of Contes de ma mère l'Oye or Tales of My Mother Goose. Perrault's publication marks the first authenticated starting-point for Mother Goose stories. An English translation of Perrault's collection, Robert Samber's Histories or Tales of Past Times, Told by Mother Goose, appeared in 1729 and was reprinted in America in 1786.

Nursery rhymes were once believed to have been published in John Newbery's compilation Mother Goose's Melody , or, Sonnets for the cradle published some time in London in the 1760s, but the first edition was probably published in 1780 or 1781 by Thomas Carnan, Newbery's stepson and successor. Although this edition was registered with the Stationers' Company in 1780, no copy has ever been confirmed, and the earliest surviving edition is dated 1784. The name "Mother Goose" has been associated in the English-speaking world with children's poetry ever since.

In addition to being the purported author of nursery rhymes, Mother Goose is herself the title character in one recorded by the Opies, only the first verse of which figures in later editions of their book. Titled "Old Mother Goose and the Golden Egg", this verse prefaced a 15-stanza poem that rambled through a variety of adventures involving not only the egg but also Mother Goose's son Jack. There exists an illustrated chapbook omitting their opening stanza that dates from the 1820s and another version was recorded by J. O. Halliwell in his The Nursery Rhymes of England (1842). Other shorter versions were also recorded later.

All of them, however, were dependent on a very successful pantomime first performed in London in 1806, and it is only by reference to its script that the unexplained gaps in the poem's narration are made clear. The pantomime, staged at Covent Garden during the Christmas season, was the work of Thomas John Dibdin and its title, Harlequin and Mother Goose, or The Golden Egg, signals how it combines the Commedia dell'arte tradition and other folk elements with fable - in this case " The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs". The stage version became a vehicle for the clown Joseph Grimaldi, who played the part of Avaro, but there was also a shorter script for shadow pantomime which allowed special effects of a different kind.

Special effects were needed since the folk elements in the story made a witch-figure of Mother Goose. In reference to this, and especially the opening stanza, illustrations of Mother Goose began depicting her as an old lady with a strong chin who wears a tall pointed hat and flies astride a goose. Ryoji Tsurumi has commented on the folk aspects of this figure in his monograph on the play. In the first scene, the stage directions show her raising a storm and, for the very first time onstage, flying a gander - and she later raises a ghost in a macabre churchyard scene. These elements contrast with others from the harlequinade tradition in which the old miser Avaro transforms into Pantaloon, while the young lovers Colin and Colinette become Harlequin and Columbine.

A new Mother Goose pantomime was written for the comedian Dan Leno by J. Hickory Wood in 1902. This had a different story line in which the poor but happy Mother Goose is tempted with wealth by the Devil. This was the ancestor of all the pantomimes of that title that followed, adaptations of which continue to appear.

Because nursery rhymes are usually referred to as Mother Goose songs in the US, however, children's entertainments in which a medley of nursery characters are introduced to sing their rhymes often introduced her name into American titles. Early 20th century examples of these include A dream of Mother Goose and other entertainments by J. C. Marchant and S. J. Mayhew (Boston, 1908); Miss Muffet Lost and Found : a Mother Goose play by Katharine C. Baker (Chicago, 1915); The Modern Mother Goose: a play in three acts by Helen Hamilton (Chicago, 1916); and the up-to-the-moment The Strike Mother Goose Settled by Evelyn Hoxie (Franklin Ohio and Denver Colorado, 1922).

In the United States there is a granite statue of a flying Mother Goose by Frederick Roth at the entrance to Rumsey Playfield in New York's Central Park. Installed in 1938, it has several other nursery rhyme characters carved into its sides. On a smaller scale, there is Richard Henry Recchia's contemporary bronze rotating statue in the Rockport, Massachusetts, public library. There Mother Goose is depicted telling the tales associated with her to two small children, with twelve reliefs illustrating such stories about its round base.

See, for instance, item 364 in ^ Peter and Iona Opie, The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, 1997.

Ryoji Tsurumi, "The Development of Mother Goose in Britain in the Nineteenth Century" ^ Folklore 101.1 (1990:28-35) p. 330 instances these, as well as the "Mother Carey" of sailor lore-"Mother Carey's chicken" being the European storm-petrel-and the Tudor period prophetess "Mother Shipton".

^ Shahed, Syed Mohammad (1995). "A Common Nomenclature for Traditional Rhymes". Asian Folklore Studies. 54 (2): 307-314. doi:10.2307/1178946. JSTOR 1178946.

^ Grimm, J. L. C. [. w. (1882). Teutonic mythology, tr. by J.S. Stallybrass. United Kingdom: (n.p.).

^ Grimm, Jacob Ludwig C. [single works]. Teutonic mythology, tr. by J.S. Stallybrass. United Kingdom, n.p, 1882.

^ Hahn, Daniel; Morpurgo, Michael (1983). The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature (e-Book, Google Books). Oxford University Press. p. 400. ISBN 9780199695140.

^ Driscoll, Michael; Hamilton, Meredith; Coons, Marie (2003). A Child's Introduction Poetry. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-57912-282-9.

^ Dibdin, Thomas (21 August 1860). "Harlequin and Mother Goose;or, the golden egg! A comic pantomime". French's acting edition. London. hdl:2027/iau.31858004934059.

^ "Mother Goose; or, Harlequin and the Golden Egg: an original shadow pantomime". 21 August 1864 - via Google Books.

Caroline Radcliffe, ^ p. 127-9 "Dan Leno, Dame of Drury Lane" in Victorian Pantomime: A Collection of Critical Essays, Palgrave Macmillan 2010

^ Marchant, J. C. (21 August 1908). "A dream of Mother Goose :and other entertainments /". Baker's edition of plays. Boston. hdl:2027/hvd.hxdltb.

^ "Miss Muffet lost and found: a Mother Goose play". 21 August 1915 - via Hathi Trust.

^ "The modern Mother Goose .. : Hamilton, Helen. [old catalog heading] : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming". Internet Archive. Chicago, Rand McNally & Co. 1916.

^ "The strike Mother goose settled .. : Hoxie, Evelyn. [from old catalog] : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming". Internet Archive. Franklin, Ohio, Eldridge Entertainment House. 1922.

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The figure of Mother Goose is the imaginary author of a collection of French fairy tales and later of English nursery rhymes. As a character, she appeared in a song, the first stanza of which often functions now as a nursery rhyme.

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45 Master Characters: Mythic Models for Creating Original Characters by Victoria Schmidt offers heroic and villainous sub-types of 8 female and 8 male archetypes, along with 4 Friend archetypes, 6 Rival archetypes, and 3 Symbol archetypes. The author connects each of the main archetypes to a figure from Greek or Egyptian myth, and describes in depth the characteristics of that archetype: what they care about, what they fear, what motivates them, and how other characters see them. She then shows how to tweak the character, take it a bit too far, and craft a villainous version.

Compare with The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes & Heroines.

The nine Hero archetypes are as follows:

Their villainous versions are as follows:

Examples:

Heroes:

Dante from Devil May Cry practically makes fighting into an art form. In fact, Devil May Cry encourages you not just to fight demons, but to do it in style.

Vegeta from Dragon Ball after his Heel–Face Turn, as unlike Goku he's a Saiyan through and through-competitive to a fault and proud of his Saiyan heritage-yet his redeeming qualities show in his love for his family.

Harry Dresden from The Dresden Files, though he fights with magic rather than weapons.

Casanova was said to be this way - not using women for his own needs at the expense of theirs, but rather caring for them as individuals and helping them to achieve a greater sense of self-worth. Unfortunately, Casanova got stuck with such a Don Juan reputation that we even use his name for The Casanova trope.

Batman, while a philanthropist as Bruce Wayne, tends to operate along. He'll occasionally let Robin or Batgirl help him out on his missions, but he tends to fly solo. In addition he does have hints of The Businessman.

Calvin in Calvin & Hobbes: The Series is an unusual example - rich imagination and eventual manipulative tendencies fits this quite well.

Mystogan from is so antisocial he'll use sleep magic to avoid being seen by his guildmates which hides the fact that he's the Alternate Self of Erza's on-again-off-again boyfriend and resident Heel–Face Revolving Door Jellal.

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Hiro Hamada is already an inventor of sorts at the beginning of the film, but this aspect grows and comes to include characteristics of The Male Messiah, thanks to the support of his friends and loved ones.

Tadashi Hamada and his brother, Hiro are this and The Male Messiah. Tadashi developed Baymax with the sincere hope that the healthcare companion would help people all over the world. He is dedicated to helping others no matter what the cost is to him, a statement undeniably proven when he makes the ultimate sacrifice in an attempt to protect his teacher. His brother, Hiro, picks up where he left off throughout the movie.

Miles "Tails" Prower from Sonic the Hedgehog is The Smart Guy par excellence, being responsible for the upkeep of the various Tornado planes and the creation of (among other things) a fake Chaos Emerald, Extreme Gear for his team, and a translator so he could speak to the Wisps.

Wallace from Wallace & Gromit loves to create machines for just about every task one can imagine. One of the only times the viewer sees him thoroughly upset occurs in Curse of the Were-Rabbit when he realizes he's losing his ability to invent thanks to the Were-Rabbit transformation. Wallace is friendly and well-meaning; most problems occur when a machine malfunctions or falls into evil hands.

Seth Brundle in The Fly (1986) is a combination of this and The Recluse (having been working and living alone for at least six years). The shy, dorky scientist is unable to program his potentially world-changing telepods to teleport living beings until he falls in love and realizes the nature of "the flesh". Due to a subsequent Tragic Mistake on his part that slowly mutates him into a human-insect hybrid creature, his character arc ends with him fully becoming The Mad Scientist - desperate to find a way to retain his fading humanity and driven by the selfish instincts of an insect, the climax has him attempt to fuse himself with his lover and her unborn child.

Superman is The Paragon who everyone looks up to (even other heroes) and who constantly tries to find a way to help everyone, villains and innocent bystanders alike.

Jaune Arc from lacks confidence in himself, and starts off as a lousy Huntsman (and still is somewhat lacking in comparison to his peers). The first two people he befriends are Ruby and Pyrrha, due to his unassuming, friendly personality.

Mewtwo from has an underlying resentment towards humans, but Depending on the Writer he is mixed with either The Gladiator (in the games) or The Punisher (in the movies).

Bacchus Groh (whose name even corresponds with Dionysus) from , who isn't really a villain, but in the Grand Magic Games, he does steal Cana's top after beating her in a drinking competition, and wager with Elfman that if he should beat him, he gets to spend a night with Elfman's sisters.

Shining Armor from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has a shield Cutie Mark and a talent for creating force fields to protect others. He is The Captain of the Royal Guard before his marriage and is willing to take on enemies far stronger than he is to protect the ones he loves. He also doubles as a Lover to Twilight Sparkle, who has a massive case of Big Brother Worship.

Shou Tucker from He combines his own young daughter, Nina, and her pet dog into a chimera, condemning them to a Fullmetal Alchemist is an infamous example. Fate Worse than Death.

Albert Wesker from Resident Evil creates all sorts of mutant monsters from numerous biological viruses.

Judge Claude Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame feels a strong need to punish all evildoers in the world, with no regards for whether or not he might be becoming one. Just like Light Yagami.

Adam Taurus from is driven by a hatred of humanity, wanting to punish them for what they did to him, and also wants to punish Blake Belladonna for leaving him, meaning he could also qualify as The Abuser.

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Hiro Hamada temporarily becomes this when Yokai/Robert Callaghan dismisses the death of his brother as being Tadashi's] fault for trying to save him. He then attempts to use Baymax, a robot created by Tadashi to be a healthcare companion, to kill Yokai, however, [both his team and Baymax bring him back to his senses before he could do it.

Yokai/Robert Callaghan, the Big Bad, fits the description to a T: He's seeking revenge on Alistair Krei for his role in his daughter's perceived death and so consumed by his grief that he doesn't care about bystanders that might be hurt in the process. He also doubles as The Shadow as well.

Fullmetal Alchemist:

Scar before his Heel–Face Turn fits the description to a T: A brutal, ruthless Serial Killer in a Roaring Rampage of Revenge against the State Alchemists that annihilated his people. He's so consumed by his rage that he doesn't care about the consequences of his actions or bystanders that might be hurt in the process; after his Heel–Face Turn he has developed into The Protector.

Roy Mustang temporarily becomes this when he encounters Envy, who killed his best friend Hughes. He has burned to the point of being reduced to their true form, then stamps them under his boot and prepares to charbroil them one last time. However, he ultimately averts Jumping Off the Slippery Slope thanks to his allies.

Scar from The Lion King (1994), after he usurps a throne from his brother. He runs the Pride Lands into the ground but refuses to let the lions relocate, even if they starve. He justifies it with the statement that because he's the king, he can do anything. He also doubles as 'The Shadow.

Villains:

Hephestus the Mad Scientist

Fullmetal Alchemist: Scar develops from an Abuser into a Protector.

Princess Mononoke: Ashitaka is a fine example of The Male Messiah archetype. He ends up changing the lives of many characters in the story, most importantly the life of his Love Interest San. Through their interactions, she is changed from a Gorgon into an Amazon (see the Master Heroines article for more information on these two archetypes).

Sonic the Hedgehog

Shadow the Hedgehog's (a Recluse) encounter with Amy Rose (a Maiden) in Sonic Adventure 2 completely changes his mind about the worth of humanity and reminds him of the true promise he made with his friend Maria (another archetypal Maiden).

While he is most definitely a Fool, Sonic also has a bit of The Male Messiah archetype within him. While he does not necessarily develop, everyone he meets is forever affected by interaction with him. Notable examples are Tails and Amy Rose, both whom develop into heroes in their own right after being influenced by the blue blur.

Comparing the Gender Roles

Examples of stories or series that play one type off another, so we can see how they interact:

The eight Heroine archetypes are as follows:

Their villainous versions are as follows:

Examples:

Veronica Quaife in The Fly (1986) is a snarky, smart, and beautiful journalist whose blossoming relationship with Seth Brundle (The Inventor/The Recluse) ends up giving him the "Eureka!" Moment he needs to figure out how to program his telepods to transport living beings. Unfortunately, her obnoxious editor and ex-lover's attempts to meddle with their relationship leads to Seth making a Tragic Mistake that leads to him becoming The Mad Scientist.

Erza Scarlet from (has a bit of Seductive Muse as well, especially if her Seduction Armor is any indication, and due to her leadership skills, may also qualify as The Matriarch and her kindness leaves some of The Nurturer.)

Guinevere from Merlin (2008) who is considered sensible and down-to-earth as well as romantically desirable by the narrative. In the first season (before she became a Love Interest) she was very much The Nurturer, and she retains traits of this throughout the show.

Integra Fairbrooks Windgates Hellsing from plays this straight in the 2001 anime, but not completely in the manga. Integra's not trying to prove anything to anyone there and connects rather well with Seras Victoria, looking up the Queen for orders if anyone. She's a mix of Persephone (when she was young), bit of Athena, Hera (her attitude towards her family and her role as leader of Hellsing certainly seems this way) and Demeter (towards Seras Victoria and the younger knight generation).

Generator (Jade Sinclair) at the Super Hero School Whateley Academy in the Whateley Universe. She even sees her future life as a helper to her friend Tennyo, or as a superpowered baby sitter protecting the children of other superheroes (and her own children, if she ever becomes capable of having children).

Aunt Eller from is a stalwart and strong settler woman. She is more or less Laurie's mother, given that the latter hasn't got a parent in sight, and her maternal relationship with the young woman forms a large part of her characterization.

Amy Rose from the Sonic series, who actually is a more developed version of this archetype since she has changed from a frequent victim into an independent Action Girl who can manage to hold her own against enemies.

Ziva David in : Not literally as she does not get along with her biological father, though her mentor, Gibbs, is a Parental Substitute. She prefers to associate with men not so much romantically but as a fellow wolf in the pack and strives successfully to be as badass as any of them.

Rarity from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an artistic fashion designer who loves to create and is passionately emotional. She has a heavy romantic streak (though it only becomes plot relevant a few times, given the series' emphasis). She also knows how "fabulous" she is and will use her feminine charm to manipulate others either to get small perks for herself or for the greater good.

Zorin Blitz from completely Mind Rapes Seras Victoria and horribly mutilates her and murders Pip Bernadotte and his entire platoon.

Queen Regina from Once Upon a Time what with her thirst for power and the desire to make everyone miserable, with a dash of The Gorgon considering her core motivation is revenge.

Xiao Qiao from and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. By distracting the enemy general with her charms, she delays a battle long enough for her side to gain an advantage.

Vriska of Homestuck, especially in her 'relationship' with Tavros.

After being The Mystic for the first two series of Merlin (2008), Morgana becomes this. Interestingly, she is not "scorned" in the sense that a man has ditched her, but that she feels betrayed and embittered by all of Camelot.

Demona from who has fully embraced her own belief-system that all humans are evil and stops at nothing to commit mass genocide against them.

Iji becomes this if she is too violent.

Minako Aino and Michiru Kaioh from Sailor Moon. Minako in the manga is a Hot-Blooded badass tomboy who enjoys sticking it to boys, thus counts as The Amazon.

Heroes:

Aphrodite the Seductive Muse

The Protector and Amazon are both physically oriented warriors who love competition.

The Dionysus and Aphrodite are both strongly identified with sexuality.

The Fool and Maiden are both carefree souls.

The Abuser and Gorgon are both vengeful.

Athena the Father's Daughter

The book differentiates between the male and female versions of the Messiah by saying the male Messiah preaches the way of love, while the female messiah is the way love itself.

Villains:

Aphrodite the Femme Fatale

Black Lagoon: The series contains both versions of Athena. Balalaika, a former Soviet soldier turned ruthless Mafiya queen, is loyal to her comrades, but otherwise fits the Backstabber archetype perfectly. One of her victims is Yukio Washimine, a Yakuza Princess who takes over her murdered father's criminal organization; poor Yukio tries to be The Father's Daughter, but fails, with tragic results.

: Minerva starts off as The Gorgon and later some of The Backstabber until Erza, when Minerva was vulnerable and defenseless halfway through the Tartaros arc, convinced her that she still has people caring about her, and come the Alverez Empire arc and the Sabertooth Spinoff manga, she becomes The Amazon.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Blaze the Cat (an Amazon) learns about warmth and friendship from Sonic The Hedgehog (a Fool). His playful, easy-going nature melts her icy facade.

Amy Rose and Sonic The Hedgehog act very similarly due to their archetypes (the Maiden and the Fool, respectively) being male-female counterparts.

Princess Elise is a good example of the Nurturer archetype. Her concern for her country is powerful, as she is willing to give herself over to Eggman to protect them. Her entire identity seem to be her roles as a princess and as the seal of Iblis; she definitely has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders and is without time to think of herself. Upon meeting Sonic, who is of the Fool archetype, Elise is able to let go a bit and have fun. He teaches her the value of truly smiling and being free of worry. As Elise herself puts it, he makes her feel less like a princess on a pedestal and more like a person.

Demeter the Overcontrolling Mother

Best Friend
The Hero's confidant, always ready to lend a hand - but may hold the Hero back out of fear for his safety or fear for the loss of their close friendship.

Lover
A "secure base" and a shoulder to cry on, and the character the Hero should be closest to by the end of the story. Need not be a mate per se; may be a child or a pet.

Persephone the Troubled Teen

Comparing the Gender Roles

Lost Soul
Represents what the Hero used to be, what he does not want to fall back to. May be a longtime friend who remains tied to old influences.

Double
Represents what the Hero wants to be, the person he is trying to become. A role model, but not the same function as the Magi or Mentor.

A. Roughly the same thing regardless of gender

B. Rough counterparts who still amount to the same general idea

The Magi: See Trickster Mentor.

The Mentor: Compare with Mentor Archetype.

The Best Friend:

Spike from My Little Pony Friendshipis Magic

Both Hobbes and the MTM from Calvin & Hobbes: The Series

Happy (for Natsu) from

Ivan Vorpatril cousin of Miles Vorkosigan. Lazy and reluctant, seemingly a useless courtier, but is always there for Miles.

Toki Zha and Dea-Htuhok Kho in Albedo: Erma Felna EDF for the titular heroine, though Dea appears earlier in the story, but chronologically speaking Toki goes first. In both cases, they help Erma as much as they can, in Dea's case, to deal with all the chaos regarding the Ekosiaki crisis and in Toki's case. she's mostly helps her to smile when Erma needs a good laugh.

The Jester: See The Klutz.

The Nemesis: See the Arch-Enemy

The Investigator: See the Obstructive Bureaucrat

The Pessimist:

Near as I can tell, while The Pessimist probably counts as The Eeyore, not all Eeyores are playing the role of The Pessimist. Consider Puddleglum, who keeps reeling off the potential negative consequences of the party's actions, not to mention how their actions are going to be fruitless, yet continues to work just as hard as the rest and plays a crucial role in securing a positive ending.

Might also be referring to Commander Contrarian?

A positive example of a pessimist would be the Devil's Advocate.

The Shadow:

Dostojevsky put at least one of these into every novel. It's also called the Doppelgänger. They commit the crimes the heroes only want/dream of, or are just professional villains compared to them. And they usually bite the dust at the end.

Agatha Prenderghast from ParaNorman. She and Norman are both discriminated against by the townspeople because of having the ability to speak to the dead. But whereas Norman seeks to save them and learns to value the people who care about him, Agatha sought to make them suffer and completely forgot about the people who loved her in the process.

The Lost Soul:

Almost every movie about a man trying to leave a gang (or the Mafia) has some version of this.

Suzaku from fits into this one, as well as being a direct rival to Lelouch. Lelouch at one point had a certain amount of belief in Britannia as a child, but lost it when his mother was murdered and his father, the Emperor not only did nothing about it, he basically told him to go to hell, right before exiling him to Japan. Suzaku, seven years after their last encounter, has become convinced there is something in Britannia worth his effort to try to change it from the inside. As a bonus, he is indeed an old friend of Lelouch's, which makes their present-day relationship...complicated to say the least.

The Double:

The Lover:
The book mentions Toto from The Wizard of Oz as Dorothy's Lover - the character she's closest to, the one she'd drop everything for in a heartbeat.

Magi: Madame Web, a psychic who takes an interest in manipulating Spider-Man to her own ends. Uncle Ben is also a constant source of inspiration, but being dead, never gets involved.

Mentor: Robbie Robertson, Captain Stacy, and/or the Ultimate version of Ben Urich, who act as father figures to Peter and help guide him on his journalism career.

Best Friend: Harry Osborne. Holds Peter back because of his family's connections.

Harry Potter

Magi: Dumbledore fits this perfectly. He becomes a bit of a mentor as well during HBP, but become the Magi again when he dies.

Mentor

Final Fantasy X

Magi: Auron serves this role for the viewpoint protagonist, Tidus. He offers advice and is a wise character, but never goes into depth (as Tidus puts it, "You can always count on Auron to complicate things.") and is somewhat distant.

Mentor

Wakka somewhat serves this role, as he acts like a sort of "big brother" character when Tidus first meets him.

Likewise, Lulu acts as Yuna's mentor, acting as a mature older sibling would.

Lover: Yuna becomes this for Tidus. At the beginning of the game, she's the only one that believes he is from Zanarkand and his relationship with her is the most prominent out of the entire party.

Final Fantasy X-2
Best Friend: Rikku shares this sort of relationship with Yuna, the protagonist. Out of all the members of the Gullwings, Yuna seems to trust her the most.

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Magi: Princess Celestia (who is also a Female Messiah) often tricks or encourages Twilight to accomplish her goals of protecting Equestria.

Shadow: The Great and Powerful Trixie who takes Twilight's pride in her magic skills and takes it up to eleven.

Joker: Discord, after being The Derelict in his first couple of appearances, turns to the side of good thanks to Fluttershy. However, he still retains his mischievous traits and doesn't reveal crucial information until after the hard work is done.

Double: Star Swirl made many achievements in magic and created a friendship with Scorpan which turned the reluctant invader into an ally of Equestria. As a student of magic and as a leader of companions, Twilight Sparkle looks up to him.

Lost Soul: Moondancer, an old friend of Twilight's in Canterlot who shared Twilight's love of books and lack of interest in socializing. Twilight has come out of her shell quite a bit since then, while Moondancer pulled further away, to the point of barely acknowledging other ponies at all.

Neville is an interesting subversion: his friends forgive him for his general klutziness, but some of the teachers give him a hard time. It all changes when he takes some levels in Badass.

Nemesis
Draco Malfoy is a textbook example, down to the sparring.

Harry is this to an extent for Snape. Snape protects his hide fearlessly book after book. And yet - he hates his guts. (He has his reasons...)

Psychic

Trelawney is a weird play on this one. She isn't aware of the trueness of her prophecies, nor to their effect on Harry, but she presumes to be in possession of great psychic powers that could benefit him.

Firenze is more of a classic example, of the often withholding information variation.

Shadow

Interestingly, Snape's main shadow is Peter Pettigrew, as he is his own Snape is a brave man whose undying love for Lily caused his remorse, and caused his Foil. Heel–Face Turn, leading to his role as a spy for the Order in the lines of the death eaters. Pettigrew is cowardly man, who backstabbed Lily and James from within his position as their secret keeper and order member, and then joined the Death Eaters.

Joker: Flash Thompson, bully with a heart of gold.

Jester: Betty Brant, original love-interest and co-worker whose good-natured stupidity and unwillingness to actually talk about any problems tended to make her the epicenter of disaster.

Nemesis: Felicia Hardy/Black Cat, a thief with a heart of gold who is only interested in playing cat and mouse games with Spider-man.

Investigator: Aunt May, whose constant fretting is a source of frustration for Peter.

Pessimist: JJ Jameson, who constantly criticizes every single thing Peter does in both identities.

Psychic: Ezekiel Simms, who gives Peter vital warning about his latest enemies, but fails to mention that they were his enemies, not Peter's.

C. Those who don't seem to pair off

Examples of stories or series that play one type off another, so we can see how they interact:

The Friend archetypes are those characters who are generally supportive, but may (for good or bad reasons) do things to hinder the Hero.

The Rival archetypes are those characters who mostly hinder the Hero, without necessarily meaning him ill; a Rival is not a Villain, but may be a form of Antagonist.

The Symbol archetypes represent what the Hero was, is, and hopes to become. These qualities can overlap with other support characters; a Best Friend might also be the Lost Soul clinging to old influences (e.g., still a gang member), a Mentor might also be the Double and everything the Hero wants to be. A Lover who is also the Double is likely a Morality Pet (I think).

Examples:

Character Examples

Examples of stories or series in which these characters interact with the Hero or Heroine in a way that strongly showcases their role:

45 Master Characters: Mythic Models for Creating Original Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt; published by Writer's Digest Books (www.writersdigest.com), 2007.

ISBN-10: 1-58297-069-6

ISBN-13: 978-1-58297-069-1

Alternative Title(s): Master Characters

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45 Master Characters: Mythic Models for Creating Original Characters by Victoria Schmidt offers heroic and villainous sub-types of 8 female and 8 male archetypes, along with 4 Friend archetypes, 6 Rival archetypes, and 3 Symbol archetypes.

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While I was in college I took a course in character design. During that time I was unable to get the book that was assigned for the class. I graduated over a year ago and still have not acquired this book. Fortunately I still managed to pass the class with an A.

During that time I tried to supplement the missing information by searching online. I found absolutely nothing that actually had anything meaningful to say about archetypes. A lot of ramblings, but no clear definitions on what the archetypes actually are. Hopefully if someone else is in a similar situation this page will help. The book 45 Master Characters by Victoria Schmidt was helpful in writing this article.

Why Only 16?

16 seems like a tiny number to lump the myriad of human behaviors into. Even less when you point out that 8 are male and 8 are female. But, these are generalization based on the ancient Greek Parthenon.

Within Greek mythology itself you'll see parallels between characters. Hercules is an Ares archetype, and Hephaestus is a Poseidon archetype, just to give a couple examples. These are main character archetypes as well, there are others that work as title and function within a story, like mentors and rivals. For this article I will be focusing on the main archetypes.

Why Greek?

Due to the influential power of of Greece and Rome the Greek figures are better known than the pantheons of other cultures. The templates used to define their characteristics can be recognized across cultures however. Ares, Ra, and Thor all share very similar personalities, though how they are received depends on the culture that observes them. Two of the character archetypes, the Messiahs, are based on Egyptian mythology however. These two are relatively new to the character archetype lineup and are usually blended with one of the others. Many people like to point to any popular character and claim it as an archetype, as a writer this is like making a copy of a copy. It will never be as clearly defined as it would if it was based on the original.

Zeus

King/Tyrant

As the king of the gods Zeus has a responsibility to maintain order. As long as order is maintained he wants to go out and play. His position allows him the freedom to dabble in the affairs of every single god, making him a jack of all trades with authority. He has a natural disposition that inspires others to follow him and is clever enough to manipulate those who won't.

As a tyrant his rule is absolute and he will destroy any who resist. His every effort goes into augmenting his power to maintain authority. In this mode his subjects are tools that exist solely to accomplish his goals. He has allowed himself the right to enjoy any vices to feed his appetites.

In both dualities the Zeus figure is beyond reproach. He is the judge after all and is answerable only to himself.

Hera

Wife/Scorned Woman

Hera was the goddess of marriage and the ultimate wife. Despite her husband's many dalliances she remained faithful and took him back every time. Each year she would bathe in a magic spring to make her as young as the day she married Zeus and woo him to her. Despite his obvious short comings he was perfect in her eyes solely because he was her husband. If she were to reprimand him it would be in private so as not to sully his public image.

Once scorned she would became an unstoppable force to obliterate the source of the blight. We see the best examples of Hera's wrath in the story of Hercules, whom she tormented throughout every stage of his life. She only accepted him after Zeus made him a god. Her contempt and lust for vengeance are so severe it overshadows her better qualities.

Regardless of her role she is a wife and queen first. The only thing that may distract her from her husband is her children. She will not tolerate anything that disturbs the order of her family.

Apollo

Businessman/Traitor

Apollo is the image of the prince who is in training to become king. He is quick and sharp in his reasoning. As a master of the bow Apollo is accustomed to having a powerful influence over a long distance and has eyes like a hawk. His every movement is precise. He is the embodiment of the sun and thus must have a clean shining look to him that is fit to impress. He is the bringer of the light of truth and seeks to know all pertinent information.

When the opportunity to move forward presents itself words like loyalty and betrayal don't exist. There is simply the reality of what should be done to assure overall success regardless of who suffers. There is nothing malicious in being a traitor, it is simply what must be done. Remember, when Judas betrayed Christ he thought he was starting a revolution to put the Messiah on the throne. What we call the ultimate act of betrayal was ultimately just a business decision.

An overall theme of this character is the ability to quickly distinguish between gain and loss. All reasoning is based on this decision.

Artemis

Amazon/Gorgon

Most people think that amazon refers to anti-men, it doesn't. The amazons like men just fine, if they are worthy enough to be considered a "partner". To test this they naturally compete with every man to prove they are better. They also possess an intense desire to protect their "sisters" and develop very strong bonds with other women. While as quick to act as her brother Apollo, Artemis is more motivated by passion and duty than cold calculation. She is the symbol of the independent woman who will never be tamed.

When angered her reaction is dangerous. She will lash out in every direction and can stop a man cold with just a stare. It is not in her nature to run unless to gain more favorable ground. She is vicious in her assault and will strike at every weak point she can simultaneously. Like Medusa she provides an image that drives fear and dread into the hearts of men. This is the female berserker and can be likened to the gladiator side of Ares.

In both examples she lives for her sisters and competition. While she admires the character of others she is her own person and makes her own rules moment to moment. Her independence is everything and to be locked into a confining role is torture for her. She needs the outdoors to feel like herself.

Poseidon

Artist/Abuser

When Zeus, Hades and Poseidon were dividing up the mortal realm Poseidon chose a wasteland of nothing. In this empty space beneath the surface of our vision he created a whole world for himself. Poseidon is committed to creating his own reality. The affairs of the rest of the world don't matter unless it disturbs his. His depth is as deep and dark as the ocean itself. He feels things very intensely and expresses it through his art. None can know his world but he can cover ours if he so chooses.

The dark side of Poseidon is that of the abuser. This applies to himself as well as others. His depth of emotion makes him a likely candidate for addiction. His inability to express himself normally causes him to lash out at others and delight in their anguish. When put on the offensive Poseidon likes to smother and crush his foes, like a great wave. Once slighted he will not stop until he feels vindicated. Odysseus can attest to this first hand.

In both cases Poseidon is lord of his own world. Those fortunate enough to be allowed within it should be grateful and offer proper respect.

Hestia

Mystic/Betrayer

If you have no idea who she is you are not alone. When Cronus devoured his children she was the first consumed and the last spat out. This makes her both the oldest and the youngest simultaneously. There is very little written about Hestia because to do so might change her nature, and Hestia is eternally unchanging. She was the Goddess of the hearth and home. Though there is little mention of her in the myths she was widely recognized in every home. She is mysterious and wise as well as shockingly humble given her elder rank. She is like an old woman and young girl all in one. Regardless of what form she takes she possesses aspects of the other. When Hephaestus was nominated for the pantheon she willingly stepped down to make room for him.

Her hidden wisdom makes her a dangerous adversary when she feels wronged. She is capable of manipulating things behind the scenes to get what she wants. She is so subtle it is sometimes difficult to tell if she has done anything at all. When confronted she feigns innocence and adjusts her strategy accordingly. Her influence is omnipresent and invisible.

Whether she is the old medicine woman or the creepy child with otherworldly insight Hestia is always Hestia. Like Poseidon and Hades she lives in her own world. She is the spirit of acceptance and peace, the goddess of your most contented moments at home.

Ares

Protector/Gladiator

Though not seen in his own myths Ares is the template for the champion figure who lives for conquest. As a protector he is fearless and never backs down. He will place himself in harms way to protect the innocent without a second thought. He exists to fulfill his duty and will not be weighed down with details. When not called to service he doesn't know what to do with himself.

As the gladiator he lives for combat. There is no sense of duty just the drive for physical enjoyment. He is the embodiment of a man who lives completely in his body rather than the heart or mind. When not engaged in combat he can be found wallowing in alcohol and women. Since might makes right he is entitled to whatever he can take by force. Fore-site is not in his nature so he is prone to excess.

What drives the Ares archetype is raw masculine impulse. In either scenario he is the stereotypical "man". Thinking doesn't suit this figure unless it pertains to strategy, even then his focus is on victory and conquest. His focus is always pointed straight ahead, unlike Apollo who perceives all as he journeys his course.

Athena

Father's Daughter/ Strategist

Athena was born by springing from Zeus' skull. As a result she had no mother and formed no maternal connections. Instead she prefers to see herself as one of the guys. She is not better, like Artemis tries to prove, and she is not submissive, as Aphrodite pretends, instead, she is equal and will stand shoulder to shoulder with any man. Like Ares, she was a war deity. Instead of offensive tactics she focused on solid defense and control over the situation. She was also the goddess of wisdom. Her pursuit of a pure knowledge was so genuine that she swore to never lie with a man or allow herself to become distracted by such things. Still she spent her time in the company of men, mostly philosophers and inventors, not as a lover but a colleague.

There is little distinction became the two sides of her nature. Like Apollo, Athena simply follows the logical, profitable course. In the story of Medusa Athena punishes her own priestess for being raped by Poseidon in her own temple. Poseidon is the guilty party in this situation, but, he is also a man. It is for this reason that the victim is punished and Poseidon escapes reproach. So we see that Athena will not give a second thought to betraying a follower to maintain her standing.

Athena only resorts to playing the feminine role as a last resort, even then it is only part of some larger strategy. After which she will reassert herself and her masculinity. She will do whatever is needed to maintain her position.

Hades

Recluse/Warlock

Hades has at his disposal all the knowledge that ever was since all things eventually wind up in his kingdom. He is also the only god whose realm is always expanding. In Greek society his name was seldom uttered for fear of calling death to you. Like Hestia he was seldom mentioned but always on the minds of the people, though for opposite reasons. There are few cases of him emerging from his cavernous kingdom. In one such case it was to kidnap Persephone. His own isolation fed directly into his dark side.

When moved to vengeance he uses all the knowledge at his disposal to plot a careful revenge. When angered it is not obvious since he will take every bit of information into account before deciding his course of action. By manipulating information his powers of assault seem almost magical. He is not up front but instead employs subterfuge and stealth.

Hades is another god that lives in his own world. His is based on facts and knowledge. He is the mad scientist and the sage. Research and knowledge are his primary concern interrupted occasionally by intense loneliness.

Persephone

Maiden/Rebellious Daughter

Persephone is the perpetual damsel in distress. She represents the young woman who has yet to come into her own. She is the little sister who may still grow to become any one of the other female archetypes. Her hallmark action is indecision as she needs instruction or aid to get anything done. Her fate is always in the hands of others.

As the rebellious daughter she finds ways of getting herself into the trouble that the maiden is known for. When she decides that being doted over has gotten to be too much she lashes out at herself. It may be drugs, or sex or just following the advice of a wolf in the woods. Regardless, she will put herself in a situation that she will need to be saved from.

This character is usually the easiest to spot. All one need do is look for the youngest female with the most ignorant look on her face and that's usually her. As the goddess of spring she is usually associated with flowers.

Hermes

Wanderer/Fool

Hermes was the god of travelers, commerce, thieves and messenger to the other gods. The reason for his many titles and tasks may have been solely to keep him out of trouble. When not carrying out the tasks of the other gods he is usually engaged in some mischievousness. He was called the guardian of Dionysus, an indication that points to his ability to always have a good time. If Athena has wisdom and Hades has knowledge than Hermes is the god of wit. He is a wanderer with eclectic taste and knowledge of worldly things. One thing that drives Hermes mad is being in any one place for too long. Due to this he is horrible at making plans and is often times unreliable. This archetype relates wonderfully to children since he himself refuses to grow up.

In his darker moments Hermes gives in to his lackadaisical side and becomes the fool. This is not to suggest that he has any less wit, he just hides it very effectively behind a foolish mask. He may outwardly jest while plotting the entire time. The greatest asset at his disposal is being underrated. He lacks the ambition of the other gods since it implies responsibility though he is curious as to their affairs. This provides him leverage should he need it.

Hermes is a master of wit and disguise. Often when Zeus would disguise himself as a mortal Hermes would accompany him. Hermes is associated with the element mercury, this indicates how malleable Hermes disposition is. He knows what is going on and how to go with the flow.

Demeter

Loving Mother/Overbearing Parent

Demeter is the embodiment of Mother Nature herself. As Hades was the god of death she was the goddess that gave the people life. The only thing that would distract from her duties to ensure the harvest was the love she bestowed on her own daughter. She is the provider and her maternal role is what defines her. If no child is present to nurture she will adopt the closest resemblance possible.

When anything threatens her offspring she becomes heartlessly cruel out of love. When Hades took her child she froze the land, refusing to allow crops to grow until Persephone was returned. After Demeter and Hades struck a compromise she still brings winter whenever her daughter is away. In terms of the child she will lock her up in chains if it means keeping her safe. Nothing comes before the well being of her offspring, not even their love.

Demeter is always the mother. She is the symbol of fertility.

Dionysus

Ladies man/Seducer

When Dionysus was born his mother burst into flames and he rose from the pyre. He prefers the company of women. Although he'll never admit it, he's been looking for a surrogate mother his whole life. Due to his feminine qualities people often think he is gay if he has not been mistaken for a girl. He prefers to live on the outskirts of society and is a wild god of intoxication. Despite this fact he is very refined and delivers hangovers to those who do not exercise self control. Despite being amongst the youngest of the gods he is often depicted at the center of his own entourage.

When his romantic conquests seem to be failing he employs his powers of seduction. In this capacity he becomes the template for the vampire. His appetites consume him and he transforms into a beast. He will violate any code to possess the object of his desire. He has the power to intoxicate his quarry with his personality alone. When he is denied love he will attempt to take it.

Dionysus' rapport comes from how non-threatening he appears to be. Despite his slender frame he has a strong resolve to resist the status quo. His parties were often attended by other gods who would disguise themselves as mortals to attend.

Aphrodite

Seductress/Femme Fatale

Unlike the seducer role used by Dionysus there is no malice in Aphrodite's seduction. Hers stems from a form of naivety which may be real or pretend. When not in the presence of a lesser female role, such as the maiden, she appears as innocently as she can. When in the maiden's presence she will adopt the big sister role and may even try to lead her down the seductress path. She is accustomed to having men at her disposal to meet her every desire. Keeping men around makes her feel safe. When anything distracts from her she becomes angry and sullen.

As the femme fatale she uses her alluring power to manipulate others to accomplish her goals. She is the master of feigning innocence. Once cornered she will cry and try to seduce her way out of it. One thing that enrages her more than any other is being ignored. She needs all eyes to be on her, or else she will have a fit. She is shameless in flaunting her body to get what she wants and oozes sexuality at all times. Her wrath is terrible, as seen in the story of Cupid and Psyche, one of the few examples of her ugly side.

Although considered a purely sexual figure she was capable of much more depth. She was a wife, mother and sister though her role as a sexually liberated woman takes precedence in peoples' minds. Her very nature is that of love of all kinds.

Osiris

Messiah/Punisher

The messiah archetype almost deserves to be a sub-archetype. Any of the others can provide the framework for the messiah archetype to grow. The key aspects to look for is the messiah's ability to bring out the best in others and the pursuit of some higher purpose. Every aspect of life other than their divine role is secondary. Anyone who does not have something to do with their higher purpose is seldom worth recognizing.

The dark side of the Messiah is the punisher. He does not engage in physical combat if it can be avoided. He would prefer to preach and use his words to try tearing the system down. His primary weapon is the hearts of the people.

Isis

Messiah/Destroyer

The female messiah is similar to the male except that she is more aggressive in her mission. While the male messiah punishes using his words the female messiah destroys. She will form an army and stand at the front to lead the charge against tyranny. She is the holy warrior, like Joan of Arc.

In Conclusion

This is the list with the briefest definitions I could think up. I hope this will be useful to someone other than myself. In the future I may do an in depth analysis of each one. I just felt there needed to be a more reliable source online for any others who might be looking for it.

rosalia on July 16, 2019:

thanks for sharing. my learning with the archetype is, as human being that you will have emotions and the different characteristics. sometimes, you might be as a fool in this way, sometimes you play a role as a strategist. Or maybe we can be a villain type in tricks, and the lover type when having relationships.

Ingrid on May 09, 2018:

Thank you for these clear summaries - very helpful ...

Guest on April 13, 2014:

This was an excellent article. Thank you for posting it.

ghintz on January 24, 2013:

Great book, I'm working out of it right now. Nice summaries of the types.

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While I was in college I took a course in character design. During that time I was unable to get the book that was assigned for the class. I graduated over a year ago and still have not acquired this book. Fortunately I still managed to pass the class with an A.

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Greek myths are essentially stories, and at the core of any effective story sit relatable character types.

These characters are essentially copies of an established character archetype created long ago and repeated throughout history so that they have become recognisable.

It should, therefore, come as no surprise to learn that Greek mythology was the starting point of our most established character archetypes. The word archetype itself comes from the Greek word arkhetupon for first mould or model, meaning the initial version of something later multiplied.

The word is comprises arkhos, meaning chief or ruler and tupos, meaning mould, model or type.

This link is no coincidence, with the Greek Parthenon providing the source of the 16 most referenced character or personality archetypes.

In Search of Mythological Archetypes

Of course, Ancient Greece was by no means the first established ancient society.

That being the case, how did its mythology come to be so influential in creating archetypes recognised thousands of years later where others did not?

Why do we remember and talk about the Greek Gods more so than those of Ancient Egypt, Rome, China, Carthage or Babylon?

This results from the reach of Ancient Greek influence and power, which directly influenced even the Romans, extending far beyond that of any other ancient empire into western culture.

Despite the dominance of the Greeks their character types can be seen across other cultures.

Ares, the protector of Greek culture for example, shares much in common with the Egyptian Sun God Ra and the Norse God Thor.

This makes it hard to argue which of the cultures actually was the primary instigator of these character archetypes, but it can certainly be said that those of Greek culture are the most recognised and have become most influential through figures such as Carl Jung.

12 Archetypes in Greek Mythology

The most established archetypes from Greek culture are:

Greek god of the sky, lightning and thunder, ruler of all the gods on Mount Olympus and supreme deity of the Greek Pantheon. The Zeus archetype is a judge-like character answerable only to himself, responsible for the maintenance of order, the authority that inspires others to follow where he leads and sometimes a tyrannical nature, willing to indulge his own vices.

Greek god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses. Widely considered the most bad-tempered and greedy of the Greek gods, the archetypal Poseidon thus possesses a depth of feeling which makes him unable to express normal emotion, instead lashing out in a destructive manner and taking pleasure in the anguish of others.

Greek goddess of the harvest, earth's fertility, sacred law and the lifecycle. The Demeter archetype is often described as having innocent and childlike qualities, with a sweet and unassuming nature and desire not to disappoint. Demeter's heart is ruled by innocent rather than sexual love. As an embodiment of Mother Nature, Demeter is a relationship-oriented, warm and nurturing source of life.

Greek goddess of women, marriage, family and childbirth. The resulting Hera archetype is a caregiver, representing the capacity to be loyal, caring and committed even through life's most difficult challenges. Hera will not tolerate anything which distracts her from her main motivation in life, which is to act with devotion and care towards her husband and family, even sometimes to her own cost.

Greek goddess of love, passion, pleasure, female beauty and procreation. Whilst most well known in the form of femme fatale or seductress, the Aphrodite archetype can actually embody all forms of love, be it sexual, maternal, companionship or spiritual. She embodies the side of each person that is passionate and emotional, capable of forging lasting partnerships based on mutual love.

Greek god of war, often representing the physical and violent aspects of conflict and being seen as the personification of war's brutal nature. The resulting Area archetype is one of a warrior who lives for combat and takes what he wants by force, the stereotypical man who acts first and thinks later unless it relates to combat strategy.

God of fire, volcanoes, blacksmiths and other artisans, and of sculpture. Hephaestus was thrown out of Olympus by his fellow Gods including his own father Zeus, and so his archetype has come to be known as the orphan, one rejected and undervalued by others in society unable to see their true worth.

Hermes was conductor of the soul into the afterlife, herald of the gods, protector of human heralds, travellers, merchants, and orators. Despite these serious functions he was known for being the most mischievous of the Olympian gods and very clever, hence he also became the herald of thieves. This association has led to him becoming the archetypal fool or jester, mischievous in nature, willing to cross boundaries and good at communicating.

Greek god of wine, vegetation, festivity, pleasure, ritual madness and religious ecstasy who was depicted both as an older God with a beard or as an effeminate, long-haired young man. As a of result of his association with transformation, for example of grape juice into wine, his archetype has in turn become associated with the transformational powers of magic and the manipulative power of the mind and body which magicians can hold.

Greek goddess of wisdom, courage, civilization, law and justice, mathematics, skill, strategy, arts and crafts. She spent her time in the company of philosophers and inventors in the pursuit of knowledge. These qualities mean that the Athenian archetype has become one of the sage, pursuing strategic and wise courses of action based on logic and thought, not being afraid to assert herself in order to achieve her end goals.

Greek goddess of the hunt, the moon, chastity and childbirth. Artemis's association with hunting has led her becoming the archetypal seeker, embarking on a journey to seek and discover, often preferring their own company over that of society. Like Artemis, this archetype tends towards perfectionism and fears conformity, thus becoming known for their seeking of individuality.

Greek God of healing, medicine, archery, music and poetry, the Sun, justice and the leader of the Muses. As such he was associated with the creative arts and the creation/recreation of nature, thus ensuring that the Apollo archetype has also become the Creator who is associated with imagination, creativity, hard work and self-expression.

Jung Archetypes in Greek Myth

According to renowned psychiatrist Carl Jung, the clues to self-realization are to be found in these myths and the archetypes which they have created for us.

Jung sees in such mythological archetypes symbolic elements of many aspects of the workings of human life and in particular the human mind which, when explored and studied, can be of great therapeutic benefit to the individual.

He most certainly did not invent the term of the concept of the archetype.

But he did develop a theory based around archetypes which was innovative and elaborate, giving it a very distinctive meaning which when applied in psychoanalysis has been revolutionary in the therapeutic treatment of countless individuals.

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12 Mythological Archetypes in Greek Myth You NEED to Know

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Greek myths are essentially stories, and at the core of any effective story sit relatable character types. These characters are essentially copies of an established character archetype created long ago and repeated throughout history so that they have become recognisable.

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An archetype is a universal symbolic pattern. Examples of archetypal characters are the femme fatale, the trickster, the great mother and father, and the dying god. There are archetypal stories as well. Examples are stories of great floods, virgin births, creation, paradise, the underworld, and a final apocalypse. True to their universal nature, archetypal characters and stories appear again and again in myths across many diverse cultures.

Archetypal myths explain the nature of the world and life. Thus, many peoples have tales to explain the origins of places and objects: the city, the mountain, the temple, the tree and even the stone. Other archetypal myths serve to instruct. For example, the quest archetype is typically a journey where the hero or heroine must overcome their own faults and weaknesses in order to reemerge as a mature, productive member of their society.

While some aspects of these myths have remarkable similarities across cultures, others have peculiarities specific to that land. Sometimes it is possible to trace the inheritance of a part of a myth as it is passed from culture to culture. Here we look at four types of myths and how they show up in cultures across the world.

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In Search of Myths &amp Heroes . Myths & Archetypes | PBS

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An archetype is a universal symbolic pattern. Examples of archetypal characters are the femme fatale, the trickster, the great mother and father, and the dying god. There are archetypal stories as well. Examples are stories of great floods, virgin births, creation, paradise, the underworld, and a final apocalypse.

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©1998-2021 by Heidi Anne Heiner, SurLaLune Fairy Tales at www.surlalunefairytales.com As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Funds received from Amazon.com, Google Ads, CafePress and other affiliations are used to defray the expenses of this site. Read the Privacy Policy for more information. Want to donate directly?

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Have you ever wondered why characters like Yoda from Star Wars (1997) and Gandalf from J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (1954) seem to be quite similar? Its because they're based on a similar archetype: the sage. There are also many other types of archetypes.

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Get started by taking our quiz and discover your three primary archetypes. Once you've discovered your archetypes you can make the choice to reclaim them and learn about them by exploring our empowerment section. You can also inspire your archetypes by clicking on one of the 12 icons in our tool bar to explore self improvement content curated to help animate and empower you.

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Get started by taking our quiz and discover your three primary archetypes. Once you've discovered your archetypes you can make the choice to reclaim them and learn about them by exploring our empowerment section. You can also inspire your archetypes by clicking on one of the 12 icons in our tool bar to explore self improvement content curated to help animate and empower you.

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Stereotypes vs. Archetypes | Hilary Blair | TEDxCherryCreekWomen

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Archetypes and Mythology. Why They Matter Even More So Today | Kristina Dryza | TEDxKaunas

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Carl Jung's Archetypal Psychology, Literature