Ep. 16. Iron John (Der Eisenhans): A Brothers Grimm Fairytale Interpreted as an Initiation Manual for Men
06/18/22 • 65 min
The Grimm brothers fairy tale Iron John (or Der Eisenhans in German) was the subject of study by prize winning American poet and author Robert Bly, who was a prominent figure in the mythopoetic men's movement that began in the 1980's. In it he saw the remnants of pre-industrial male initiation, told through the story of a young prince, who goes off to live with a wild, hairy man in the forest, encounters a magical golden spring, and then later works anonymously as a servant in the castle of a great king. He eventually goes on to perform great feats of bravery and skill, to eventually win the hand of a princess. The many peculiar adventures of the boy were interpreted by Bly as metaphors for the necessary steps in becoming a man. In this video, I've split the story into four parts, and following each one, I've offered interpretations of the symbology and meaning as well as some contemporary context according to my own understanding, as well as that of Bly's book. If you want to skip the interpretations and go straight into the story, the relevant parts on the time line are shown below:
Part1 2:09 - 14:12
Part2 22:41 - 27:06
Part3 35:39 - 39:53
Part4 41:50 - 48:52
#eisenhans, #robertbly, #ironjohn, #maleinitiation, #masculinity, #manhood, #mythopoetic
For the video montage of this episode please visit the Triarius Project Youtube Channel, or follow this link:
https://youtu.be/HcF_dd3agMw
The Grimm brothers fairy tale Iron John (or Der Eisenhans in German) was the subject of study by prize winning American poet and author Robert Bly, who was a prominent figure in the mythopoetic men's movement that began in the 1980's. In it he saw the remnants of pre-industrial male initiation, told through the story of a young prince, who goes off to live with a wild, hairy man in the forest, encounters a magical golden spring, and then later works anonymously as a servant in the castle of a great king. He eventually goes on to perform great feats of bravery and skill, to eventually win the hand of a princess. The many peculiar adventures of the boy were interpreted by Bly as metaphors for the necessary steps in becoming a man. In this video, I've split the story into four parts, and following each one, I've offered interpretations of the symbology and meaning as well as some contemporary context according to my own understanding, as well as that of Bly's book. If you want to skip the interpretations and go straight into the story, the relevant parts on the time line are shown below:
Part1 2:09 - 14:12
Part2 22:41 - 27:06
Part3 35:39 - 39:53
Part4 41:50 - 48:52
#eisenhans, #robertbly, #ironjohn, #maleinitiation, #masculinity, #manhood, #mythopoetic
For the video montage of this episode please visit the Triarius Project Youtube Channel, or follow this link:
https://youtu.be/HcF_dd3agMw
Previous Episode
Ep. 15. The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell and the Monomyth
The hero’s journey is the mythological representation of the challenges we all face in life and the path that must be travelled to overcome them. But more than that, it represents what famous mythologist Joseph Campbell saw as the generic-representation of the process of personal development and maturity that each person must undergo in order to become balanced, healthy members of society. This usually means dealing with repressed emotional issues, making difficult decisions, having the courage to suffer, and accepting all the consequences. Campbell was influenced in his wide study of religion and mythology by psychologists such as Freud and Jung, who often used dream analysis, myths and folk stories to illustrate their insights. Campbell once wrote:
“A myth is a public dream and a dream is a private myth”
Both Jung and Campbell believed that certain archetypical ideas were expressed collectively. In other words, they believed that we all have similar mental representations of subconscious phenomena. These phenomena are expressed in dreams and stories that intuitively seem to resonate with all people, despite their cultural backgrounds and personalities. It is something that is imprinted on our DNA, like the instinctive fear all newly hatched chicks have of a snake, or snake-like object, despite never having seen one.
The hero’s journey is a myth found in all cultures that provides a framework, or path to resolution of an unfolding life drama, that we can all learn from, and take comfort in. This is why Campbell called it the “monomyth”, or the singular story that defines the human experience.
#herosjourney, #josephcampbell, #monomyth,
The video montage of this podcast can be found on my Triarius Project Youtube channel, by following this link:
https://youtu.be/KHOhHwzO_2Y
or via my Triarius Project website at www.triariusproject.com
Next Episode
Ep. 17. Thomas Paine: The Forgotten Father of Western Democracy
Thomas Paine was a plain talking, big thinking common man - self educated in matters of science, philosophy, activism and political theory. His pamphlets and books inspired ordinary people throughout the colonies of America to stand up for their rights and throw off the yoke of British domination. Soon after, these books were smuggled into France, where they inspired the Third Estate to agitate for the guarantee of their natural rights. Eventually, this grass roots activism would lead to the overthrow of the French Monarchy in the French Revolution, where Paine would be granted honorary citizenship, a seat in its parliament and a voice in the drafting of the French Republic's constitution. He would eventually go on to write on many issues of social justice, including abolition, universal suffrage, aged care, education, welfare, healthcare and anti-corruption in government. This occasionally made him a target of powerful people, and despite his heroic status, he was eventually marginalised and forgotten. Overshadowed by the major players who used his tireless campaigning to their advantage, Paine died in obscurity and poverty, having transformed the landscape of democracy across three continents, and was the source of many of our greatest achievements in civil discourse and progress over the last 250 years.
#thomaspaine, #americanhero, #democracy, #frenchrevolution, #documentary
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