Files
Abstract
The myth of Mlusine first appeared in literary form in France in 1393. Its author, Jean dArras, drew from long-standing oral tradition in the writing of his romance, which was, by the standards of the Middle Ages, a best-seller. Mlusines ongoing popularity into the 20th and 21st centuries, not only in France, but internationally as well, is evidenced by Andr Bretons Arcane 17 (1944), Manuel Mujica Lainezs El unicornio (1965), Esther Tusquetss El mismo mar de todos los veranos (1978), and Marie de la Montluels (Chantal Chawafs) Mlusine des dtritus (2002), the four novels I undertake to explore in this dissertation. From a Jungian perspective, the ongoing appeal of Mlusine may be explained by the rich archetypal images and mythological motifs contained within her story, but to fully understand why these authors from such vastly different socio-cultural and historical backgrounds were so inspired by her, it is necessary to consider that each of these authors wrote at a time of personal and societal crisis. Jung teaches that it is at such times that the individual awakens to the need to probe the unconscious, and that it is then that the archetype most needed by the psyche will appear. Following Jungian scholar James Hillman, who identifies the alchemical Mercurius as the archetype of healing due to his capacity to unite opposites, I identify Mlusine with this archetype. I argue that the four narratives addressed here are projections enabling a working through of psychological and/or societal problems, and Mlusine emerges in each to act as spiritual guide and archetypal healer. I will show that in all of these narratives, her ultimate function is to bring healing to characters, authors, and societies. In these narratives, the authors tap into and give voice to the unconscious. By offering the reader a representation of the individuation process this requires, they, like Mlusine, are offering guidance toward a healing of harmful schisms that have cut the individual and society off from the unconscious, the feminine, the body, nature, and the Other.