• A symbol, character, event, object, theme, setting, etc. that recurs in the literature of many cultures

• A particular archetype can appear in religious stories, fables, myths, and fairy tales from different countries and eras.

• Think of it as a pattern, model, or prototype.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ARCHETYPES

• PRIMORDIAL – Essential, instinctive, fundamental

• UNIVERSAL – unaffected by time or situation, community or culture

• WORLD DESTRUCTION– FLOOD– PLAGUE– THE APOCALYPSE

• CREATION– HEBREW– GREEK– NORSE– INDIAN

• IMMORTALITY– ETERNAL PLACE

FOR THE SOUL– REWARDS AND

PUNISHMENTS– ENDLESS DEATH

AND REBIRTH IN CYCLICAL TIME

• THE HERO ( & WEAPON)– KING ARTHUR– LUKE SKYWALKER– HARRY POTTER

• SIBLING RIVALRIES– CAIN AND ABEL– ROMULUS AND

REMUS

• CONFLICT BETWEEN OPPOSITES– YIN AND YANG– MALE AND FEMALE– NIGHT AND DAY– GOOD AND EVIL

• ENSLAVING OF MONSTERS– SATAN– MIDGARD SERPENT– TITANS IN TARTARUS

• INCEST STORIES– OEDIPUS

LEGENDS– LOT AND HIS

DAUGHTERS

• TWELVE– 12 DISCIPLES– 12 TRIBES OF

ISRAEL– 12 MONTHS– 12 SIGNS OF THE

ZODIAC– 12 TRIALS OF

HERCULES

• THREE– THE TRINITY– SIDES OF A

TRIANGLE– 3 WISE MEN– 3 LITTLE PIGS– 3 TASKS IN FAIRY

TALES– JESUS WAS IN THE

GRAVE 3 DAYS

• SEVEN– PYTHAGOREANS

CALLED IT THE PERFECT NUMBER

– 7 COLORS OF THE RAINBOW

– THE NUMBER 7 IS USED 507 TIMES IN THE BIBLE

– SEVEN IS ALSO USED MANY TIMES IN THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH

• SOUL MATE– PRINCESS– DAMSEL IN

DISTRESS– LOVER

• EARTH MOTHER– EVE– GAEA

• PLATONIC IDEAL– SPIRITUAL OR

INTELLECTUAL IDEAL, A MUSE, A GUIDE

• TEMPTRESS– WITCH– SIREN

• DESTINED LOVERS• THE SCAPEGOAT

– ONE WHOSE DEATH COVERS SIN

• THE OUTCAST– ONE WHO MUST

WANDER• THE DEVIL

– PERSONIFICATION OF EVIL

• SHAMAN, HOLY MAN, MAGICIAN

• THE DIVINE IN DISGUISE

• THE GATEKEEPER

• THE QUEST– GILGAMESH– THE ODYSSEY– LORD OF THE

RINGS• THE TASK• THE INITIATION

– KING ARTHUR AND THE SWORD IN THE STONE

• DEATH AND REBIRTH– CHRIST– THE GREEN

KNIGHT• THE FALL OF MAN

– GENESIS– DARTH VADER

• A PARADISE OR IDEAL PLACE • A LANDSCAPE EMERGING FROM A WATERY

CHAOS• A GREAT TREE CONNECTING THE REALMS OF

HEAVEN AND EARTH• A UNIVERSE MADE UP OF OPPOSITES • A MOUNTAIN THAT HAS HOLY SIGNIFICANCE• AN UNDERWORLD WHERE PEOPLE GO AFTER

DEATH• A CIRCLE THAT SYMBOLIZES COMPLETION

HAS HOLY SIGNIFICANCE