The Ruler Archetype in African Myth and Folklore

About this episode

The episode reflects on the significance of the ruler archetype in African myth and folklore amidst contemporary chaos.

Hello Friends! We close the series with a short reflection on what this might all mean for us as people living in today’s world of chaos and contradictions. Virtually everything depends on the human psyche and its functions. It should be worthy of all the attention we can give it, especially today, when everyone admits that the weal or woe of the future will be decided neither by the threat of wild animals, nor by natural catastrophes, nor by the danger of world-wide epidemics, but simply and solely by the psychic changes in (hu)man(s). It needs only an almost imperceptible disturbance of equilibrium in a few of our rulers’ heads to plunge the world into blood, fire, and radioactivity. - Carl Jung, God, the Devil, and the Human Soul. Hope you enjoy and see you next week! Can’t Get Enough? The Watkins Book of African Folklore contains 50 stories, curated from North, South, East, West and Central Africa. The stories are grouped into three sections: * Creation myths and foundation legends (including the story of Tin Hinan, Founding Mother of the the Tuareg!) * Stories about human relationships and the cultural institutions they created * Animal tales (with a twist…the folktales are…

People in this episode

Host: Mythological Africans

Topics covered

• African mythology
• psychology
• cultural reflection
• folklore
• ruler archetype
• human psyche

Keywords

• African folklore
• mythology
• Carl Jung
• psychic changes
• cultural institutions
• creation myths
• animal tales

Mentioned in this episode

Products: The Watkins Book of African Folklore

Books & works: God, the Devil, and the Human Soul

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