Definitions HQ

The Hero (n.) can ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠step, in divine form, into the shoes of a handsome officer with no conscious choice by the dreamer — who finds, against her will, a god where a lover was.

A Hero (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the finest of all libido-symbols: a human figure who, like the sun, climbs to the zenith, plunges into night, and rises again in his children.

The Hero (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the superman we seek in human form: the visible God was never loved for being a mere man, for if the pious want to love humanity they need only turn to their neighbours or their enemies.

A Hero (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a solar myth but the self-representation of the unconscious longing for the light of consciousness — while consciousness, a will o' the wisp, longs back for the deep wells of being.

A Hero (n.) draws ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠libido to himself as wonder and worship in order to lead it over myth's symbolic bridge to higher ends.

A Hero (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠one born of two mothers: the first birth makes him mortal, the second an immortal demigod.

A Hero (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a hero because he reads every hardship as resistance to the forbidden goal and fights it with a whole-hearted longing for the treasure — the very longing that cripples and kills ordinary men.

A Hero (n.) symbolizes ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a man's unconscious self, the sum of all archetypes including the father's — so the hero is his own father and his own begetter.

A Hero (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an extraordinary being inhabited by a daemon — that is what makes him a hero, and why the myths about heroes are so typical and impersonal.

The Hero (n.) achieves ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a deed with no lasting effect — again and again it must be renewed, for consciousness is always a long way behind the goals of the unconscious.

A Hero (n.) taken ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠purely as a psychologem is the favourable action of the unconscious, the dragon its unfavourable action — not birth but devouring, not construction but greedy retention.

A Hero (n.) who ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠would awaken the sleeping images of a better future must first bury his mother.

A Hero (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠swallowed by the monster beside the water, cuts out its heart from inside, and steps forth new-born — the myth of the night sea journey.

A Hero (n.) gives ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠way to the regressive longing and risks the maternal monster — but is a hero only because, in the end, he did not let it devour him.

Hero (n.) motifs ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠(n.) such as dragons, helpful animals, the Wise Old Man, the hidden treasure and the walled garden appear in big dreams because they concern a part of the personality not yet in existence but still in the process of becoming.

A Hero (n.) can ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠cope with the greatest perils, yet something quite insignificant undoes him — Baldur's mistletoe, Siegfried's one spot, a little bird's laughter.

A Hero (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠always the embodiment of man's highest aspiration — or of what that aspiration ought ideally to be.

A Hero (n.) who ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠slays dragons is the people's constant longing when they feel the danger of psychic forces — hence our age's cry for personality.

A Hero (n.) always ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠carries something of his author: what happens to the hero happens symbolically to the author.

A Hero (n.) always ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠mislays his weapon in critical situations.