Archetyp und Unbewusstes, 1995

Carl Gustav Jung

(My note: This passage of the book is translated by me from the original Czech version – “Výbor z díla II” so there might be some mistakes. Unfortunately this volume by Jung is perhaps not translated even to english. Some link to this text could be possible found in english version called – The Collected Works of C.G. Jung Complete Digital Edition, Volumes 1-19 by Gerhard Adler, R. F. C).

The transcendent function, preface, (page. 236 czech version Výbor z díla II)

“One unmarried woman who was my client dreamed; Someone seemed to be handing her a precious, richly decorated ancient sword dug out from some mound. The client’s ideas – My father’s medieval sword, who once let the sword shine in the sun in front of her, which struck her especially. Her father was, in every way, an active man with a strong will, a tumultuous temperament, a penchant for love adventures. Celtic bronze sword. The patient is proud of her Celtic origins. The Celts are temperamental, tumultuous, passionate. The decoration looked mysterious, old traditions, runes, signs of ancient wisdom, ancient cultures, the heritage of humanity brought out of the grave to daylight again”. 

The Analytical interpretation 

The patient has a father’s complex and weaves rich erotic fantasies around her father, whom she lost suddenly. He still takes his mother’s place, but with strong opposition to his father. She was never able to accept a man who resembled a father, so she chose weak neurotic men against her will. Even in the analysis, she had strong opposition to the doctor-father. The dream came up with her desire to have a “weapon” of  her father.Theoretical anticipation would immediately point to a phallic fantasy. 

Constructive interpretation 

It looks like the patient needs such a weapon. Her father had a such weapon. He was active and also alive, taking on the difficulties of his temperament, so that he had a passionately moved life, but he was not neurotic. This weapon is an ancient legacy of humanity that was buried in the patient and excavated in daylight (analysis). The weapon has to do with insight, with wisdom. It is used for attack and defense. Her father’s weapon was a passionate, unwavering will that made its way through life. In any case, the patient has been his opposite. She is at the point where she discovers that one can also want and not just get carried away, as she always believed. A free will based on the wisdom of life and insight is the old heritage of mankind, which is stored, although still buried in her, because she is also a daughter of her father in this judgment, which she has not yet appreciated for her pure pampering and childish sentimentality. She was extremely passive and indulged in sexual fantasies.