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Mythologies span generations and are often exported and imported as peoples travelled from place to place. Sometimes we even find where mythologies that used to be separate have co-mingled into a hybrid with elements from each of the originals. The people and places, the conflicts and the values, these elements that we find re-occuring over and over in different times and in different cultures, these are called archetypes. There is the archetype of the mother, the archetype of the hero, the archetype of the trickster, the archetype of paradise, the archetype of the journey, and so on. Archetypes are holographic representations not only of a particular character, but also of some quality that is forever associated with that character. The sun-king archetype for example, embodies powerful, masculine, life-giving attributes. We find the sun-king archetype in many different cultures and he will go by many different names. But we recognize the archetype by the similar qualities he possesses.
Stories that were not archetypal in nature simply would not stand the test of time. But if the story contained wisdom worthy of passing on it could be retold and updated to fit the times. The archetype in the story survives, but the names and the places would change to adapt to a new audience. In this way wisdom is preserved and transmitted across the ages. Such stories give people the ability to explore and understand the patterns that occur and repeat throughout life. Stories and myths are educational, enlightening and often used to illustrate a point or teach a lesson. In ancient times long before there were universities, people still recognized the value of truth and beauty. They found ways to transmit these things by committing them to memory and passing them on to their fellows at gatherings and celebrations.
As the arts and music developed archetypes found their way into songs and even into instrumental music. A tune is often spoken of as having a certain ‘character’. At times this is more than simply a mood. Some melodies seem to embody an archetypal nature in that almost anyone hearing it will respond in the same way. Much of this will of course rely on local tonalities and rhythms and be specific to a particular culture. But archetypes transcend even cultures. Though we may not always recognize them, we can find the same archetypes in music from India, Egypt, China or Europe. To people familiar with the musical context of their own culture, these archetypes will be perfectly recognizable. Occasionally one can even detect such archetypes in music from cultures other than one’s own, though this is rare and requires a certain listening skill that does not come easily to very many.
In classical music, folk themes are often used as a basis for the composition. Bartok, Dvorak, Beethoven and many others would build an orchestral work out of a simple melody easily recognizable to others from that same place and time. Building on folk themes of the land, some of the qualities inherent in the original melody would be transmitted to new audiences by way of an entirely different musical form. The cultural elements of that melody then would resonate in the listener on a very deep instinctual level.
In the the case of Symphony No. 9, ”From the New World”, Anton Dvorak actually travelled to the United States and lived from 1892 to 1895. While there he became interested in the Native American music and African-American spirituals he heard there. He composed “From the New World” and it premiered at Carnegie Hall in 1893 with the New York Philharmonic. Dvorak wrote
“I am convinced that the future music of this country must be founded on what are called Negro melodies. These can be the foundation of a serious and original school of composition, to be developed in the United States. These beautiful and varied themes are the product of the soil. They are the folk songs of America and your composers must turn to them.”
In an article he published in the New York Herald on December 15, 1893, Dvorak further explained how Native American music had an influence on this symphony.
“I have not actually used any of the [Native American] melodies. I have simply written original themes embodying the peculiarities of the Indian music, and using these themes as subjects, have developed them with all the resources of modern rhythms, counterpoint, and orchestral color.”
He went on to explain that he found the music of the African-Americans and of the Indians as being practically identical [!] and that the music of the two races bore a striking similarity to the music of Scotland [!] Most historians agree that the common thread here was probably the pentatonic scale.
So here we have an example of a composer from Bohemian Europe, coming to the great melting pot of the United States, consciously setting out to capture themes that he felt were products of the native soil and the soul of America, then developed them in a thoroughly European art form to be performed for the world. Critics have argued that musically the themes resemble more his own native Bohemian world than they do Native American or African-American music. Nonetheless, the theme from the largo movement was later adopted into a spiritual-like song called, ironically enough, “Going Home” by black composer Harry Burleigh and lyricist William Arms Fisher.
What is the archetype then expressed in Dvorak’s “From the New World”? Leonard Bernstein may have sensed it when he claimed that the work was truely multinational in its foundations. For when it comes down to it, most people, regardless of where they’re from, share similar feelings upon hearing the popular theme from the largo movement. It strikes a chord that resonates across boundaries and brings to listeners everywhere a feeling of finally returning to that place we left long ago and recognizing it as home. The message “From the New World” brings is that the Earth is home to us all. What could be a more Native American message than that?
Folk music from every country, and particularly songs, are often populated with colorful characters. As in poetry and literature, but with the added dimension of music, a song can illustrate characters from mythology, history, or even yesterday’s news. One of the reasons songs and music of this kind resonate with so many people is that the archetypes illustrated are recognized easily by everyone. The person or event is described in a general enough way so that anyone can relate because these archetypes exist within human consciousness. Even if the song describes actual events, (or as often is the case, misrepresents actual events), the tonality, rhythm and the lyrics will deliver up an accurate picture, not as precise as a photograph, but rich enough to be understood by most listeners.
There are many symbol systems that use these archetypes to plot out the major (and minor) points on a circle, like degrees on a compass, all relating to the full circle of human experience in their own particular way. Astrology, Tarot, the I-Ching and Numerology attempt to present the full range of archetypes, each with their specific aspects and attributes. Psychologist Carl Jung used some of these ancient systems in developing many of his modern theories that eventually enabled psychology to explore the realm of spirituality and the vast spectrum of human consciousness that exists beyond the mundane physical and emotional levels. Native American beliefs include an understanding of each person’s place on a circle. No position on the circle is any higher or more important than any other. What is important is to cultivate an understanding for the whole circle and all of the stations on it. For by understanding where we are on the circle, we can more easily see where we have been and where we are going. - tm
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