Archetypal View: Gandalf

Jan 16

Gandalf: A Study of the Archetype of the Wise Old Man

This is part of an ongoing series that views contemporary films through the lens of archetypal psychology and the King, Warrior, Magician, Lover model of the masculine psyche as defined by the late Jungian analyst Robert L. Moore in his book of that name. It’s an attempt by me to refresh that work by presenting more current and diverse examples of the archetypes than what are given in that excellent but somewhat outdated book.

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In myths and fairy tales, the hero’s journey is often initiated by the appearance of the Wise Old Man (or woman). Central to the Lord of the Rings myth is the figure of Gandalf, the wise old wizard who roams Middle Earth keeping an eye on the forces of chaos and evil that threaten the peace and order of the realm.

Viewed psychologically, the Wise Old Man is a form of the archetype of the Self, the center and totality of the psyche. It’s the initiating and organizing principle at the deepest core of the psyche that makes itself known through dreams, intuitions and instincts.

Marie-Louise von Franz writes in Man and His Symbols, “The Self usually appears in dreams at crucial times in the dreamer’s life — turning points when his basic attitudes and whole way of life are changing. In the case of a man, it manifests itself as a masculine initiator and guardian (an Indian guru), a wise old man, a spirit of nature, and so forth.”

Viewed through the lens of King, Warrior, Magician & Lover, Gandalf can be seen as a model of the whole and balanced man, having achieved a high level of development in all four areas. Throughout the story we see how he is capable of being a fierce protector, wise advisor, leader and friend.

Just as the Self is the uniting and organizing principle of the psyche that guides the individual toward wholeness, balance and integration, Gandalf gathers all the resources available (in the form of the Fellowship) to defeat the encroaching powers of chaos and destruction.

Von Franz: “When this image turns up in the dreams of an individual, we may hope for a creative solution to his conflict, because now the vital psychic center is activated in order to overcome the difficulty.”

Gandalf himself offers us this guidance for times when we wrestle with the big questions of life’s purpose and meaning:

“It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour (support in times of hardship and distress) of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.”