COPYRIGHT AND USE OF THIS THESIS This thesis must be used in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Reproduction of material protected by copyright may be an infringement of copyright and copyright owners may be entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. Section 51 (2) of the Copyright Act permits an authorized officer of a university library or archives to provide a copy (by communication or otherwise) of an unpublished thesis kept in the library or archives, to a person who satisfies the authorized officer that he or she requires the reproduction for the purposes of research or study. The Copyright Act grants the creator of a work a number of moral rights, specifically the right of attribution, the right against false attribution and the right of integrity. You may infringe the author’s moral rights if you: - fail to acknowledge the author of this thesis if you quote sections from the work - attribute this thesis to another author - subject this thesis to derogatory treatment which may prejudice the author’s reputation For further information contact the University’s Director of Copyright Services sydney.edu.au/copyright SHAMAN, SAGE, PRIEST, PROPHET AND MAGICIAN EXPLORING THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE RELIGIOUS WISE MAN BY DOMINIQUE BETH WILSON A THESIS SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY STUDIES IN RELIGION FACULTY OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY AUSTRALIA 2013 i Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift her voice? She takes her stand on the top of high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet. She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors: ―To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. Receive my instructions and not silver and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies, And all things one may desire cannot be compared with her I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion. Proverbs 8: 1-4 &10-12 i This thesis is dedicated to Nicholas Bromfield, a gentleman and a scholar who inspires me in all that I do. ii Abstract Little attention has been given to the archetype of the wise old man, both by Carl G. Jung and by contemporary scholars indebted to his methodology. This is especially relevant when compared to other common Jungian archetypes such as the ‗hero‘, the ‗mother‘ and the ‗trickster.‘ As such, the wise man can be viewed as a neglected or overlooked figure whose image is so familiar and recognisable that his purpose and representations have not currently received the depth of analysis and explanation that has been given to other archetypal images. This thesis identifies the religious wise man as an important figure within the contexts of culture and religion. Its aim is to not only to explore the ‗archetype‘ of the wise man, but to go beyond that rather superficial – and indeed, academically problematic – notion, and determine what I term the ‗architecture‘ of the wise man. This architecture consists of the structural elements (social, institutional, historical) and identifiers (costume, calling, education), that separate the wise man, and in particular the religious wise man, from other male ‗archetypal‘ figures. In using the term ‗architecture‘ I aim to identify the arrangement of concrete elements and characteristics - rather than psychological or inner ‗essences‘ - which are significant in the construction and maintenance of the religious wise man figure in specific cultural contexts. The dissertation presents five possible categories of the religious wise man - the shaman, sage, priest, prophet and magician – identifying common elements and distinguishing features that may then be redesigned and adapted in different and unique forms appropriate to each manifestation of the religious wise man. Once these key characteristics are identified, they create a schema that can be employed to classify a range of religious wise man figures into the appropriate category. The thesis is an original contribution to scholarship in two ways, first it draws attention to and studies in detail a neglected archetype, and second it advances knowledge of the role and function of the wise man, and more specifically the religious wise man, within a range of specific religious contexts. KEYWORDS Religion, Wisdom, Wise Man, Archetype, Shaman, Sage, Priest, Prophet, Magician iii List of Illustrations The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove ……………………………………………..……74 Line drawing of Confucius …………………….………………………..………………..75 Frazer‘s branches of Sympathetic Magic ..…………………….…………………………125 Frazer‘s system of Magic……………………..………………….………………….……136 Kabbalistic Tree of Life ……………………………......................................................... 140 iv Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................... iii List of Illustrations .................................................................................................................... iv Contents ..................................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. viii Chapter 1 - Introduction, Method and Approach ................................................................ 1 1.1 Summary of Argument .................................................................................................... 1 1.2 The Wise Man ................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Definitions ....................................................................................................................... 4 1.3.1 Wisdom ...................................................................................................................... 5 1.3.2 Religion ..................................................................................................................... 8 1.4 Methodology ................................................................................................................. 11 1.4.1 The Hero - an Example of a Jungian Archetype ..................................................... 14 1.5 The Wise Man in Scholarship and Literature................................................................ 18 1.6 A Note on Gender ......................................................................................................... 22 1.7 Thesis Outline ............................................................................................................... 22 SECTION ONE: EXAMPLARS .......................................................................................... 25 Chapter 2 – The Shaman ....................................................................................................... 26 2.1 Summary of Argument .................................................................................................. 26 2.2 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 26 2.3 Shamanism .................................................................................................................... 27 2.4 The Role and Function of the Shaman .......................................................................... 32 2.5 Vocation ........................................................................................................................ 36 2.6 Initiation and Training ................................................................................................... 38 2.7 The Use of Trance ......................................................................................................... 42 2.8 Healing .......................................................................................................................... 45 2.9 Ritual instruments and Attire ........................................................................................ 48 2.10 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 50 Chapter 3 – The Sage ............................................................................................................. 52 3.1 Summary of Argument .................................................................................................. 52 3.2 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 52 3.3 The Sage ........................................................................................................................ 54 3.3.1 Use of the Term ‗Sage‘ ............................................................................................ 55 3.4 The Role and Function of the Sage ............................................................................... 58 3.5 Ritual and Order ............................................................................................................ 64 v 3.6 Vocation and Training ................................................................................................... 67 3.7 The Sage as Teacher and Mentor .................................................................................. 70 3.7 The Elder ......................................................................................................................