THE ROLE AND MEANING OF THE MELUSINE MYTH IN MODERN NARRATIVE: A JUNGIAN PERSPECTIVE by LAURA NANNETTE MOSLEY (Under the Direction of Jonathan F. Krell) ABSTRACT The myth of Mélusine first appeared in literary form in France in 1393. Its author, Jean d’Arras, drew from long-standing oral tradition in the writing of his romance, which was, by the standards of the Middle Ages, a best-seller. Mélusine’s ongoing popularity into the 20th and 21st centuries, not only in France, but internationally as well, is evidenced by André Breton’s Arcane 17 (1944), Manuel Mujica Lainez’s El unicornio (1965), Esther Tusquets’s El mismo mar de todos los veranos (1978), and Marie de la Montluel’s (Chantal Chawaf’s) Mélusine des détritus (2002), the four novels I undertake to explore in this dissertation. From a Jungian perspective, the ongoing appeal of Mélusine may be explained by the rich archetypal images and mythological motifs contained within her story, but to fully understand why these authors from such vastly different socio-cultural and historical backgrounds were so inspired by her, it is necessary to consider that each of these authors wrote at a time of personal and societal crisis. Jung teaches that it is at such times that the individual awakens to the need to probe the unconscious, and that it is then that the archetype most needed by the psyche will appear. Following Jungian scholar James Hillman, who identifies the alchemical Mercurius as the archetype of healing due to his capacity to unite opposites, I identify Mélusine with this archetype. I argue that the four narratives addressed here are projections enabling a “working through” of psychological and/or societal problems, and Mélusine emerges in each to act as spiritual guide and archetypal healer. I will show that in all of these narratives, her ultimate function is to bring healing – to characters, authors, and societies. In these narratives, the authors tap into and give voice to the unconscious. By offering the reader a representation of the individuation process this requires, they, like Mélusine, are offering guidance toward a healing of harmful schisms that have cut the individual and society off from the unconscious, the feminine, the body, nature, and the Other. INDEX WORDS: Mélusine, Myth, Le Roman de Mélusine où L’histoire de Lusignan, Jean d’Arras, Mélusine ou Le Roman de Parthenay, Coudrette, André Breton , Arcane 17, Manuel Mujica Lainez , El unicornio, Esther Tusquets , El mismo mar de todos los veranos, Marie de la Montluel, Chantal Chawaf, Mélusine des détritus, Carl Jung, Archetypal analysis, Individuation, Alchemy, Mercurius, Luna, Modern Narrative, Projection, Crisis, Healing THE ROLE AND MEANING OF THE MELUSINE MYTH IN MODERN NARRATIVE: A JUNGIAN PERSPECTIVE by LAURA NANNETTE MOSLEY BA, Georgia College and State University, 1990 MEd, The University of Georgia, 2000 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2012 © 2012 Laura Nannette Mosley All Rights Reserved THE ROLE AND MEANING OF THE MELUSINE MYTH IN MODERN NARRATIVE: A JUNGIAN PERSPECTIVE by LAURA NANNETTE MOSLEY Major Professor: Jonathan F. Krell Committee: Stacey D. Casado Catherine M. Jones Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2012 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my most sincere appreciation to the following people who played a vital role in the completion of this dissertation: First and foremost to my mother, Mary Herren, whose encouragement, support, and help over the course of this long process have made it all possible; we both know I couldn’t have done it without you. To my children Laura and Santiago García-Mosley for their patience and understanding and for cheering Mom on, even when the going got rough; To my husband, Paul Keck, for courageously stepping into my life in the midst of all this, for taking on so much so whole-heartedly, and for assisting not only as parent, but as copy editor, too; To my sister, Valerie Mosley, for encouraging me from afar and for always reminding me of what really matters; To all of my family for their love, support, sacrifices and unwavering faith in me; To my dear friend Mariana Filimon for believing, for always being there, and for nudging me onward; To my officemate and friend Sandrine Zawacki for her patience and encouragement and for sharing her desk; To Dr. Debbie Bell, whose computer savvy and generous assistance made the preparation of this document possible and whose friendship, pep talks and steadfast support have seen me through so many trying times; iv To Dr. Doris Kadish for all of her assistance as a member of my committee early on, and for kindly continuing to lend her expertise by reading and offering key suggestions for improvement, even after her retirement; To the members of my committee, fellow Jungian scholar Dr. Stacey Casado, to whom I owe my understanding of Jung’s theories (and whose analysis of Tusquets inspired my own), and medievalist Dr. Catherine Jones, who afforded me a wealth of knowledge regarding the early literary versions of the Mélusine myth and the societal context in which they were written. Their wisdom, advice and contributions to this dissertation have been invaluable to me throughout the process and have made possible a final product of which I can be proud. Their encouragement and support have meant a great deal to me. And to Dr. Jonathan Krell, my dissertation director and fellow Mélusine expert, for sharing with me his rich knowledge of the fairy and of many narratives in which she appears. Had he and Dr. Jones not introduced her myth to me, this dissertation would surely not have come about. I have profited tremendously from Dr. Krell’s expertise as a specialist in myth and as a critic and a writer. I cannot thank him enough for his guidance, patience and generosity with his time. The painstaking care and attention he has devoted to this dissertation is deeply appreciated, and his work ethic and high standards have been an inspiration for me as a scholar. It has been a privilege to work with him. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iv CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION: TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF MÉLUSINE AS MERCURIAL HEALER ...................................................................................1 2 WHO IS MÉLUSINE?: AN EXPLORATION OF VIEWS REGARDING HER NATURE, ROLE AND IMAGE ............................................................37 3 MÉLUSINE AS LUNA, HEALING “STAR” OF ARCANE 17 ......................93 Facing Crisis, Finding Mélusine ................................................................93 The Hidden Complexities of the Initial Cosmic Pair: Analysis of the Rocher Percé and Mélusine .....................................................................119 An Unending Story of Cyclic Death and Rebirth ....................................139 4 THE STRUGGLES OF A HINDERED HEALER: MÉLUSINE AND THE SEARCH FOR WHOLENESS IN MANUEL MUJICA LAINEZ’S EL UNICORNIO ..................................................................................................153 Mélusine’s Timely Appearance in the Work of Mujica Lainez ..............153 The Multiple Roles and Quests of Mélusine............................................176 5 THE LITTLE MERMAID GROWS UP: THE RECLAIMING OF MÉLUSINE FOR HEALING AND WHOLENESS IN EL MISMO MAR DE TODOS LOS VERANOS ................................................................................199 vi The Spanish Transition and the Emergence of the Repressed .................199 Discovering a Dormant Mélusine – Lost Shadow, Great Mother, and Archetypal Healer ....................................................................................215 6 THE WARNING CRY OF MÉLUSINE DES DETRITUS BY CHANTAL CHAWAF ......................................................................................................247 Chawaf’s Writing as Response to Crisis ..................................................247 The Value of Fairies and of Mélusine......................................................272 Mélusine des detritus and a Quest for Healing ........................................278 7 CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................311 BIBLIOGRAPHY. ...........................................................................................................348 vii 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION: TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF MÉLUSINE AS MERCURIAL HEALER Le Roman de Mélusine ou L’Histoire de Lusignan1 was completed by Jean d’Arras for his patron, the Duke of Berry in 1393. Shortly thereafter, in 1405, there appeared a second version, closely resembling it in content, but composed in verse by Coudrette for Jean Larchevêque, lord of Parthenay.2 By the standards of the Middle Ages, the works soon became best-sellers; they were among “les plus célèbres et les plus traduits en langues étrangères de cette flamboyante fin du moyen Age” (Vincensini, Introduction 8). As Harf-Lancner indicates, the large number of extant manuscripts gives testament to their initial popularity – ten for Jean d’Arras, twenty for Coudrette (Introduction 19). The story was rapidly disseminated throughout France, Spain, Germany, England, and Eastern Europe, with its first printing produced in Germany in 1474 – a prose translation of Coudrette’s version by Thuring