Myth in Our Time

War is evil, destruction, trauma. War is a scar for life that is never forgotten. However, it also provides an opportunity for people to unite, awakening kindness and compassion towards each other.

Many countries and people offer us help, support, and sympathy. Today’s project confirms this.

Mythical stories and rituals resonate in us today and provide depth in the presence of timeless reality. They tell us how to endure and understand grief and sorrow, and there is never a myth where life is possible without suffering. Myth serves our consciousness, offering us the necessary images and various survival strategies – compromise, cunning, daring, courage – and forming desired motivations.

One of the most expressive mythological figures, which is an integral part of any myth, is the hero archetype. The hero figure is most vividly represented in Greek mythology. One of the well-known and iconic heroes of ancient Greece is Perseus.

Many myths have been passed down to us, telling of his greatest deeds, such as his victory over the Gorgon Medusa and the rescue of Andromeda.

The Medusa complex is always present in wars, where the human spirit is petrified and sacrificed to “petrified ideas”.

The “war Gorgon” kills before contact and compromise can occur. This psychopathic indifference to others leads to violence in various forms. This complex can affect entire generations, including state systems where human life has no value. And like any complex, it can stem from trauma.
Medusa was once a beautiful woman who was charmed by Poseidon. 

After receiving rejection, he forced himself upon her in the temple of Athena. 

Poseidon is a strong affect that cannot be controlled by the ego, existing in the inner world as uncontrollable rage capable of destroying everything. Athena, on the other hand, endowed Medusa with the horrifying power to turn all living things to stone with her gaze,
imprisoning all femininity in the chains of terror. This is how trauma can make us stone-like and freeze our ability to love and show compassion.

Athena, as a goddess-virgin and symbol of wisdom, represents a facet of femininity in the psyche that does not allow for sensual spontaneity or emotional freedom. She was born from Zeus’ head and was fated to be his daughter and uphold the patriarchal world. Perhaps Athena’s suppressed energy is that of the Gorgon, as her own traumatic birth did not receive the blessing of the mother, the primal source that grants the blessing of sensual femininity.

In Greek mythology, the hero Perseus’ feat is directly tied to the killing of the Gorgon Medusa. Perhaps we should find our own Perseus within and equip him with the necessary tools to journey after the terrifying head of Medusa that causes us to suffer, freezing our emotions. The hero needs help to overcome his fears, gain courage to accept the challenge, and gather all his strength of spirit. Hermes, Athena, and the nymphs provide the necessary equipment for the hero. 

Hermes, the god of liminality and luck, gave Perseus the sword of consciousness, enabling him to navigate life more consciously and determine his stance towards anything.

Athena gives Perseus a shield so that he can protect himself and maintain a respectful distance from the Archetype. Just like us, we can understand the Archetype by developing a

 relationship with it through images, indirectly, so as not to be seized and consumed by Archetypal energies. And thanks to this distance, Perseus managed to decapitate Medusa.

From the nymphs, Perseus received the helmet of the ruler of the underworld, Hades, which allows him to be present invisibly in times of danger, winged sandals – the ability to fly, spiritual dimension, and a bag in which he must put the head – the ability to hold and contain Shadow. 

From the body of the beheaded Medusa Gorgon, the winged horse Pegasus is born – a symbol of victory of the spiritual over the material and the warrior Chrysaor, the owner of a golden sword. The golden sword, as a symbol of the divine hidden in man. This is how the living and spiritual energy, which was imprisoned, is freed.
Returning home, Perseus frees Andromeda, who is chained to a rock. She is a chaste bride, a victim of the monster that lives in the unconscious. Virginity signifies something untouched, which is the foundation of wholeness. Thus, the hero awakens the soul that slept and was imprisoned in the unconscious. Andromeda is the true treasure that Perseus brings home. She is the anima – the soul that has the potential to stimulate life.

This is an incredibly rich myth about the transformation of death into rebirth, evil into good. It can make us feel the wisdom of life, its suffering, and give us the keys to our spiritual potential.
Currently, in our country, there are many real earthly heroes who return and defend our lands, perform incredible acts of bravery every day, and are willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of saving their brothers and sisters, all of us.

Most myths tell of a heroic transformation of consciousness, when we stop thinking only about ourselves and our own existence, and are capable of acts for the sake of someone or something else. And today, we can observe such a heroic transformation of men and women who risk their lives for something greater than themselves, and many have voluntarily chosen such a fate.
Today, more than ever, we understand Bertolt Brecht’s phrase from the play “Life of Galileo”: “Unhappy is the land that needs heroes”, referring to the political situation, and not as a symbol of psychological individuality. Our heroes are our strength, our pride, and our pain.
A very important topic is the topic of the Hero’s Shadow. In the book “Shadows,” Erel Shalit wrote that a hero without a shadow is like an ego without a soul. The shadow is the lifeblood of the hero’s soul. And being only virtuous, he could not be a hero. And not realizing his shadow, pain can be devastating. Joseph Campbell wrote in the book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” “Yesterday’s hero will become tomorrow’s tyrant if he does not sacrifice himself today.” So when returning from war, when the mission is complete, it is important for the hero to leave all the heroism on the battlefield. Otherwise, the warrior’s energy can be destructive in peacetime.
In the myth of Perseus, the hero’s return was with treasure, with that part of feminine sensuality that nourishes the soul and revives life. And this is not an easy task, but a very important one, so that our country can develop and bring something new – the changes that would strengthen and enrich our country.
Perhaps our compassion, respect, and understanding of the consequences of war on the psyche of our earthly heroes can also be one of the first steps in healing their souls.
In Ukraine, there are national mythological heroes who could be a source of strength, support, and inspiration during such difficult times for all of us. Ukrainian Cossacks have

 always been a mystical, mysterious, and amazing phenomenon. Today, I would like to present the archetype of the Cossack Mamay. 

Cossack Mamay is a collective image of a national hero of Ukraine, about whom legends and various tales were told. He is a symbol of courage, strength, and love for freedom, an embodiment of the image of a defender of Ukraine, which was especially common in Ukraine in the 18th-19th centuries. Paintings of Mamai often hung in Ukrainian homes alongside icons. They do not bear the names of the authors, as there are too many of them, and this phenomenon can rightfully be called “folk painting”.

In paintings featuring the Cossack Mamay, a certain set of objects are always depicted. Namely: an oak tree, a horse, a spear, a pipe and a bandura (or kobza), a cup and a hat, and weapons. The oak tree represents kinship, the tree of life and vitality. The horse is the Cossack’s best friend and companion, both in peace and in war. It is a symbol of freedom, loyalty and self-sacrifice. The spear, as well as the cup or jug, remind us of the fleeting nature of life and the daily threats that awaited the Cossack. Spears were placed at burial sites, while cups and jugs were “taken from the other world”. They were symbols of fate. Sabers are symbols of victory.
In paintings, the Cossack does not hold weapons in his hands, but he does not let them far from himself either. Thus, if necessary, the peaceful Cossack can quickly defend himself. And, as a rule, our hero is depicted sitting in a Buddhist pose. It is amazing that it is during

 rest that we catch a glimpse of this famous hero, rather than in a typical battle scene. He looks calm, relaxed and a bit dreamy. His inner strength is revealed in peace, not in active actions. Perhaps here lies a deeper perception and understanding of the world and self-awareness.

 Mamay is a traveler, a warrior, a storyteller, and a sorcerer (in Cossack culture, this was called a “characterist”), as well as a philosopher. He appeared as a hero when other Zaporozhian Cossacks needed his help, and he could transform into animals, stop bleeding and heal wounds, catch bullets with his bare hands, walk on water and fire, become invisible, and instill panic in his enemies. Another important aspect of his character is his sensitivity to beauty, emotional depth, and delicate lyricism. It’s no wonder that most of his paintings feature a bandura or kobza, highlighting his poetic nature and aestheticism. The bandura reveals his emotional movements, his thoughts, and his weary sorrow.

 So, the sound of strings doesn’t always bring joy or inspire heroic deeds – it can also be a mourning for those who have left this fleeting world, a call to remember brothers-in-arms who fell in the fight for independence. Mamay embodies both masculine and feminine qualities. “I am a philosopher, but also a warrior. I am free, for here is my weapon and here is my horse. I am relaxed, or at least appear to be. I think my own thoughts, I smoke, I rest, and if you are my friend – sit beside me, take a bottle, drink and smoke. I will play the bandura, and you can sing if you wish. But if you are not my friend, then I have a spear, sword and pistol for you. And a tree on which to hang you. Don’t provoke me, for you won’t like the consequences. Just don’t provoke me”.
In his book “The Power of Myth,” Joseph Campbell described how one of the Indian political books states that a ruler must hold a weapon of war, a large stick, in one hand, and a song calling for peace and joint action in the other. This description is similar to that of our Ukrainian hero, Mamai.
Mamai was a warrior and character of the Zaporozhian Cossacks. The Zaporozhian Cossacks can rightfully be considered the first political formation on the territory of Ukraine, as they had all the signs of a republic, were independent, and all European countries tried to establish diplomatic relations with them. The Zaporozhian Cossacks can be said to be the soul of Ukraine, where their strength lay in uniting many peoples and respecting different cultures and languages. People from different countries came to learn military skills from them and how they wisely managed internally.
Despite their harsh nature, the Zaporozhian Cossacks lived by the principles of complete democracy. All important decisions were made solely through general voting.

The Cossacks always set out on their expeditions with their right foot first, demonstrating that they were going to do what is right. 

Only those who had passed all the previous tests and were initiated into the Cossacks could wear the “herring” on their head, which was twisted behind their left ear. The secret weapon of the Zaporozhian Sich were the characterniks, among whom was Mamay. They possessed supernatural abilities. The most remarkable and unusual feature of the characterniks was their invulnerability to bullets and

 sabers. Any Cossack – a characternik – could feel when a bullet was flying towards them – their neck would become cold and they could easily avoid it. Characterniks were also skilled at finding treasures, healing wounds, bringing the dead back to life, and casting spells on enemies. If they needed to hide from pursuers for tactical purposes, the Cossacks would guard themselves with spears and enter a special psycho-energetic state. The enemy, mistaking them for reeds, would pass them by. They developed a special technique called “Cossack salvation” – a psychological impact on the enemy. One of the well-known and real heroes of the Zaporozhian Sich was Ukrainian Cossack Ivan Sirko – a military commander who never lost a battle he took part in. He won in 65 battles and was elected Koshevoy Otaman twelve times. He was also a characternik warrior.
On April 5, 1710, the Constitution of Hetman Pylyp Orlyk was signed, which laid out the rights and responsibilities of all members of the Zaporozhian Cossack Army. It is recognized as the first official Ukrainian Constitution.
Unfortunately, in 1792, Catherine the Great dissolved the Zaporozhian Cossack Army. However, the spirit of the Zaporozhian Cossacks can still inspire our country today.
I would like to conclude my presentation with a performance by a choir of bandura players. In Lviv, 407 bandura players performed a piece from Taras Shevchenko’s “Kobzar” – the bandura symbolizes the lives of the unconquered, who lived and died with dignity, preserving their values.