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LITERATURE AND RELIGION:
NORTHROP FRYE - RITUAL, MYTH AND
THE ARCHETYPES OF
LITERATURE
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| Literature v/s Religion Character v/s Idol worship |
Literature has always been a framing device of
Religion. Myths become a bridge that connects Religion with Literature. Religion
actually emerges from myths and the divine figures that appear in myths actually
possess superpower to become the object of the faith of the common people. The heroes
and characters of the myths are in reality worshiped by laymen. And with this extraordinary
impression of superhuman, people create these superhuman their God. Perhaps,
this is why it is said that God is the greatest creation of mankind.
Literature plays a far important role in understanding
this process. Well, let us understand this process with one of the general definitions of
literature:
‘Literature is a self-contained universe which does
not depend upon social contexts, but at the same time is related to them. It is
an organized body of knowledge’
A notable critic, Frye’s theory to
literature asserts that poetic vision is the paradigm and model of all our attempts
to impose a human significance and pattern on the brute and inhuman world of
nature. (Denham)
In this way, literature becomes a roadmap that clarifies
the imaginative power of the creator of the work of art. Hence, Literature holds a
power to beautify, exaggerate and immortalize things but these stories are
sometimes grasped so seriously that it becomes hard to explain the distinguishing
feature to common people. The students of Literature can very well observe the
difference which lies in between the text and the reality.
Myths and images are used by writers with archetypal
visions, not merely for the same of imaginative indulgence, but as living
parables. Literature, Religion and Science and Technology share a very unique
kind of relationship.
The twentieth-century English Literary critic, Northrop
Frye has written an essay called ‘Myth, Fiction and Displacement’ wherein he
examines the ways of looking at literature through myth. The essay is one of
the several essays of his scientific work- ‘Anatomy of Criticism’.
Religion-
Religion is assumed to be a socio-cultural system which acts as a path for humans to the divine power. Religion as a
system of practice is often preserved in scriptures, and other sacred
histories and narratives. These sacred histories or narratives are made up of
symbols, festivals, and rituals observed from ancient times. In a nutshell, it can be said that a religious
scripture or the books of theology only glorifies the humans by giving them exaggerated
emotional and interesting values to make them above the class of humans (superhumans). These superhumans are known as God, aren't they?
The term ‘religion’ contains various interpretations within itself.
According to Asian theology, particularly
Hinduism, the word “Dharma” is used instead of religion. The word dharma comes
from Sanskrit word धर्म which means ‘duty’ or ‘role-playing’. It is
also associated with rituals, yoga, and personal life as well as justice and
virtues, non-violence and several stages of life.
When one community performs some activity in
the name of purification or devotion with holy reasons in sequence with
movements of hands or chants something, it becomes a ritual. And Epics and
Myths are full of these kinds of stereotypical rites which fascinate the attention of authors and they wove it in a work of art with a question or
skepticism.
Writers and critics have a kind of fascination
for the myths and when the myth is woven in literature, it becomes a legendary tale in ornamental (figurative) language usually loaded with metaphors and
similes.
Karl Jung had first given the theory of the archetype that how the characters are masked with extravagant qualities beyond
the human potential which is appreciated by readers and then it falls into a category where it becomes the absolute truth!
“Jung was absolutely
right about one thing. We are occupied by gods. The mistake is to identify with
the god occupying you”
(Anil's Ghost, 230)
Myths are
the textbook of archetypes
For example, if we observe the long narrative
epic ‘The Ramayana’ which narrates the legendary tale of Rama authored by
Valmiki in 24000 verses is merely a work of fiction. And people are still
looking for a clue or traces that such a chivalrous king might have existed
during ancient times. And besides this people also consider the fictional
character as their God. The devotees worship the idol of Rama and even they
possess the capability to fight for the temple and land (believed to the native
place of Rama) for literally 70 years!
The following article by
Raj Goswami, a notable columnist explains the concept in the simplest words
possible.
God should be now given a
retirement from devotion. Human beings must learn to have faith in
themselves.
Coming back to literature
and Archetype, Northrop Frye believes the function of metaphor in literature invokes ideological codes of
sacred speech.
“Poetry, then, keeps alive the metaphorical use of
language and its habits of thinking in the identity relations suggested by the
“this and that” structure of metaphor. In this process, the original sense of
magic, of the possible forces released by words of power, disappears. The
poet's approach to language in itself is hypothetical Poetry does not really
lose its magical power thereby, but merely transfers it from an action on
nature to an action on the reader or hearer.” (Frye)
The main thing to be observed is that it is the
literature that makes us believe in our imaginative power. It heightens the
imaginative capability in us. And the main function of a critic or writer is to
portray the legends from myth as characters in literary work and portray them according
to the wishes of the writer.
For example, if the author of ‘Ramayana’ wants
to show the character of ‘Hanuman’ with superpowers and his rapidity of fulfilling
Rama’s purpose or his quickness in crossing the ocean and fulfilling his duty of
passing Rama’s message to Sita if he could find her in the golden kingdom of
Lanka. He is running so fast that it seems like he is flying.
This portrayal of Hanuman as flying later becomes a reality that he was having a superpower in which he could fly and cross the ocean and till now he is idolized as if he is flying and he is then portrayed as god by devotees. This is the major difference between the world of literature and the world of religion.
This portrayal of Hanuman as flying later becomes a reality that he was having a superpower in which he could fly and cross the ocean and till now he is idolized as if he is flying and he is then portrayed as god by devotees. This is the major difference between the world of literature and the world of religion.
In this way, it can be said that myth becomes a road map or is an analyst where the reader can understand it with the help of fiction or literature where some characters are portrayed in a manner that it appeals to the readers and that creates a new perspective or hypothesis in the minds of readers. In a nutshell, concluding with the quote of Northrop Frye would be more appropriate and relevant which proves that myth is an archetype that should never be taken as truth or a symbol of belief!
"The myth is the central informing power that gives archetypal
significance to the ritual and archetypal narrative to the oracle. Hence the
myth is the archetype, though it might be convenient to say myth only when
referring to the narrative, and archetype when speaking of significance."
Thank you.
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