It’s impossible to overstate the influence of Joseph Campbell. Campbell was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College. While his most influential book was The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the PBS production The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers made him a household name.
Recently, I watched a clip of The Power of Myth in which Joseph Campbell discussed the myth of the European dragon. In the classic myth, the European dragon represents greed, for it guards either a hoard of gold or a stolen virgin maiden. In the myth, the hero fights and kills the dragon, taking ownership of the gold and winning the maiden’s heart. And they lived happily ever after.
In the clip, Campbell provides an interpretation from a psychological perspective. Campbell says that the dragon represents binding oneself to one’s ego. You’re imprisoned by your ego (i.e., the dragon), and the solution is to break the dragon and release yourself from the cave. How does one slay one’s dragon? By allowing yourself to “follow your bliss.”
Even though Campbell is one of the greatest minds on myths and comparative literature, many scholars question several of his conclusions and theories. While it might be hubris on my part to think that I’m qualified to also question Campbell, I propose an alternative psychological interpretation of the dragon.
Maybe the dragon is less like a hoarder or kidnapper and more like a family dog protectively watching over its homestead. Indeed, the dog will respond aggressively to any stranger approaching the house and fight to the death to defend the ones they love.
Understanding the dragon as a defender rather than an obsessive hoarder changes our approach. From a psychological perspective, the dragon isn’t an evil to be “killed.” It’s part of the greater Self. Therefore, we should embrace the dragon out of self-love. We can help the dragon understand we’re not a threat through patience and effort. Eventually, we would be allowed access to the treasure it protects.
This reinterpretation of the European dragon helps to bring the archetype closer to its Asian cousin. Campbell points out that historically, the European dragon is negative while the Asian is positive. By understanding the psychological archetype of the European dragon as a defender, we can accept it as a positive force in our lives that can aid us in healing.
Embrace the dragon.
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