Metal Archetypes Essay
Metal Archetypes by Jillian (JJ) Fiore
For my collection of archetypal representations of Metal, I chose to focus in on three major characters from fantasy books that have also been made into movies. Each one is unique but represents the energy of Metal at certain major parts of their journeys
Gandalf the Grey / Gandalf the White (The Lord of the Rings)
Gandalf the Grey / Gandalf the White (The Lord of the Rings)
Gandalf is a powerful figure in The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkein, especially as he is portrayed in The Fellowship of the Ring.
In the beginning of his journey, Gandalf the Grey embodies wisdom; he is very in tune with his intuition and the magical realm, and uses his skills as a wizard and his good heart to understand dark forces hard at work trying to dominate his world (Middle Earth). Gandalf the Grey is the first to use his deep wisdom to realize that an evil force sought a magic ring, the “One Ring” in order to succeed, and even finds the ring and puts together a plan to destroy it. He is the lynchpin to bringing together a fellowship of humans, elves, dwarves, and hobbits, a very unlikely grouping, as there was very little trust among them. Many individuals in the Fellowship had their own perspective on who should control the One Ring and how to use it to benefit their species, which represent their shadow selves; Gandalf the Grey holds a powerful space that keeps them together in the urgency of the present moment.
At a key moment in Gandalf the Grey’s story, a mighty demon appears that threatens the safety and temporal existence of the entire group. Gandalf puts himself between the Fellowship and the demon, and is fully confronted with losing temporal existence as he knows it. He has faith in himself and realizes that the higher good is not prioritizing his own life; rather, it’s protecting the safety of the group, which ultimately means supporting the fate of Middle Earth. He fully faces this darkness in power and strength. The demon tries to drag him down, and rather than resisting, he literally lets go of the side of a cliff and falls into darkness to what appears to be his death.
This prompts a period of deep grieving for all in the Fellowship. However, it turns out to be an alchemic period of transformation for Gandalf. His strength, power, and ability to let go end up resulting in his resurrection. Deep physical and spiritual changes happen for Gandalf as he is transformed and elevated into Gandalf the White.
Bran Stark (Game of Thrones)
Bran Stark in Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin is another character who, in the television version (the books are not yet finished) archetypally embodies many aspects of the metal element.
Bran starts off as a young boy who likes to climb and run around, enjoying his childhood in the North. Eventually, he is pushed out a window and becomes gravely injured and almost dies. There is a second attempt on his life while he is unconscious. Bran recovers, but wakes up paralyzed, and experiences great grief as he longs to be able to run around again and realizes that his dreams of becoming a knight are no longer possible, given his paralysis. Bran is changed forever.
Bran’s identity and purpose change more than he realizes. Bran begins to have visions of himself flying as a bird, and begins to have dreams and visions. His entire life begins to change as he begins to transform into something entirely different from his childhood self: the Three Eyed Raven, a powerful magical being who could perceive the past, present, and future at the same time.
This alchemization involves great grief for Bran, losing people he loves and being forced to withdraw himself from his family to explore the history of the entire world and see through time itself. Ultimately, Bran overcomes his grief and loss to eventually become an omniscient being; this transformation ultimately leads him to become the chosen King after a dramatic war, a fate he never would have imagined for himself before his transformation.
Ciri (The Witcher)
Princess Ciri in The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski is an archetypal representation of Metal.
Before she was born, Ciri’s destiny was already decided; in addition to being connected to a Witcher named Geralt, she was a child of Elder Blood, making her one of the most powerful magical beings in her universe.
Ciri experienced great hardship as a child when invaders came to her homeland, killing off what remained of her family and attempting to also capture her. Ciri was deeply traumatized, witnessing death and destruction all around her and losing her loved ones and everything that was familiar all at once.
Fortunately, as destiny intended, she ends up finding Geralt, who raises her like a daughter. He teaches her the ways of his people and comes to understand his own limitations in raising her, bringing in multiple Sorceresses to support her. At first no one (including Ciri) knew about her Elder Blood and the potential of her powers, and Ciri initially struggles deeply with her gifts.
However, as she lets go of her old life and her grief and embraces her destiny, she transforms into a woman who transcends the rules of time and space. She can travel between worlds and travel through time, and learning how to embrace this part of her leads to her transformation. She is as fierce as she is powerful, and the regular rules of a temporal existence no longer apply to her as she continues her story.
