The Narrations of Masculine Psychology in the Fischer King Legends

The Fisher King Legends are narrations of masculine psychology, explaining the roots of mans actions in an entertaining context. The Fisher King is named such because he was wounded when he was an adolescent after walking upon a deserted camp with a salmon roasting over an open fire. The boy was hungry and gave in to his desire, breaking a bit of the salmon that was too hot, burning him and causing the boy to drop the fish into the fire leaving only the magnificent taste on his fingers. Robert A. Johnson suggests that this is symbolic of the first fact of mans psychology. The salmon is one of the many symbols of Christ. A boy in his early adolescence touches something of the Christ nature within himself, but he touches it to soon, is only wounded by it, and drops it. But notice that he puts his fingers into his mouth, gets a little bit of it, and develops a taste that he will never forget. Johnson believes many psychic wounds in a man come because he touches his Christ nature, that is individuation process (process of integration and becoming whole), prematurely, cant handle it doesnt see it through, and is wounded by it (Johnson 9).

Johnsons idea is somewhat universal; the majority of men can find a moment where the innocent veil of boyhood was pierced, or an event in that the ease of being gives way to struggle and conflict. In this sense, all men are Fisher Kings. Every boy has naively blundered into something that was too big for him, gotten halfway through, realized that he couldnt handle it, and collapsed. Then he is wounded, he is hurt terribly, and he goes off to lick his wounds. A certain bitterness arises because he tries so hard to and actually touches his salmon individuation yet he cannot hold it. It only burns him (Johnson 10).

Every male struggles with the conflict of moving from the innocent simplistic joy of boyhood to the complex pain and happiness of adulthood, of individuality. That first taste drives men for the whole, but we have to earn happiness in adulthood, that requires decisions. Choices give birth to a value system that employs standards to evaluate and choose a course of action. Our value system, and how we employ it to obtain our goal defines us as individuals, and will be the reason we achieve or do not achieve true happiness, morality and the recognition of our humanity.

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The Fisher King also has another wound in his thigh that translates symbolically to the overall ineptitude of his kingdom. In the grail legends, Johnson calls it a wound to his maleness, his generative capacity, and his ability to create. It is representative of the notion that the welfare of the kingdom depends upon the virility or power of its ruler. (Johnson 8, 12). Johnson connects this wound from the myth to a mans embarrassing but familiar anguish, that results in the idiotic things to cure the wound usually an unconscious solution such as complaining about work, buying a new car, even getting a new wife, all of which can be his unconscious attempt to heal himself of the Fisher King wound (Johnson 13).

In the book HE, Johnson explains male action psychologically through the symbolism of the Holy Grail myth. Specifically he uses the French version, rather than Le Morte DArthur, believing that it is enormously complex and has been so editorialized that some of its spontaneous psychological truth has been lost. Johnsons book has made me recognize the value of myths, their explanation techniques, and specifically the attempt to explain masculinity in the holy grail myths. I think it is a fabulous book that reveals the power and complexity of mythology.

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