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| Giant |
The figure of the giant refers to a too-powerful father-figure. In mythology, as in fairytales, the giant symbolizes the threatening aspects of unconscious male drives or instincts. It is characteristic of these fairytales that it is never the hero who defeats the giant, but the naive youngest brother. It is he who comes up with a bright idea for defeating the giant. The symbolic significance of events like this in fairytales is that in battle with monsters and giants, the intellect -- however alert -- is often not enough. The figure of the naive brother embodies that psychic function which has contact with the unconscious. This signifies that it is only in connection with intuition that the intellect can find the correct solution. |
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