The Myth of the Vagina Dentata: Archetypal Manifestations of the Terrible Mother

This article has the objective of studying the myth of the vagina dentata. Based on an exploratory review of the literature and on clinical experience, the present article discusses this myth through manifestations of the archetype of the Terrible Mother and its manifestations in the contemporaneous clinic in the context of Analytical Psychology. The presence of the myth will first be considered in the context of cultural anthropology and then specifically on the basis of Neumann’s Analytical Psychology. In this article the author shows how the manifestation of the Terrible Mother is related to the archetype of the Great Mother, represented by horrendous figures such as serpents, gorgons, and the Egyptian Mother Goddess. The Terrible Mother has a devouring aspect and, in some cultures, is often intertwined with the symbol of the vagina dentata. Later, in the clinical context, these archetypical manifestations will be associated to intense degrees of anxiety associated with the anima in male patients, feeding intense degrees of aggressiveness in the shades of individuals of the male sex. In conclusion, the author emphasises the importance of manifestations of the Terrible Mother as depicted in individual symbols, in view of the process of individuation in clinical settings.