Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Old man telling a story about an albatross which hangs around his neck

Ancient mariner narrates the story to a man bound for a wedding. Marriage is a symbol of union. Killing of the albatross is a symbol of disunity between man and animals. Crew becoming angry with the Mariner is a symbol of disunity of society.

Joseph Campbell wrote The Hero with a 1000 Faces

Heroes have the same difficulties to overcome and similar characteristics even though they wear different masks
Schema which hero follows:

Separation
Initiation
Return to community

- Three Focal points of myths:

Birth
Reaching maturity
Death

Coming to maturity is Campbell’s focus

The hero ventures out and returns with things to share.

What does the mariner return with?
How does he share it?

The mariner undergoes a series of separations:

From his community-

When he leaves with the crew.
From his crew - Crew ties the dead bird around his neck
From all humans (crew members die) – until spirits revive the crew to help the Mariner. They still have the same reproachful looks in their eyes as they did before they died.
Even when he returns, he is not totally re-integrated into society. He sits alone unable to take part in the festivities.

From nature - when he shoots the albatross & loathes the snakes
From God - when he cannot pray
From himself - when he suffers from guilt & is unable to will himself to repentance.

He returns with his story to tell. He is compelled to tell his story because if any good is to come from his adventure he must pass it on. He had obtained grace and he felt he must pass it on.

80 Issue of Sin: Mariner shoots the bird out of spite. The albatross was considered a good omen – from God. By following the boat, it symbolized unity of God, Humanity, and Nature.

The good weather the albatross brings shows their harmony and unity with nature.

The Mariner severed the unity when he shoots the bird. As they neared the equator on their journey up the Pacific, they lost the wind & the sun beat down mercilessly. Unity with God is lost. The Mariner is unable to pray; he is cut off from God and the crew because they blame him. He is tormented by his actions; relationship with himself is also disrupted.

Every relationship is disrupted by Sin.

His motive is unknown – "the mystery of the corruption of will." Why did he shoot the albatross? Why do people drive around country highways shooting road-signs? Will in essence is what you desire. He shot the bird because he wanted to.

The other mariners, who earlier approved of his action, now make him the scape-goat & hang the albatross around his neck instead of the cross. A sign af alienation and condemnation replaces one of salvation.

Consequence: 200 people die. Does the punishment fit the crime? It may if we see the crime as an original sin, like that of Adam and Eve, whose crime condemned billions to death. Unity with God and nature has been broken. It seems extreme but the bird was an omen, not an average bird.

Original Sin – one committed by Adam and Eve which we are all born with. We are separated from God as they were;

their relationship to each other was broken (they argued);
with their bodies – must die and have painful birth;
with nature – weeds and thorns in earth;
with God – hid from him.

245 His alienation from himself. Tries to pray, but evil thoughts keep him from it.

285 He finds restoration by unconsciously blessing and loving the water snakes. He is released from his curse because he has found love & respect for nature; he has discovered love and humility and because of his attitude, he is reunited with nature. Other relationships will also be somewhat restored.

407 Will have to do penance for his crime.

440 Still cursed by his dead crewmates, he finds himself unable to pray. He is restored by looking at the sea - he has already renewed his relationship with nature.

569 He looks so terrible from his ordeal that the kid thinks he's the Devil.

574 "Shrieve me" = hear my confession, give me absolution, & give me my penance. This formally restores his relationship with God and with the community (the church).

Line 610 – disrupting relationship with nature causes others to be disrupted. If you want to pray well, love nature and love people.

582 & 624 - His boon is to tell his story, with the result that we are sadder but wiser.

Youth can be revived but the guest will spend the remainder of his time with a philosophic mind – reflecting over the past and enjoying the present.

The Mariner will have a unified relationship with nature which means he will be restored with God and himself. He can die peacefully.