We have touched upon only a very few of the “motifs” of folklore. The main point that we have wished to bring out is that the whole body of the motifs represent a consistent tissue of interrelated intellectual doctrines belonging to a primordial wisdom rather than to a primitive science; and that for this wisdom it would be almost impossible to conceive a popular, or even in any common sense of the term, a human origin. ~ Ananda Coomaraswamy
On a related note, I call attention to Coomaraswamy’s perhaps misleadingly titled essay Primitive Mentality. This version is missing the images from the original and most of the footnotes. I did include the most interesting footnotes, marked off in boxes.
Note that AKC refers to Evola twice in support of traditional society; this is certainly not a description of some fascist totalitarian dictatorship. Nevertheless, the traditional society is held together with a common mythology that orders their entire lives. Yet, within this structure, the individuals are free. When myth becomes religion, that is, it is compartmentalized into one aspect of life among others, then the culture begins to die.
AKC brings up the idea of a “common mind”, without which an organic society is impossible. For the Traditional mind, based on transcendental principles, the idea of individual opinions is preposterous. Only in modern liberal societies is that conceivable. It does not make men free, but creates a atomized group of individuals who consider relationships as “contracts”, not as living organic things. This is how the “folk” become the “mass”.
“AKC brings up the idea of a “common mind”, without which an organic society is impossible. For the Traditional mind, based on transcendental principles, the idea of individual opinions is preposterous.”
A common mind is indeed necessary for organic society. An interesting statement at first, I believe many would object to such a commonality between persons as somehow impinging on their individual freedoms. Again, this doesn’t actually follow because the choice to be an idiot or evil while possible isn’t precisely what someone wants for their lives as “free”, especially when constructing or advocating for a society in which that “freedom” deters true freedom. Accepting wisdom isn’t a punishment but a path to liberation and then all things flow from it, organically. Unfortunately, it does not appear we have hit “rock bottom” yet, accepting wisdom does indeed cause some pain especially in the beginning.
The idea of common mind has always struck a chord with the true essence of Catholic or what some thinkers were trying to put forward in Sobornost. Something common and universal to all that guides the people and gives boundaries to keep them together. The idea of such a common mind would be the representation of the sphere – a vertical axis of principles that which all horizontal living revolves around with its own set of rules and regulations. Politics don’t exist, because the principles cannot be debated, simply debated is the way to make decisions. But maybe I’m just romantically imagining life as a modern Beguine and Beghard in the countryside.
While societies cannot go back to such a mythology, the task at hands seems to incorporate the levels of mind common to all traditional societies. I don’t mean synthesizing across societies, I mean appropriate to each society as the roots present are necessary for development. While the intellectual era of modernity has caused havoc, it is necessary to incorporate together. All functions of the human need to be acknowledged and then set to principles, I believe this is the task of the Christian, Christianizing all things with the Spirit. Maybe the virtue for the modern era is Chastity, which would be able to subdue the Lion (desires / consumption) and allow for Strength to come forth…Godspeed to everyone to convince others of such a virtue, let alone oneself.