Chapter 10. Pooh and the Female Mysteries
Now we arrive at the most astonishing revelation of all. In my opening
chapter, I spoke of the great and unexpected discovery I had made
in the course of researches for this book: the discovery that the
esoteric World of Pooh includes the ancient Female Mysteries. More
than this, it is in connection with these that Winnie-ther-Pooh gives
us perhaps his most important 'missage' as Supreme Magus of the Second
Millennium.
The most famous of the exclusively female Mysteries were the cult
of the Bona Dea (the Good Goddess) in ancient Rome and the Thesmophoria
in ancient Greece. The Thesmophoria developed into the Eleusinian
Mysteries, which were open to males also. Both Greek Mysteries specially
honoured the Mother Goddess, Demeter. We shall explore the implications
later in the chapter.
My announcement in Chapter One may have surprised readers enough to
alert them to relevant hints in the subsequent chapters. In the chapter
on astrology, they may have noticed the reversal of the usual assignment
of masculinity to the Sun and femininity to the Moon. They may also
have noticed the female elements in both the history and symbolism
of alchemy; the many powerful female figures in the Tarot, the equally
powerful female influences in Arthurian legends, and the combination
of male and female potencies in the Archetypal Adam Kadmon of the
Qabalah.
Far more convincing, of course, than any words of a mere commentator
are the words of the text itself. A key passage is placed at the very
outset of our journey: 'In Which We Are Introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh'.
Remembering that to be introduced meant to be led into something,
we know we are about to be conducted into some part of the mystery
of the Great Bear. This passage, therefore, demands our closest attention.
Christopher Robin has just brought Edward Bear down the stairs. Then
-
Anyhow, here he is at the bottom, and ready to be introduced to
you. Winnie-the-Pooh. When I first heard his name, I said, just as
you are going to say, 'But I thought he was a boy?'
'So did I,' said Christopher Robin.
'Then you can't call him Winnie?'
'I don't.'
'But you said - '
'He's Winnie-ther-Pooh. Don't you know what 'ther' means?'
'Ah, yes, now I do,' I said quickly, and I hope you do too, because
it is all the explanation you are going to get.'
Clearly, 'ther' is the key. Applying the method of gematria again,
we find the dyad, the numerical symbol of Yin and Yang, the conjoined
male and female principles. Now at last we begin to understand the
full meaning of that hitherto puzzling name, with its profoundly androgynous
implications.
Objections.
Even with this authoritative guidance from the text in front of us,
some readers still find difficulty in accepting the female element
in the World of Pooh and especially in Pooh personally. They will
point to the fact that Kanga is the only female in that world, and
- worse still - that she first appears as an intruder. A highly unwelcome
intruder at that. Objectors will remind us that the first reaction
of the Forest-dwellers is to try to expel her and her offspring, Roo.
Rabbit's plan to expel Kanga.
Rabbit addresses Piglet and Pooh in characteristically 'Captainish'
style. He spoke of the arrival of this 'Strange Animal', and goes
on to propose that he and his friends should kidnap Baby Roo and make
his return conditional on the permanent departure of these unwelcome
newcomers.
At first sight, this incident seems to convey an emphatically misogynistic
message. Rabbit's principal objection to Kanga is that she is 'an
animal who carries her family about with her in her pocket!' We have
already seen that Kanga's pouch was the nearest permissible reference
to the womb. So Rabbit's objection was basically to her femaleness.
He does also object to her as a newcomer, but we may suspect that
this was an attempt to cloak his real objection to her as a female;
a typical ploy of misogynists who know that open avowal of their prejudices
has become socially unacceptable.
So, so bad for our thesis. But wait and see what happens.
The plan succeeds to the extent that Rabbit does manage to carry off
Roo, and Piglet takes Roo's place in Kanga's pouch. But what happens
when Kanga gets home and discovers the substitution?
Just for a moment, she thought she was frightened, and then she
knew she wasn't, for she felt sure that Christopher Robin would never
let any harm happen to Roo. So she said to herself, 'If they are having
a joke with me, I will have a joke with them.'
Pretending that she does not notice the substitution, she gives
the protesting Piglet a bath.
And what is the final result of Rabbit's plan to expel Kanga and Roo?
The section ends: So Kanga and Roo stayed in the Forest. And every
Tuesday Roo spent the day with his great friend Rabbit.
Note the astonishing reversal in Rabbit's attitude. What happens when
he has succeeded in the kidnap attempt? 'Rabbit was playing with
Baby Roo in his own house, and feeling more fond of him every minute.'
Roo has become Rabbit's great friend. Are we now looking at a New
Rabbit?
Kanga as Demeter.
All but the youngest readers of this incident must have noticed the
striking parallel with the ancient Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone
(Ceres and Proserpina to the Romans). When Hades captured Persephone
and carried her off to the Underworld, her angry mother Demeter, goddess
of earthly fruitfulness, laid an embargo on every kind of vegetable
growth. At last, a compromise was reached: Persephone would spend
the winter with Hades in the Underworld; the rest of the year on earth
with her mother. Earthly fruitfulness returned to normal.
Kanga, who represents fruitfulness in our texts, is an obvious symbol
of Demeter. Roo enacts Persephone. We have already noticed enough
examples of the reversal of traditional genders not to be surprised
at this. It is, of course, particularly appropriate to this chapter
on 'Pooh and the Female Mysteries'. Persephone's regular returns to
her kidnapper in the Underworld are paralleled by Roo's regular Tuesdays
with his kidnapper, Rabbit.
Can we, though, accept Rabbit as the representative of Hades, God
of the Underworld? I agree that the analogy does not leap unbidden
to the mind. A little reflection, however, soon persuades us that
it is entirely appropriate. What, after all, are the chief characteristics
of Hades? He was the God of the Underworld - to which his name is
often extended - and he was a stern judge.
Now which of the Forest dwellers lived underground? Rabbit, of course.
This is powerfully emphasized in Pooh's early visit to Rabbit. Then,
of all Pooh's friends, who was the most inclined to stern judgements.
Again, Rabbit. When Pooh gets stuck in Rabbit's doorway, "It all comes,"
said Rabbit sternly, "of eating too much." And it was Rabbit's stern
sentence of exile against Kanga and Roo that led to the incident we
are now exploring.
A final, clinching proof of the Kanga-Demeter link comes from the
Greek mysteries mentioned at the beginning of this chapter. Both were
in honour of Demeter, and both involved the sacrifice of a pig or
piglet, possibly by drowning. Clearly Kanga's bathing the reluctant
Piglet was a light-hearted parody of this rite.
There are, of course, also striking differences. Whereas the anger
of Demeter had disastrous effects, Kanga experienced only momentary
alarm, and all the consequences were happy. Of all the special friendships
that resulted from this potentially damaging incident, the most important
was the special friendship between Kanga and Pooh. This had been foreshadowed
a few pages earlier when we read that Pooh 'had decided to be a Kanga...'
This clearly indicates that close relationship between the male and
female principles that is the theme of this chapter.
Biographical note.for John Tyerman Williams Born
1920. Educated privately and at Balliol College, Oxford, where he
was awarded the Domus Exhibition in Modern History. Meanwhile he
had appeared on the West End stage and played Emil in the first
English film version of Emil and the Detectives. After being invalided
out of the Army, returned to the stage. Then taught English and
History in a variety of schools. In 1983, returned to Oxford, St
Antony's College, and received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
in 1988. Gave lectures and seminars for the University Department
for Continuing Education. Publications include Costumes and Settings
for Shakespeare's Plays, 1982, Pooh and the Philosophers, 1995,
Pooh and the Magicians, 1997, Pooh and the Psychologists, 2000.
Married twice. First to pianist Mary Starling, d. 1975. Now to author
and psychologist, Dr Elizabeth Mapstone, with whom he is looking
forward to celebrating their Silver Wedding this year.