Myth and Symbol in Eliades Novella Youth without Youth

Mihaela TEODOR (CHIRIBU-ALBU)

Key-words: anamnesis, symbol, archetype, myth, double

The paper Myth and Symbol in Eliades Novella Youth without Youth aims
at identifying the myths, archetypes and symbols which constitute the framework of
the plot in this novella and create a unifying pillar for the polyphonic architecture of
the narrative discourse: the myth of time and that of the labyrinth, supported by
different archetypes and symbols the double, regressus ad uterum, descensus ad
inferos, the rose, the island, the tree etc.
The short story Youth without Youth, written by Mircea Eliade and published
in 1980, deals with the myth of eternal youth and deathless life, which illustrates the
Romanians unique way of showing insubordination to time.
Tinereea venic simbolizeaz refuzul fiinei de a intra sub apsarea istoriei i
de a exista ntre limite; dac n mentalitile altor popoare accesul la nemurire este
determinat de trecerea unor probe eroice i spirituale, n viziune romneasc nu exist
dect o cale: refuzul de a cobor n timpul fragmentar; de aceea prinul nu vrea s se
iveasc, s prind fiin n lumea profan, iar cel care nu vrea s se nasc pentru a
mbtrni, respinge evoluia i mersul timpului; nu spre tinereea ca stare de graie
aspir prinul, ci spre armonia raiului [The ageless youth symbolises the human
beings refusal to accept the hardhips of history and live within its limits; if, according
to other peoples mentality, the access to immortality is determined by accomplishing
both heroic and spiritual tasks, there is only one way in the Romanian vision: the
refusal to descend in the finite time; that is the reason why the prince will not be born
and appear in the profane world, and he who will not be born to become old rejects
the evolution and passage of time; it is not youth as a state of grace that the prince
aspires to, it is the harmony of heaven] (Ruti 2001: 163).
Similarly to Prince Charming in Ageless Youth and Deathless Life, Dominic
Matei, Eliades character, rises to eternity and falls again into mortality with all its
consequences: aging, poor memory and death.
The time myth is supported both in the fairy tale and the short story by the
amnesia-anamnesis game: Prince Charming, that is Dominic Matei, forgets for a
while about his birthplace, which was prone to amnesia, and enters the realm of
anamnesis, in a different manner: while the folk hero recuperates the ages of
mankind that had passed since he entered the land of ageless youth on his way

The tefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Romania.

Philologica Jassyensia, An VIII, Nr. 1 (15), 2012, p. 7580

 Mihaela TEODOR (CHIRIBU-ALBU)

back, Eliades hero recuperates/anticipates the stages of pre-historic or post-historic

humanity on his own or with Veronicas help.
In Mircea Eliades work, the concept of anamnesis means reactualizing the
primordial time on different levels of human existence. Anamnesis projects man
outside the historical time and means revalorizing time; it equals the discovery of a
transcendent principle inside the self, and this very revelation constitutes the central
element:
Adevrurile ultime sunt n posesia noastr, avem nevoie de un loc s le
revelm. Cel care se ntoarce ca s moar acas e n posesia accestui adevr unic [We
hold the ultimate truths; we only need a place to reveal them. He who comes home to
die holds this unique truth] (Alui Gheorghe 2004: 92).
Amnesia means sinking into oblivion and it is followed by anamnesis,
triggered by the gestures or words of a messenger. The amnesia-anamnesis process
symbolises the return to oneself, to ones origins, thus acknowledging the human
beings divine roots.
Most of Eliades characters go through a shock-induced amnesia which makes
it easier for them to enter universal time, to refind a deleted past or to postpone a
decisive experience. In Youth without Youth, amnesia is related to detachment from
the past, so the family album that Dominic leafs through becomes the messenger that
reminds him of profane life.
Anamnesis has a mythical dimension which resembles the Christ archetype,
through death, ressurection and initiation. As a consequence, Dominic Matei
becomes a master of the future.
Principala caracteristic a noii umaniti va fi structura vieii psihomentale: tot
ce fusese cndva gndit sau nfptuit de oameni, exprimat oral sau n scris, era
recuperat printr-un anumit exerciiu de concentrare [The principal characteristic of the
new humankind will be the structure of the psycho-mental life: everything that was
once thought of or put into practice, orally or writtenly expressed, was recuperated
through concentration] (Eliade 2007: 286).
Another consequence is the fact that the charachter gains the ability to foresee
other peoples future:
Cred c ghicesc ce s-a ntmplat. Cnd s-a dezlnuit furtuna, se aflau, foarte
probabil, acolo unde [] [I believe I can guess what happended. When the storm
started, most probably, where (...)] (Eliade 2007: 286).
Apart from the mythical dimension, anamnesis entails a cultural one too.
Suddenly Dominic realizes that he can speak Chinese perfectly, a language he had
so wanted to learn back in his youth. Similarly it dawns on him that he knows
Albanian and he possesses knowledge related to anything in his interest.
The character is endowed with immortality as long as he is not rooted in a
certain place. His pilgrimage across Europe reminds us of the labyrinth myth and
represents his victory over time. His native town is a sort of axis mundi, making the
connection between the worlds the character lives in along his life. Triggered by a
rose he finds in his family album, Dominics return to Piatra- Neam means death.

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Despite being considered amnesic by his friends, he finds himself split between
different time dimensions. Suddenly he becomes physically old and dies.
The temporal labyrinth in which anamnesis, amnesia and hypermnesia
mingle turns into a spatial one as time and space are interchangeable categories for
the textual imaginary.
At the beginning of the story, the character leaves his homeland in order to
overpass the feeling of forgetfulness, from a double/dual perspective: being
forgotten by the others and in turn he himself forgetting about the world. Dominic is
struck by lightning and he comes to think that he is the chosen one:
Am fost ales pentru c am dorit, n tineree, s posed o tiin universal, i
atunci, chiar n momentul cnd eram pe punctul de a-mi pierde complet memoria, mi
s-a druit o tiin universal cum nu va fi accesibil omului dect peste multe mii de
ani [I have been chosen for I have yearned for possessing total knowledge in my
youth and then, when I was on the very brink of completely losing my memory, I was
provided with such absolute knowledge man will be able to access only after many
thousands of years] (Eliade 2007: 275).
Dominic leaves his native town with a clear aim in mind to commit suicide.
His escape becomes a physical and spiritual labyrinth. The hero takes this journey
through this labyrinth because he is searching for his inner center and wishes to find
his true nature. This way, his pilgrimage across the world has an archetypal meaning,
marking his parting with one centre and his search for another one, thus growing
spiritually. As Mircea Eliade himself said, any journey is a way to regain fragments
from ones personal history which becomes a source of anamnesic surprises.
ntr-un fel sau altul, cnd strbat spaii geografice familiare sau necunoscute,
cltoresc n acelai timp n trecut, n propria mea istorie [One way or the other when
going through familiar or unknown geographic spaces I travel back in time through
my own history] (Eliade 1973: 570 apud Tonoiu 1989: 99).
The places he travels have symbolic and sacred value, offering his pilgrimage
the archetypal and psychoanalytical status of descensus ad inferos and regressus ad
utterum.
Once within the initiation place, the character has to descend into the darkness
of his own being, where he is put to various tests which, if passed, provide him with
another ontological status. Dominic Mateis arrival at North Railway Station, in
Bucharest, a profane space par excellence, may be considered his first descent to
hell. His experience converts this space and time into a sacred chronotope he enters
once he is struck by lightning, which symbolizes his spiritual enlightment.
Pe plan spiritual, fulgerul nate o lumin luntric, obligndu-l pe cel n cauz
s nchid ochii, s se reculeag deci. Fulgerul l nsemneaz [Spiritually, lightning
gives birth to an inner light forcing the person who is struck to shut his eyes and to be
plunged into meditation. The lightning marks him] (Chevalier, Gheerbrant 1993: 75).
Not only does Dominic survive being struck by lightning, but he also grows
younger (3040 years) and his memory knows no limits. He transcends his
chronological time gaining access to universal memory, gathering essential
information about the evolution of the humankind. The reader is offered a scientific

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explanation for the lightning which does not kill but rejuvenates (the theory of the
German doctor) and the sacred value of the lightning is permanetly emphasized by
the testimonies and also by the reoccurence of this event in the story. Dominic is not
the only one who gets to experience another time of his self; there is also a female
character Veronica. She regains one of her avatars (Rupini), after going through a
similar experience in the mountains.These accidents occur in symbolic places
near a church and a cave. The lightning brings radical and amazing trasformations,
both physically (the hero gets the attributes of eternal youth) and psychologically (he
is able to communicate with his own spiritual double).
Regressus ad uterum is related to the symbolism of water (the rain) which
regenerates through dissolution: imersiunea n ap simbolizeaz [] regenerarea
total, noua natere [Imersion in the water symbolizes total regeneration, a new
birth] (Chevalier, Gheerbrant 1993: 197).
The previously mentioned descent into hell converts to regressus ad uterum
because the symbolism of the church is closely connected to the archetype of the
sacred mother (Virgin Mary). Dominics return to the native town is also regressus
ad uterum, as well as finding his self. Within the plot, the counscious self is the
free arbiter: Dominic chooses to return to Piatra-Neam, just like Prince Charming
decides to leave the realm of eternal youth and deathless life whereas the double/ the
unconscious represents the predestination (the person struck by lightning will live
100 years). The character frees himself from human destiny when, coming back
home, he finds his centre and takes over his double. Regressus ad uterum is also
highlighted by Veronicas experience: she becomes amnesic in a cave and identifies
herself with Rupini who died in a cave an archetype of the womb.
Standing for birth and regeneration, the cave is both descensus ad inferos and
regressus ad uterum because Veronica is kept prisoner in the hell of her inner
torments. She is also captive in the prison of love and of Dominics experiences
on the island of Malta. Finnaly, she sets herself free of the Purgatorium she lives in,
free of Dominic and the caves of her soul, getting to contemplate the true side of
reality.
Apart from the cave, the island is also a sacred place. The symbolism of the
latter is related both to paradise and hell. It is the paradise of love, the adamic couple
being reiterated by Dominic and Veronica; it is also a hell for her as Dominic forces
her to return to prehistoric times. Of course, this comes with a very high price for
Veronica to pay as she grows older over a very short period of time. Dominic is
aware of his influence on her losing her youth and so decides to sacrifice their love
and asks her to leave him and the island.
Another symbol is the tree, which represents a gate to the sacred dimension of
life. The tree was seen by Mircea Eliade as a centre of the world, a pillar of the
entire universe, a symbol of life and regeneration. Through death, humans transcend
their condition and become like a tree seed. The oak tree represents Dominics
double. The association with the tree is amazing. When the main character goes to
Ireland, he finds out about an oak tree which had been struck by a lightning when
the tree turned 100. The oak tree grows new branches as a symbol of regeneration
and of moral and spiritual strength. Similarly, as a metaphor, the hero has grown
new teeth after being struck by lightning near the railway station and he dies after

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turning 100 years old. At the end of the story, he loses his teeth as a suggestion of a
new birth into another dimension of life.
The double and its symbolism is not just suggested by the oak tree but it is
specifically mentioned in the novella:
Dar aceast descrcare electric a fcut de asemenea posibil apariia unei noi
personaliti, un fel de dublu, o persoan pe care o ascult vorbindu-i mai ales n
timpul somnului i cu care uneori discut amical sau n contradictoriu [But this
electric discharge also enabled the creation of a new personality, a sort of double, a
person he listens to, who speaks to him mostly during sleep and who sometimes talks
to him in a friendly or unfriedly tone] (Eliade 2007: 262).
At first, the reader is tempted to believe that the double is the voice of
Dominic spirit, a part from the universal spirit endowed with unlimited powers, due
to heros hypermnesia which is able to amazingly recollect everything about the
past, from actions to sensations, by reading and traslanting into all the languages.
But the double cautiously advises him to never reveal the whole truth so as to
protect himself from the Security and the Gestapo. Moreover, it is still the double
that helps Dominic foresee future events such as the trip he will take after Doctor
Bernards death. Finally the double answers his questions and identifies himself with
a true guardian angel. In spite of having establishing a dialogue, Dominic says that
he does not believe in the existence of his double and the latter proves him wrong by
instantly bringing him two red roses, a third being promised on his 100th
anniversary. The main character is to find the third rose in the family album and this
suggests both his rebirth and death. According to the Greek tradition the rose is
considered to have been created from Adoniss blood when he was in agony. The
rose is the most striking symbol encompassing a lot of values:
Simbol al labirintului, iar prin aceasta, imagine a misterelor, cci este floarea
cu treizeci de petale, care ascunde, care nvluie [Symbol of the labyrinth and through
this image of misteries, being the flower with 30 petals which hides] (Ruti 2005: 208).
The rose has an epiphanic scent and it plays an essential role in the characters
existence. Mircea Eliade confessed that
Frumuseea i parfumul unui trandafir, n ciuda caracterului lor efemer, nu
exist mai puin, i acelai tip de existen, epifanic i fulgurant, poate uneori
schimba lumea [The beauty and the smell of a rose, in spite of their efemerity, last no
less, but this kind of existence epiphanic and flashing can sometimes change the
world] (Eliade 1973: 570 apud Tonoiu 1989: 99).
Dominic Mateis experience is thus marked by three roses, suggesting
rejuvenation and death: the first two have the colour of fresh blood and announce the
physical rejuvenation of the character; the third rose, a sign of death is purple. The
colour of the first two roses symbolizes love (Dominics two love affairs Laura
and Veronica) and purple, the colour of the third, a mix of blue and red, represents
the continuous rebirth, the eternal transformation of everything and the passage
between life and death.
To conclude, the approach to Youth without Youth highlighted the way in
which the myth language translates and absorbs different archetypal and symbolic

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models meant to unveil the profound structure of the life of the individual who
comes across different labyrinths in his attempt to discover his centre as a reflexion
of the sacredness in the world. Dominic Matei, the main character, positions himself
outside history and even against it, but he still remains in the world, experiencing
hardships that will gradually reveal sacredness to him, after he climbs the steps of
initiation. These steps are organically linked with certain archetypal models
(regressus ad uterum, descensus ad inferos, the double), which appear at the
crossroads of different symbolic or/and sacred elements: the church, the cave, the
rose, the island, the tree etc.

Bibliography
Alui Gheorghe 2004: Adrian Alui Gheorghe, Tineree fr btrnee i sentimentul tragic al
timpului, Piatra-Neam, Editura Conta.
Chevalier, Gheerbrant 1993: Jean Chevalier, Alain Gheerbrant, Dicionar de simboluri, Vol.
I, Bucureti, Editura Artemis.
Eliade 2007: Mircea Eliade, Tineree fr de tineree, n volumul Proz fantastic, Vol. II,
Bucureti, Editura Fundaiei Culturale Romne.
Ruti 2001: Doina Ruti, Ieirea din timpul individual n viziunea lui Mircea Eliade, n
Viaa romneasc, iulie-august, nr. 78.
Ruti 2005: Doina Ruti, Dicionar de simboluri din opera lui Mircea Eliade, Bucureti,
Editura Vremea.
Tonoiu 1989: Vasile Tonoiu, Ontologii arhaice n actualitate, Bucureti, Editura tiinific
i Enciclopedic.

Abstract
This study aims at identifying the myths, archetypes and symbols which stand at the
basis of Mircea Eliades novella Youth without Youth and create a unifying pillar for the
polyphonic architecture of the narrative discourse: the myth of time and that of the labyrinth,
supported by different archetypes and symbols the double, regressus ad uterum, descensus
ad inferos, the cave, the rose, the island, the tree etc.

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