In Jungian psychology, female archetypes are primordial patterns of femininity in the collective unconscious. We can consider them the blueprints that determine the different manifestations of female figures featured in myth and culture. Every female archetype is characterized by specific qualities that reflect humanitys collective understanding of the feminine. From the nurturing mother to the wild woman, every female archetype expresses a unique model of femininity that shapes mythological and cultural representations of women.Mother: The Most Famous Female ArchetypeA Mother and Child Looking at the Virgin and Child, a painting by Reginald Bottomley. Source: Littlehampton MuseumThe mother archetype is the most famous female archetype in myth and culture. Like any other archetype, it appears in an almost infinite variety of aspects. From the symbol of the Great Mother in comparative religions to the mother who eats her children in folkloric tales, the mother archetype has long appeared in myth and culture with a spectrum of different qualities, from the most divine to the most wretched. Carl Jung discussed the mother archetype more than any other female archetype. In Symbols of Transformation, he observed that the archetype is divided into two main trends, which he typologized as the loving and the terrible mother (Jung, 1912). On the one hand, the mother archetype is associated with the life-sustaining qualities of motherhood, such as nurture, compassion, and fertility. On the other hand, it is associated with anything unknown, obscure, and dark, that is terrifying and inescapable like fate (Jung, 1938).An illustration of the Hindu Goddess, Kali. Source: Wikimedia CommonsThroughout history, representations of the mother archetype varied in reflecting this dichotomy. On the one hand, the Mother of God exemplifies the benign side of the archetype. She is exalted, nurturing, and an expression of ultimate goodness. On the other hand, the Hindu goddess Kali exemplifies the dark side of the archetype. She is a symbol of ferocious power, destruction, and death. While there are countless figurative representations of the mother archetype, Jung noted that the archetype is not necessarily represented as a personification. For example, the dual side of the mother archetype is apparent in Mother Nature. On the one hand, nature can be life-sustaining, nurturing, and benign. On the other hand, it can be destructive, wild, and unknown.The Crone ArchetypeThe witch obstructing the path of Snow White, by Gustaf Tenggren. Source: Wikimedia CommonsThe crone archetype is another famous female archetype in myth and culture. The old age of the crone represents a lifetimes wisdom, insight, and knowledge. Like the mother archetype, the crone archetype has a positive and negative aspect. On the positive side, the archetype is associated with intuition, foresight, and guiding wisdom. In this light, the crone archetype is otherwise known as the wise woman archetype. On the negative side, the archetype is associated with occult powers, darkness, and the unknown. In this light, it is otherwise known as the witch archetype. In fairytales, the crone archetype is often represented as the wise grandmother or sage whose advice guides and inspires the protagonists, or as the old evil witch whose spells obstruct their path.Baba Yaga and her hut, an illustration by Ivan Bilibin. Source: Wikimedia CommonsThe paradoxical function of the crone archetype in fairytales reflects our relationship to certain aspects of the psyche, namely, the unconscious. The unconscious, especially in its collective aspect, can guide our path with the unbound wisdom and insight it contains. It can function as the source of our intuition and become a guiding principle in our lives. However, if we relate to the unconscious with fear and disregard, it will direct our lives like a spell-caster. Indeed, the witch archetype represents the dark power of the unconscious and the aspects of the psyche we fear the most.The Maiden ArchetypeThe Sleeping Beauty, by Edward Frederick Brewtnall, 1877. Source: Warrington MuseumThe maiden archetype represents youth, purity, and innocence. The archetype is often depicted in myth and culture as a young woman with an openness towards the future and great optimism. She is hopeful, innocent, and curious. Like other archetypes, the maiden archetype has a positive and negative side. On the positive side, she represents new beginnings, untapped potential, idealism, and anything whose purity is uncontaminated by evil and darkness. On the negative side, the archetype represents vulnerability and navity, often depicted as the damsel in distress. Famous examples of the maiden archetype are Disney princesses, such as Snow White, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty. In all these cases, the princess is depicted as a young maiden characterized by purity, innocence, and a positive outlook towards life. However, in one form or another, she finds herself in a distressful situation where she needs saving and cannot rely on her own resources.The Wild Woman ArchetypeA statue of the Greek Goddess Artemis. Source: Wikimedia CommonsThe wild woman archetype is the independent, self-sufficient, and adventurous aspect of the feminine. Unlike the maiden, the wild woman is in charge of her own destiny and resourceful in the face of obstacles and adversity. Otherwise known as the huntress archetype, she is goal-oriented and determined, empowered by a high sense of confidence and autonomy. On the positive side, the wild woman is a female warrior, a fighter whose instincts are aligned with the wilderness of nature. She is the source of vitality in a woman and represents the untamed nature of the psyche. On the negative side, she can represent the danger and chaos that spring from impulsivity. Famous examples of the wild woman archetype include the Greek goddess of hunting and wilderness, Artemis, and Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games.Although the list of female archetypes goes on, we can see how the archetypes of our inner world have shaped the various depictions of women in myth and culture throughout history. Out of all the female archetypes we explored, which one is your favorite?