By Ghloe Cagney
New York, United States
THE TRUE SNOW WHITE’S DIARY
When I first contemplated writing about the Hunter as depicted in The True Snow White, I was referencing and comparing him to the male psyche. However, that association didn’t do it for me.
The received wisdom is that ALL men are hunters. So I began my hypothesis: if all men are hunters, then what makes some of them turn into a Prince?
I believe that the Hunter lives in all of us, male and female, and personifies a drive we all possess. It is that part of us that forever perceives we actually deserve much more, certainly as much as avails itself to us.
Sure, we are happy enough with what we have, but looming in our hearts is that germ of thought that, indeed, we should have more! Sounds just like the shortsighted and foolish reasons for our present worldwide financial crisis? You bet.
What we are talking about is really a moral dilemma. In The True Snow White story, it is never said that the Hunter is unhappy, lonely, or has any negative emotions. In fact we can deduce that, compared to his contemporaries, he is doing rather well. After all, he is an integral part of the royal household.
We can further deduce that he lives in an adequate home within the castle grounds, enjoying a relatively secure life, not having to worry about “creature comforts” as they are part of The Royal Huntsman’s salary.
In his historical, feudal world, everyone hunted and farmed, everything was homemade, and people bartered services for meat, produce and dairy. Such were the realities of the time.
Thus, we can assume that the Hunter was relatively happy. Life was going on as usual. Until suddenly – out of the blue or rather “out of the black” as we later come to realize – an option presents itself that never existed before! And there is the Hunter’s dilemma. He has two choices. One is morally right and the other morally wrong.
The Hunter’s challenge is that once this enticement is presented to him, and having had but a small taste of it, he doesn’t want to give up what he had never dared to fully imagine, though this renunciation would have been the one and only right thing to do.
We are well aware at this point of The True Snow White’s account that his second choice, even if he could get away with it, means nothing less but dancing with the Devil him- or herself.
Adding to the harsh reality of his dilemma is the bewitchment that takes place. And I will portray myself as the Hunter from this point on, partly in an attempt to prove my theory, and partly because I know I have played this role myself before.
I never expected that such an unthinkable opportunity, one as the utterly powerful Stepmother encouraging the unsuspecting Hunter to get involved with her, would ever present itself. Now that it does, I am drawn in. It sounds so wonderful, so easy, so mine!
And I say YES! How do I make it mine? I’ll do whatever I have to!
That’s when the ax falls. “Great!” says the demon. “All you have to do is go against your inner knowledge, rebel against God, and give me your soul.” Oh, what to do, what to do!? I have already agreed! Not only have I agreed, but deeply under this spell I am also convinced that I should have this wondrous person, place, thing, or event. It should and must be mine!
Eventually we are about to enter the world of a “trilemma”. Oh, how I wish I could go back in time and undo my first dark choice, which is not getting involved with the evil Stepmother at all, but I can’t.
Making matters worse, and even though I am her Hunter, I simply cannot do as she requires, and refuse to give either Snow White’s or my own heart to the demon, which constitutes the second choice.
All of which leads up to the third choice, which I am not thrilled by either, but as the evil spell wears off and I am again able to clearly see into my heart, I just know this is my only option. So I finally choose to let go and allow God to take over, fully aware that I will have to pay whatever price may be required for what’s right, or in the Hunter’s remarkable words:
“Better an end with terror than terrors without end.”
In such a surprising perspective, I have been the Hunter before, and I know many men and women who have “hunted”, too. But whenever I remember and emulate his deeply symbolic character, I go for the third option – which is no longer about me or you, but me doing the “right thing” for all of us – and I will risk losing face, dignity, work, and relationships.
It is usually torture at the time, an ongoing difficult lesson to learn, and I always hope for no more future moral dilemmas or trilemmas for myself! Thus, I believe that our so easily impressed but intrinsically good Hunter archetype is neither male nor female, and that we all contain to some degree these h(a)unting energies.
Yet the Hunter in The True Snow White eventually turns out to be a true hero, illustrating that goodness is indeed its own reward. And I would expound on that by saying God-ness is its own reward!
Read Ghloe Cagney’s comments on
The Author
A Dark Reflection
The Queen’s Courage
The Apple Of Knowledge
Tough Lessons For A Tough World
Christmas In New York
Fairy Tales Can Come True
A True Romance
Happy New Year!
Congratulations And Godspeed!
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