The Wolf in the Viking Era: Exploring Jungian Norse Wolf Archetypes in Germanic Myth, from Denmark - Ulfhéðnar the Wolf-Skinned: Ritualized Rage and the Rebirth of the Masculine Ego

This theoretical synthesis integrates mythological, archaeological, and clinical perspectives to examine the Ulfhéðnar as a distinctive archetype of masculine individuation. It focuses on the ritualized engagement with primal instinctual forces, manifesting through shadow-doubling and ecstatic possession, as a necessary threshold for psychological transformation. By situating the Ulfhéðnar within contemporary clinical contexts related to masculine trauma, rage, and identity, this work extends Jungian theory and archetypal psychology to address unresolved aspects of male integration. The analysis highlights how the rupture of ego boundaries permits the return and processing of repressed instinctual energies, offering a symbolic framework for therapeutic approaches. This contribution fills a gap in depth psychology by bridging mythic material and clinical phenomena, emphasizing the archetype’s importance for understanding and treating masculine psychic fragmentation.