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The familiar story of the boy who put his finger into a hole in the dike and thus saved Holland from being inundated by the ocean has been shown to be fictitious. It is a variation of one of the flood myths that abound in folklore of many cultural groups. Comparative study of some of these myths suggests that various versions allude to psychic controls derived from various levels of libidinal development.
In this little myth, the struggle that takes place in the individual between gratification of his instinctual tendencies and their renunciation is compressed into a single night, for dramatic effect, instead of lasting the very many months required in actuality. The heroic action of the boy consists in his triumph over his father, represented by so powerful and formidable an opponent as the ocean. His triumph, on another level, represents his ability to overcome his infantile instinctual wishes. By accomplishing this, he becomes the object of general love, admiration, and honor. These magical triumphs over his father and over his instinctual impulses give the story its great appeal and emotional conviction. The