A Psychoanalytic Study of the Myth of Dionysus and Apollo: Two Variants of the Son-Mother Relationship. Helene Deutsch. New York:  International Universities Press, 1969.  91 pp.

For those intrigued by the study of the dreams of a culture or nation as embodied in legends, myths, and poetry, this thin volume is a psychoanalyst's holiday. The investigation and psychoanalytic study of two of the immortals on Olympus poses an interesting riddle. Dionysus sought to glorify his mother and remained deeply loyal to her in his quest for fame. His attitude toward women was positive. Indeed, Dr. Deutsch finds him a great feminist who deserves immortality as such. On the other hand, Apollo, in a similar quest for immortality was violently hostile to mothers and women, but unusually devoted and dutiful to Zeus, the father.

In probing these differences, Dr. Deutsch has sought answers in the family constellation and the mother-child relationship. Her attempts at solution are scholarly and creative, and illustrate her theoretic approach. The posing of such question as to why these immortals differ so markedly in their attitules toward women-Dionysus being so positive and Apollo even addicted to matricide-brings many other such puzzles to mind. Why was Goethe an ascetic and Byron a Don Juan? While similarities in the nurturing of the mythic immortals-including problems of bisexuality and homosexuality-have been dealt with at length, the unique aspects of the mothering and resultant personalities of our human immortals have not received comparable clarification.

The approach to these riddles I found most illuminating, and although Dr. Deutsch offers her own solutions tentatively, they are most stimulating. It is a book worthy of thoughtful reading.