The tale of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a gripping story about loss of control and the timeless warning to be careful what you wish for. For Jungians, it sets out the archetypal theme of a magical shortcut that promises to bypass the difficult labor life asks of us. Such tempting shortcuts inevitably land us in trouble.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice story goes back nearly two thousand years. In the tale of Eucrates and Pancrates, the Greek satirist Lucian recounts how the Egyptian magician Pancrates’ apprentice stole his master’s spell, animated a pestle to carry water for him, and then lost control, resulting in watery chaos. In 1797, Goethe drew on the tale to write his poem, ‘Der Zauberlehrling’, and then in 1940 it reached a global audience in the Disney film, Fantasia.
Similar tales include Sweet Porridge by the Brothers Grimm, the Strega Nona story, and the Jewish legend of the Golem. We can find related themes in the myth of Prometheus, and in stories in which a human creation challenges its maker, such as Frankenstein or the Terminator movie.
Each of these stories shows the dangers faced when a person arrogates divine power to him or herself. Psychological inflation takes hold of the upstart apprentice, as he seizes an unearned power, imagining himself equal to his master while lacking the years of discipline and humility that mastery requires. He acquires power without the wisdom to wield it.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice tale has clear relevance today, as we unthinkingly adopt the technology of AI across all walks of life. This saves human labour, but with no clear moral purpose: like the upstart apprentice in the story, we fashion technology in our own likeness, and await the consequences.
Resources Discussed in this Episode
- Read Goethe’s poem, ‘Der Zauberlehrling’ (‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’) in English or in German on the website of the Oxford International Song Festival.
- Read the Grimms’ tale of Sweet Porridge here.
- Read Lucian’s story of Eucrates and Pancrates here
- Strega Nona, by Tomie dePaola
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
- Learn about the story of the Golem via the Jewish Museum in Berlin.
- The Terminator film – watch the trailer here.
- The story of King Midas – read it here.
Related Episodes
If you enjoyed our Sorcerer’s Apprentice episode, you might also like:
