From Al-Rashid to Osama bin Laden - transformations of the archetypes of Eastern people in the imagination of the West

Abstract

The West created two archetypes of Muslim. The fi rst is the East wise man, the hero of ́The Fairy Tales of 1001 nights’ (the historical realization was Saladyn). The second is dangerous, Freudian ‘uncanny’ (the Man of the Mountain or Osama bin Laden now). For me the attack on the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001 is the point of turn the imagological point of view on that archetypes. Both of types operated from Medieval on imagination of the West. They together created the view of Said’s Eastman. At the same time he is knowing, tamed and dangerous, ‘uncanny’ threat. The long time the West could see more the fi rst and act the East more ‘canny’ and dependent. 11/09 changed this perspective.