AN ALTERNATIVE IN READING ERIC'S SYMBOLISM

On March 7, 2020 (or better, on 7 марта 2020), Vladimir Zykov wrote us a somewhat elliptical message from Russia:

Eric = Divine
Aslaug = Soul
Hertha = Mind
Swegn = Vital ego
Mind and Soul come to Divine having their own ideas of the journey and its aim. Soul is then surrendered to Divine love. Mind surrenders also and is being silenced by Divine. Vital puts up a fight but the victory is won by Divine. Each then is given its true place and meaning in context of a personal endeavor. This play is a practical manual.

To which, our Gaia immediately replied:

Thank you, Vladimir.
Have you read the article that we have written and published here about the symbolism of the wonderful play Eric? — https://www.eric.theater/en/the-symbolism-of-eric
Hi,
Gaia

And here is Vladimir's prompt reply:

Yeah,
You miss the personal aspect. This is why I wrote you. Your Hertha is a Earth Nature, but she is a Mind really. She brings Aslaug in her desire-soul form to Eric. Aslaug supports vital claim of power but she gets converted to a true form of Soul by Divine Love. Hertha is put to prison, silenced, to not to support vital anymore - Eric clearly states that reason. Also when Vital resists conversion, Mind and Soul are being tortured, - and they are indeed, while still being fully aware of a nature of torture and thus cooperating willingly with Divine - this all represents a personal experience.
If you keep Hertha as a Earth-wide Nature, you cannot explain neither prison time for her, nor torture scene.

At this point, the excellent Gaia asks a final clarification:

Thank you.
But what about the “torture scene”? Where did you find it?
Sincerely,
Gaia

And finally, the kind Vladimir concludes in this way:

The torture scene is in Act five, where Aslaug and Hertha are 'forced' to dance for the Eric court with "...more behind" for them if Swegn will not yield. He does but only after Eric commands the dance. Search for "Thou knowest how to torture." to find the exact place in text.

We are not sure that Vlamidir's interpretation is the right one, but we find it interesting to make public this exchange (obviously, having obtained the permission of the Russian friend).