Under the title ‘Un encuentro mágico la mañana de San Juan. Análisis psicológico del Romance del Conde Arnaldos’ (A magical encounter on the morning of San Juan. Psychological analysis of the Romance of Count Arnaldos), the conference will focus on this poem, whose protagonist, at a critical moment of his life, meets a magic and mysterious character who invites him to sail together.

In this context, Alumni Maria Mora will study how Psychology can provide the necessary support in moments of crisis that people often suffer throughout their lives. The symbolism between the magical character who helps Conde Arnaldos and Psychology allows us to understand the necessary task of this discipline in such complex and difficult realities as the present.

 The Romance meeting takes place on a special day of the year, the morning of San Juan, a traditional moment due to its symbolism and magic. The talk will interpret the symbols in Romance del Conde Arnaldos, trying to understand it from a psychological point of view and relating it to illness and the possible healing that this magical meeting could provide.

Anonymous ‘old’ romances, such as that of Count Arnaldos, which have come down to us and have been reworked and recast over the centuries, are written in the same symbolic-poetic language found in tales, myths, legends and dreams. Thus, despite their distance in time, they still convey deep emotions currently recognised as ours.

María Mora Viñas has a degree in Romance Philology and Psychology by the University of Valencia. Moreover, she has a master’s degree in Analytical Psychology by the Ramon Llull University of Barcelona and is a Didactic Jungian analyst recognised by the Spanish Society of Analytical Psychology and the International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP). Mora has spent most of her professional life at Valencian high shools working as an English teacher and as an Educational psychologist. In 2018 she published the book ‘El cancer: un acercamiento simbólico’ (Cancer: a symbolic approach) in Editorial Fata morgana.

The activity is part of the Alumni Comparteix Programme, an inintaitive of the AlumniUV collective that requires the involvement of its members. The programme includes lectures, workshops, master classes, short courses, etc., all proposed and taught by UV Alumni themselves. All activities are targeted at group members and participation is free. Likewise, the person giving the activity will not be paid for it.

The aim of the Alumni Comparteix project is to create synergies within the UV Alumni and to enable those interested to share their experience on key issues. This project takes advantage of the bond that unites former students and friends of the University to allow them continuing to grow personally and professionally.

Those interested, both members of the Alumni group and general public, can register at https://events.fundacio.es/e/580