Unfortunately, news feeds are often full of frightening and blood-chilling news about the murder of small children by their own mothers. One of the main callings of most women is motherhood. So what pushes a mother to take such a terrible step - killing a defenseless baby? It is worth noting that this act is almost never limited to any one reason. Most often, the mother’s murderous behavior is caused by a combination of factors: the presence of psychosis, living in antisocial conditions, the use of alcohol or drugs, undeveloped maternal instinct, etc. But I am especially interested in considering this phenomenon from the point of view of the archetype. According to the views of Jungian psychologists, people’s behavior is conditioned the action of archetypes, universal prototypes contained in the collective unconscious. Archetypes are hereditary structures, and it is not their content that is inherited, but their form, which is filled with individual content throughout life. In the psyche of every woman there is the Great Mother Archetype, which determines her maternal essence and role. However, any archetype has duality or ambivalence. It never carries any one meaning. The archetype of the Great Mother includes two opposites: a good (nourishing) mother and a terrible (devouring) mother. A good mother feeds the child, surrounds him with love and unconditional acceptance. She gives the child a feeling of security and becomes a reliable container for him. Many women embody the traits of a good mother. The desire to protect the child, providing him with a comfortable life in love and care, fits perfectly into the construct of a good mother. However, the second part of the archetype, the energy of the Terrible Mother, awakens periodically in the psyche of women. For example, postpartum depression, described in detail in literature, contains the seeds of the terrible mother archetype. Postpartum depression is natural, because with the birth of a child, a woman’s life is temporarily limited exclusively to him. A new mother has to forget about living for herself and her hobbies. As a result of this, apathy, irritation, and aggression towards the child appear. Most mothers feel guilty before their aggressive impulses, but for some women, aggression towards the baby can take on real forms, in extreme cases reaching infanticide. In this regard, it is appropriate to turn to mythology. Lilith. Lilith, in non-canonical apocrypha, is known as the first wife of Adam. Unlike Eve, who was created from the rib of her husband and, accordingly, secondary, Lilith was created by God from the dust of the earth and was equal to Adam. Not wanting to obey her husband, Lilith left him and flew away to distant lands. Proud, self-confident and rebellious... Adam complained to Yahweh, and then God sent three of his angels in pursuit of Lilith. However, Lilith flatly refused to return to her husband. Angry, the Lord punished the rebellious woman. According to one version, Lilith gave birth only to dead children, according to another, she became infertile. Desperate and filled with anger, Lilith became a demon, carrying a mortal threat to pregnant women and babies. Only those babies who had a protective amulet around their necks could avoid death. Lilith... A terrible mother, according to legend, she kills children and drinks their blood. One of the frightening faces in the palette of the Terrible Mother. Kali. The great goddess of Hindu mythology, who is the brightest embodiment of the Horrible Mother archetype. Translated from Sanskrit, the name Kali means “black.” Goddess of destruction, cutting off the EGO. Her eyes flash furious lightning, her mouth is open, her bright scarlet tongue, hungry for blood, sticks out. The neck of the goddess is decorated with a monstrous garland of severed heads, and her hips are crowned with a belt made from human hands. The Great Mother Goddess, who is at the same time the goddess of death and destruction. Hera. The great wife of Zeus, the ancient Greek goddess Hera. According to legend, she gave birth to a son, Hephaestus, without her husband’s participation. Being distressed by the physical deformities of the newborn, Hera threw Hephaestus from.