Before Doctor Strange released in early November, I was already hearing quiet complaints of stereotypes and overuse of the “Mystic Near East” trope. Certainly this isn't the first time Nepal (and often India) had been reduced to gurus and isolated mountain-top monasteries. And while I enjoyed Doctor Strange, I was curious about the use of this trope in the comics and film.
Evaluating the setting of the monastery is the most crucial element, as it is the Nepali backdrop that is reminiscent of eastern mysticism. The Himalayas have been used before – most prominent in my mind is Hermann Hesse’s Journey to the East. Yet the use of mountains (and hills) in literature and scripture is hardly unique.
Mount Sinai in Judaism, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mound, Mohammad receiving revelation at Jabal an-Nour – all three are samples of important mountains in Western religious history. And can forget Mount Olympus, home to the Greek gods? There is Meru, which according to Hindu mythology, is a mountain at the center of the universe, and that the heroes of the Mahabharata later aspired to climb this mountain to attain heaven. In addition, Shiva, the God of destruction, is said to live in the Himalayas. In Japan, the famous Mount Fuji has mythological links to Shintoism and Buddhism. These are merely samples from the vast literature surrounding mountains and mysticism.
Many myths listed above suggest the notion that higher elevation relates to divine presence. God can be found on the mountain. It makes sense that a “new age” or spiritual group such as the Kamar Taj would operate near the highest range on earth. Given that the magic discussed can only be conjured from being in touch with ones’ own form, this is even more deliberate. After all, Doctor Strange did not become a hero or regain use of his hands through magic alone. In this narrative, the way to power is self-realization. This only occurs when he is left alone on Mount Everest, the highest peak in the range, making it even more evident that the only way for him to survive is tap into his nature.
While it is perfectly possible to have set Doctor Strange in a more European setting such as the Alps or even the Greek Meteor, it may not have had the same affect. This is in part due to the lack of public knowledge on mysticism in the West. Often termed “new age” or an awkward offshoot of organization religion, it isn’t surprising that the West looks east for “authentic” mysticism. Hinduism is often looked to as the mystic model, despite the fact that this organized religion is split into various factions and, like Christianity, operates in degrees. However, the Ancient One’s appearance as a white Celtic woman was a nod to the western past, primarily to a time when mysticism was more accepted. But that does not mean that alternate theology is absent from Judeo-Christian-Islamic practices. Kabbalah, Theosophy, and Sufism are only a few examples of such deviations.
Overall, I don’t believe the setting appears out of place. The use of Nepal may be a trope, but I hardly believe it’s completely appropriative or misused. However, if we better understand the pluralism of belief, we may be able to accept our own mystic mountain in the West without shaking our heads.
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