![]() ![]() Norse mythology, as found in the Elder Edda and the Younger Edda, includes such figures as Odin and his fellow Aesir, and dwarves, elves, dragons, and giants. īeowulf is among the best known of the Old English tales in the English speaking world, and has had deep influence on the fantasy genre several fantasy works have retold the tale, such as Chinese traditions have been particularly influential in the vein of fantasy known as Chinoiserie, including such writers as Ernest Bramah and Barry Hughart. The Panchatantra ( Fables of Bidpai), for example, used various animal fables and magical tales to illustrate the central Indian principles of political science. Hindu mythology was an evolution of the earlier Vedic mythology and had many more fantastical stories and characters, particularly in the Indian epics. Various characters from this epic have become cultural icons in Western culture, such as Aladdin, Sinbad and Ali Baba. The most well known fiction from the Islamic world is One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights), which is a compilation of many ancient and medieval folk tales. This ability to find meaning in a story that is not literally true became the foundation that allowed the modern fantasy genre to develop. Plato used allegories to convey many of his teachings, and early Christian writers interpreted both the Old and New Testaments as employing parables to relay spiritual truths. Platonic teachings and early Christian theology are major influences on the modern fantasy genre. Both works involve complex narratives in which humans beings are transformed into animals or inanimate objects. Ovid's Metamorphoses and Apuleius's The Golden Ass are both works that influenced the development of the fantasy genre by taking mythic elements and weaving them into personal accounts. The comedies of Aristophanes are filled with fantastic elements, particularly his play The Birds, in which an Athenian man builds a city in the clouds with the birds and challenges Zeus's authority. Myth with fantastic elements intended for adults were a major genre of ancient Greek literature. Egyptian funerary texts preserve mythological tales, the most significant of which are the myths of Osiris and his son Horus. The Tales of the Court of King Khufu, which is preserved in the Westcar Papyrus and was probably written in the middle of the second half of the eighteenth century BC, preserves a mixture of stories with elements of historical fiction, fantasy, and satire. Genres of romantic and fantasy literature existed in ancient Egypt. The ancient Babylonian creation epic, the Enûma Eliš, in which the god Marduk slays the goddess Tiamat, contains the theme of a cosmic battle between good and evil, which is characteristic of the modern fantasy genre. Fantasy elements occur throughout the ancient Akkadian Epic of Gilgamesh. History Įlements of the supernatural and the fantastic were a part of literature from its beginning. Horror primarily evokes fear through the protagonists' weaknesses or inability to deal with the antagonists. Despite both genres' heavy reliance on the supernatural, fantasy and horror are distinguishable from one another. Authors have to rely on the readers' suspension of disbelief, an acceptance of the unbelievable or impossible for the sake of enjoyment, in order to write effective fantasies. A science fiction narrative is unlikely, though seemingly possible through logical scientific or technological extrapolation, where fantasy narratives do not need to be scientifically possible. Fantasy is distinguished from science fiction by the plausibility of the narrative elements. ![]() Many fantasy authors use real-world folklore and mythology as inspiration and although another defining characteristic of the fantasy genre is the inclusion of supernatural elements, such as magic, this does not have to be the case.įantasy has often been compared to science fiction and horror because they are the major categories of speculative fiction. In writing fantasy the author uses worldbuilding to create characters, situations, and settings that may not be possible in reality. This differs from realistic fiction in that realistic fiction has to attend to the history and natural laws of reality, where fantasy does not. Magic, magic practitioners ( sorcerers, witches and so on) and magical creatures are common in many of these worlds.Īn identifying trait of fantasy is the author's use of narrative elements that do not have to rely on history or nature to be coherent. ![]() Most fantasy uses magic or other supernatural elements as a main plot element, theme, or setting. " The Fairy of the Dawn" in The Violet Fairy Book (1906) Fantasy ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |