For a long time, the genre of fantasy has not been regarded as ‘real’ literature, because it apparently did not deal with problems from the real world and was often published in cheap paperbacks or journals. Furthermore, because its story did not take place in the real world, it was deemed to be unimportant and inconsequential. This was the reason why writers of fantastic stories could not until the middle of the twentieth century openly write about strange worlds which were so much different from ours. They had to disguise their stories as wondrous travel stories or accounts of strange dreams.
However, things changed. J. R. R. Tolkien's novels became an immediate success and prepared the readers for all those other fantasy writers who followed. This is one of the reasons why he is considered to be the father of modern fantasy.
Among the fantasy genre, there are various sub-genres. I will focus on the Dragonlance series by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, which is a mixture of Epic Fantasy and Sword & Sorcery. The next work, the trilogy His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, is Children’s Fantasy, with the main protagonists being adolescents. Lastly, I will single out an aspect from the science fiction series Star Wars by George Lucas, which is his concept of the Force. The genres of science fiction and fantasy are closely related, because the first depicts a fictional future
or a fictional future civilisation in a different universe, and the latter often depicts fictional stories that, were it not for their fantastic elements, could well have taken place somewhere in the past. Therefore, it is not too astonishing that elements of science fiction stories could just as well exist in fantasy literature.
The religious concepts which I will analyse in this thesis are taken from various culture groups. ‘Religious concepts’ is a term in which I include, for one, concepts and ideas that deal with rituals or beliefs in connection with any kind of higher beings. It also includes ideas or philosophies which require some kind of ‘believing’. Also, single aspects of religions like the idea of dualism from the gnostics or the concept of balance, which can be found for example in Buddhism, belong to the definition of ‘religious concepts’ in this thesis as well as various religious teachings.
Additionally, I will take the various movies related to the three stories into consideration, because they provide further information and facts for interpretation.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Preface
- Dragonlance
- When Gods Are Bored
- Creation Myth
- The Divine Pantheon
- A Modern Approach - Autonomous Worship And Feminist Scholarship
- Duality Around a Middle
- Gods of Good
- Gods of Neutrality
- Gods of Evil
- Numerology
- Chaos and the High God
- The Dragons
- Higher Beings and Divine Entities
- "And God Created Man In His Own Image" - Familiar Names
- Ludwig Feuerbach's Projection Theory
- The Master of The Present And The Past
- Twins - A Divine Sign
- Creation of Life
- How to Become a God
- The Animated Chronicles – Dragons of Autumn Twilight
- When Gods Are Bored
- His Dark Materials
- Elementary Particles
- The Many-Worlds-Theory
- Dust, Sexuality And Multiple Eves
- Pullman's Deconstruction of Dogmas
- The Fall of Mankind - Dammnation or Blessing?
- The Heaven-Hell-Deception
- The Day The Authority Died
- A Human Satan
- Body, Soul And Ghost
- The Trinity Within Oneself
- Dæmons And Animal Symbolism
- Northern Lights on Screen — The Golden Compass
- Elementary Particles
- The Force
- A Religious Fantasy Element in Science Fiction
- Magic And The Force
- Taoism in The Force
- Jedi And Sith - The Chosen Ones
- An All-Encompassing Power
- Two Sides of a Medal – The Prophecy of Balance
- " in a galaxy far, far away." - The Star Wars Universe
- Expanded
- New Generation Jedi
- Devoid of The Force
- A Religious Fantasy Element in Science Fiction
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis aims to analyze religious concepts within the fantasy genre, exploring how these concepts are portrayed and used in storytelling. The analysis focuses on three prominent fantasy works: Dragonlance, His Dark Materials, and Star Wars, examining the portrayal of deities, creation myths, divine entities, and other religious elements. The intention is to shed light on the complex relationship between fantasy literature, religious concepts, and their impact on storytelling.
- The portrayal of religious concepts and their influence on character development and plot in fantasy literature.
- The exploration of creation myths and their relationship to religious themes in fantasy.
- The use of religious symbols and metaphors to convey deeper meaning and enrich the narrative.
- The impact of religious concepts on the portrayal of morality, good and evil, and the nature of power.
- The connections between fantasy literature and real-world religious traditions and philosophies.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Preface: This chapter introduces the thesis by outlining the evolution of fantasy literature and its initial perception as a less serious genre. It discusses the historical context and highlights the influence of authors like George MacDonald and J. R. R. Tolkien in shaping the genre's popularity. The chapter also defines the scope of the thesis, focusing on specific sub-genres of fantasy and outlining the religious concepts that will be analyzed.
- Dragonlance: This chapter delves into the Dragonlance series, exploring the rich religious mythology and pantheon of deities. It examines the creation myth, the diverse roles and personalities of the gods, and the concept of duality and balance within the divine system. The chapter also touches upon the role of dragons in the series and their relation to the divine.
- His Dark Materials: This chapter analyzes the religious themes present in the trilogy, focusing on concepts such as the Many-Worlds-Theory, the role of "dust" in the narrative, and the exploration of sexuality and the concept of multiple "Eves." The chapter also examines Pullman's deconstruction of traditional religious dogmas, including the Fall of Mankind, the Heaven-Hell dichotomy, and the concept of a human "Satan."
- The Force: This chapter examines the religious element of "The Force" in the Star Wars series. It explores its connection to magic, its potential origins in Taoist philosophy, and its portrayal as a powerful force that shapes the destiny of individuals and entire galaxies. The chapter also explores the roles of Jedi and Sith, their opposing philosophies, and the concept of balance within the Force.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This thesis focuses on the intersection of fantasy literature, religious concepts, and storytelling. Key themes include the portrayal of deities, creation myths, divine entities, religious symbols and metaphors, morality, good and evil, and the nature of power. The works analyzed include the Dragonlance series, His Dark Materials, and the Star Wars universe, offering insight into how fantasy literature reflects and reinterprets religious themes and traditions.
- Citation du texte
- Nadine Wolf (Auteur), 2008, Religious Concepts in Fantasy Literature, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/153837
