Mythological Literature

[JenFramp]

Myths, legends, traditions, fables and stories have impacted cultures for many centuries, many involving wars, religions, good vs. evil and relationships..Why do you think these stories hit so close to home for us? Why do we find ourselves reading these books over and over? What is in these stories that captures the heart of every age group..let me know some of your personal stories..especially on how Tolkien's works

[ September 07, 2002: Message edited by: JenFramp ]

[Eruwen]

Well, for me, I never really was into reading. Until, that it, I read LOTR. But I like it because...I guess...it's always most of the time happy. Life can get really bad and hectic sometimes and you just need a book to get your mind away from the horrors of reality.

Ok. That was kinda weird, but that's just what I think. That's me.

[Merry Brandybuck]

I'm not sure what draws me to LOTR. I also have a flair for Greek and Eygptian mythology. I'll read any type of high fantasy story.
I think it's something to do with people proving they can be more than average. Think of the hobbits. Frodo was unusual in some ways, but he lived a happy normal life in the Shire and he probably would have spent most of his life there, if circimstance had permitted. Sam was an ordinary, working class hobbit, and to him, anything beyond the borders of his homeland was something to be regarded with wonder and awe. Merry and Pippin were born into wealthy families, and were just enjoying themselves in the prime of their life. Four relatively normal (by Middle-Earth standards) hobbits, suddenly whisked away from everything that was homely and familiar and thrown into a mission that seemed way over their heads. But look what they achieved, look how they proved they could rise above what people expected of them.
I think we all like to believe we can do something extrordinary with our lives and accomplish something good and impossible and show the world we are more than just anothert person. At least, I believe that. We feel so close to these characters because they started out like us. Unremarkable, everyday people in normal, everyday lives.

There's probaly more then one answer. But it's definately something to do with that. For me it is. Nice topic, JenFramp, hope it gets lot's of responses.

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

Why do you think these stories hit so close to home for us?
Well, in many cases I try to escape my personal life. It sounds crazy, but I am just not happy in this time period smilies/eek.gif
It makes life a little easier if you can escape into a world of fantasy where people are viewed for who they are, not what they look like. I enjoy the fact that the characters in those stories are so noble and quick to help one another out. Back then someone was automatically a "friend" if they were on your side. Nowadays it's "each man for himself" and people aren't always there to help each other out.
Why do we find ourselves reading these books over and over?
Well, for me... I want the experience of going back to these places whenever life become too much for me to handle. You can say, "well, gee, these people were half my size and look what they accomplished!".
What is in these stories that captures the heart of every age group..let me know some of your personal stories..especially on how Tolkien's works
Well, fantasy is something that automatically captures the attention of children because they have not yet lost their imaginations. When I was little I always pretended I was somewhere else, that unicorns were real, and so forth...
As an adult, I go back to these stories because I don't want to loose my imagination... the ability to escape the present world in the only way I know how. I always hope that if we create out own heavens that mine will be Middle Earth (when there is no evil, of course smilies/smile.gif )

[JenFramp]

Wow wow..yes yes...Merry Brandybuck thats exactly how I feel...Fantasy stories usually seem to involve a normal everyday person accomplishing an amazing thing that usually saves a large group of people, if not the whole world, like Frodo.

Tigerlilly Gamgee said:

Well, in many cases I try to escape my personal life.

I started off in life having a huge imagination..pretending I was in another world..but when I got older...I use fantasy as my way of escaping my personal life as well..I thought that I was the only one who did that smilies/biggrin.gif ..I definitly find myself getting emersed into a book of my childhood and I always seem to forget about reality for awhile

[Merry Brandybuck]

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality ~ Queen


escaping real life. That's another point. Honestly, I spend have my time walking around in Middle Earth. Maybe that's why I keep bumping into trees.... smilies/rolleyes.gif .
I have a seriously rampant imagination. I'll dream myself into any story I read, as well as the ones already in my head http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/libr/a/n/antonia8/

Anything to forget school, homework, the fact everyone I know thinks I'm in serious need of medical attention smilies/biggrin.gif. Oh well!

[Neferchoirwen]

I just finished reading THe Hobbit last summer (which is March to mid-June from where I come from), and I am in the middle of The Fellowship right now. I find everything so "creamy" in terms of the rich descriptions Tolkien has done about ME.

But to answer the question, I read for a number of reasons, including escaping from the "real world." Tolkien has created a world that we can literally get into. Everything seems so real, and I feel like I'm entering my past dreams about Middle Earth.

Before I started the fellowship, I was reading novels set in this present time and world. I was stressed as well. Though "She's Come Undone" was comforting, the familiarity with the setting and the character made me hungry for another world; and so I craved for an escape.

As a kid, I'd browse through our encyclopedia index and look for Greek Mythology characters and try to figure out how to tie everything up. In the 6th grade, my dad bought me "The Little White Horse," which has something of a fantasy quality in it, and to date, it is the first book I've read twice, and the only fantasy book (aside from Lotr)that I've read. I never realized the I was huingry for an "escape" until now...

And for the Bible reading individuals out there, I recently went back to the Exodus, and was surprised and delighted to read the descriptions of the Red Sea parting to sound pretty much like a snippet from a fantasy novel!

Happy escaping for everyone!

[ September 12, 2002: Message edited by: Neferchoirwen ]