quote: J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, especially The Silmarillion, were heavily influenced by the indigenous beliefs of the pre-Christian Northern Europeans. As his related novel The Lord of the Rings became popular, elements of its fantasy world moved steadily into popular perceptions of the fantasy genre. In many fantasy novels today can be found such Norse creatures as elves, dwarves, and frost jötnar. In J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter, the character Fenrir Greyback was derived from Norse mythology, as seen above. Norse mythology has also greatly influenced popular culture, in literature and modern fiction. (See Marvel Comics' The Mighty Thor or Neil Gaiman's The Sandman (Vertigo) also Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods)
posted
Tolkien is the author that immediately came to my mind. His work is very heavily based on Norse Mythology. Especially the ring stuff (right out of the Volsung sage) and most of the "creatures" - trolls, "crafty" dwarves, dragons and their hoards. And the languages as well.
Posts: 11187 | Registered: Sep 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Guy Kay's Finovar Tapestry series is heavily influenced by both Celtic and Norse mythology, including hanging for a tree and direct encounters with mysterious gods bound by otherworldly rules. More Celtic influenced than Norse, but both are present.
There is a lot of fantasy inspired by Norse mythology, but not a lot of high fantasy other than Tolkien. But almost all fantasy has elements of the Norse mythos, if not their gods.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by twinky: Kay's Last Light of the Sun also has Norse elements.
I thought about suggesting that one, but it can't really be called either epic or high fantasty, can it?
Posts: 1087 | Registered: Jul 1999
| IP: Logged |
Wagner anyone? You can't get much more Epic than a 9 hour German opera. Its easy to find a written translation.
Posts: 1941 | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by twinky: Kay's Last Light of the Sun also has Norse elements.
I thought about suggesting that one, but it can't really be called either epic or high fantasty, can it?
True. I could have suggested The Prince of Nothing, since Cnaiur's tribe is clearly based on the Norse, although without a lot of the mythology. Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Ive been reading the Icelandic Sagas and there is definitely some rich source material there for good Fantasy.
Posts: 891 | Registered: Feb 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
I read a "saga" once, not a novel but a translation of the text of a long-running feud between two Norse families who kept bringing grievances like murder and other offenses to the annual gatherings at which people could ask for redress. It was more entertaining than most high fantasy for me, and every few chapters the narrators described, in a matter-of-fact fashion, the exploits of some beserker, some monster, some fetch, or some wizard. I'll attempt to find the title and post it.
Posts: 270 | Registered: Apr 2009
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
