Why is the Ring of Saurons still important?

Since the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy became a huge box office success, sales of epic fantasy stories, or also known as high fantasy stories, have increased enormously. People with disparate backgrounds and interests, who left the world of fairy tales for the real world long ago, found themselves visiting their local bookstores or ordering masterpieces from JRR Tolkien, among other epic fantasy writers, online. Those who visualized what Frodo looked like before the premiere of the first of the trilogy films were upset by the hysterical reaction from the general public. For them, epics or high fantasy stories are part of a world of literature that one must induce and explore in detail and should not be seen as an opportunity to buy another fashion book to put on a coffee table. Whether you consider yourself an expert in epic fantasy stories or a hobbyist, it would be interesting to know what epic fantasy stories are and to be able to answer one of those “Trivia” game questions with confidence.

Although the definition of Epic Fantasy is still a subject of debate among fans, critics, and academics, it is quite challenging for a researcher to find a single definition that includes all the necessary meanings that the words epic and fantasy convey. One of the most descriptive definitions found, stated that “Epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy and very similar to high fantasy where a seemingly average person goes through many trials and ordeals that make him a hero capable of the feats necessary to Thwarting challenges. On an epic scale. The story takes place in an imaginative world and the setting is often medieval in nature, with swords, castles, strange creatures and a magical system. ” What can be understood from the above definition is that the hero of the epic story is not born as such, but is shaped by the events and misfortunes of life, as obstacles are overcome and contributes to the solution of at least one of the main ones. trouble.

To better understand epic fantasy literature, one should try to examine the etymological meaning of the two Greek words used to classify it. “Epic” and “fantasy” convey different meanings and if they are examined as two components of a story that are linked together to create an “unshakable” sequel, the reader may realize that they were selected exactly because they serve more than one purpose. Specifically, “epic” has two components; heroic and vast. In an epic story one can find a hero or one who performs heroic feats, while the stage of the story is very wide. Often an epic describes a whole world in which the hero interacts with others and manages to perform the impossible feat that has been entrusted to him. On the other hand, fantasy is defined as creative imagination and is characterized by highly fanciful or supernatural events. If the two words are combined, one realizes that the epic fantasy story is a sequence of events based on the creative imagination of the writers that portray the exploits of a hero that take place on an epic scale and have tremendous consequences for others.

According to Joseph Cambell, in his play “The Hero’s Journey”, one of the most important aspects of epic fantasy stories is the development of the main character from an “average person” to a “hero.” The steps it identifies are simple and easy to find in any epic fantasy story. First of all, the main character must be called on to go on a journey during which he is assisted by a guide or mentor who has supernatural powers and, as the story unfolds, the “average person” is transformed through a series of tasks and ordeals for A hero. Sounds familiar? Maybe now you can imagine yourself as that “hero” and your everyday life doesn’t seem so “real” anymore!