| Epic fantasy has long been considered escapist | | | | by the code of the knight. |
| literature and something that adolescent's read to | | | | There are no dragons to slay, there are no more |
| pass the time. It brings to mind muscle-bound heroes | | | | knights, and there are no princesses to rescue. How |
| who fight dragons and rescue princesses. But Epic | | | | do these stories of heroic quests apply to you |
| fantasy is really much more than that. It is about the | | | | today? |
| search to find meaning in our lives. | | | | Each character in these stories is given a task of a |
| Since the beginning of time mankind has made up | | | | seemingly impossible nature. And each character has |
| epic fantasy stories in the form of myths to reflect | | | | to find his way through a world wrought with |
| his role in the universe. The oldest piece of written | | | | dangers, difficulties and obstacles. The parallel here is |
| work is the Epic of Gilgamesh. It was inscribed on | | | | obvious and we all travel a similar road to that of |
| stone tablets a thousand years before the Iliad was | | | | Gilgamesh and Jason but this isn't the real reason |
| written and it is in the genre of epic fantasy. Since | | | | why epic fantasy is so relevant to our lives. This kind |
| this piece was written many more have followed. | | | | of conflict and searching is found in just about every |
| We are all familiar with the story of Jason and the | | | | piece of fiction and in every medium. The secret to |
| Golden Fleece, or the story of King Arthur and the | | | | why epic fantasy rises above all the others is hidden |
| Holy Grail. We are also all familiar with the quest of | | | | within each story itself. |
| Bilbo Baggins. Why have these stories and others like | | | | Joseph Campbell, in his book The Hero With a |
| them survived for so long? Why are they so fully | | | | Thousand Faces, outlined the twelve steps that each |
| engraved in our psyche as a race? Is it because they | | | | hero must take on his personal journey to realizing his |
| are fun stories? It is true that they are good stories | | | | quest. One critical early step that must be made is |
| and grand adventures but they also convey a deeper | | | | the meeting with the mentor. The mentor himself |
| meaning about what it is to be human. And this | | | | has traveled his own personal journey, learned many |
| search for a deeper meaning has been with humans | | | | lessons along the way and he imparts this wisdom on |
| since the beginning of time. | | | | our hero. Our hero learns some valuable lessons from |
| The ancient Greeks created myths that revolved | | | | someone who has been there and done that. This is |
| around heroes facing the wrath of a variety of gods. | | | | exactly what epic fantasy does for you. It works as |
| This helped them to understand their place in the | | | | a mentor. |
| world and it applied meaning to their lives relative to | | | | In a beautiful sense of folding in on itself the hero of |
| the world they lived in. In medieval times humanity | | | | an epic fantasy story becomes a mentor to you. You |
| changed. The Renaissance brought with it a new | | | | travel along with the hero and you learn the lessons |
| understanding of the world we live in. And that new | | | | that he learns. You learn the value of trust or the |
| understanding brought new questions. No longer were | | | | danger of greed. And most importantly you learn the |
| we subject to the whims of a variety of gods. We, | | | | value of persisting in your personal quest and |
| as people, gained a new control of our own lives and | | | | following your heart because in the end you see the |
| we came to the realization that it wasn't gods that | | | | reward. |
| controlled us but it was us who controlled ourselves. | | | | Read the stories of the epic fantasy hero and listen |
| This made us look inward. It caused us to seek out | | | | to the lessons that he can teach you. Maybe there |
| the things within ourselves that made us like the old | | | | are no more Dragons and no more damsels in |
| gods. This new outlook was reflected in the epic | | | | distress but you are in the middle of an epic quest |
| fantasy myths of the times. Heroes looked inside | | | | called your life and you must follow this quest to the |
| themselves. They took great strides in making | | | | end. This quest is the search to find the meaning in |
| themselves better people. They believed that there | | | | your life and epic fantasy is the mentor that will help |
| was a right way to be and this belief is epitomized | | | | you find it. |