Fantasy, Mythology and Adult Life

As with many of you, I have enjoyed fantasy stories since I was a little kid. Since early adolescence, I have read and learned about various mythologies, from the Egyptians to the present day. As an adult, I use fantasy stories and myths to fire my imagination, relax my brain after the stress of the day, and chase away my depression. People associate fairy tales and fantasy with children, but many adults indulge in such pleasing creations!

 Human beings have imagined, created and enjoyed fantasies and mythologies since prehistoric times, giving meaning and a little fun to their hard lives. We also have told these stories to express our deepest, most profound thoughts. In this way, all myths and fantasies can explain our everyday lives. They explore the relationship between our psyche and the happenings of our daily lives.

In ancient societies, myths, fantasies and legends were all based on polytheistic religions. Examples of these belief systems included Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Norse, Germanic and Celtic mythologies. I have always been interested in the religions of the world, as well as in the course of their development, so it makes sense that I would be fascinated by their myths, legends and fantasies. We have always created belief systems, so, as civilization changed, our beliefs changed.

As a young child, I was enthralled by Egyptian mythology, with its focus on mummies, temples and pyramids. I found it darkly intriguing that mummified human remains could be carefully preserved for thousands of years. The pharaohs also interested me, especially since they were featured prominently in the Bible and portrayed so famously in The Ten Commandments. We all love Yul Brynner's role as Ramses II! Needless to say, we all seek a window into the world of the pharaohs and Egypt's three kingdoms.

 

In my early adolescent years, I became enthralled with Greek mythology. It largely began with watching the old movie Jason and the Argonauts. I learned more on the topic by reading anything I could find in my old encyclopedia at home. I even rented a couple books from the Bethlehem Area Public Library. It was entertaining for me, with all the gods and goddesses warring among themselves for petty reasons, being very human in their attitudes and behaviors. Eventually, I lost interest in Greek mythology, however, due to its crude, often bizarre mentions of sex that conflicted with my religious upbringing of the time.

Years later, I returned to reading about Greek mythology, favoring it over Roman mythology. Greek mythology - unlike its Roman counterpart - was not centered on state worship. Roman mythology was also largely copied off its Greek counterpart; often new names were given to describe the same deities! Greek mythology is my favorite of the ancient mythologies as it definitely engages my emotions and draws me into deep thought. Greek mythology's sexual deviance and violence taps into our darker thoughts and fantasies, creating a positive outlet for our dark sides (we all have them!).

In my 20s, I started learning more about Celtic mythology, which has also given some great stories to western culture. Since I have more Irish in me than any other nationality, I do a feel a connection to Irish myths. Many of us love stories of banshees, leprechauns and faeries. We even have the expression "to wail like a banshee!" Leprechauns are used for our modern debaucherous celebrations of St. Patrick's Day, and faeries are frequently represented throughout our culture in the United States - children even have the Tooth Fairy!

More importantly, Celtic mythology has had a strong influence on the 20th-century development of Neopaganism, including Wicca and modern Druidism. This is how I came to learn more about Celtic mythology - in my early 20s, I read a lot of Wicca and noted the Celtic influence on its modern redevelopment. Borders at the Whitehall Mall had a great number of such books, so I would spend countless evenings there with metaphysical books, a cream soda and some macaroons!

In contrast with other ancient mythologies, I find that Norse and Germanic mythologies have had the greatest influence on the fantasy epics and other media in the 21st century. This impact can be seen in works from the Lord of the Rings to the World of Warcraft, in addition to numerous comic books. From that pantheon, we get some really cool creatures, such as elves, ogres, wizards, orcs, dragons and griffins. These creatures are combined with medieval themes to create some great masterpieces. Even the movie Thor is a modern adaptation of the deity from Norse mythology.

Fantasy is becoming both more important and popular in today's world. Apart from ancient myths that have been brought back to modern life, new thinkers and writers have created fantasy stories that entertain us and really make us think! These are our own myths that our society consumes via the modern media. Even shows such as the Game of Thrones create their own mythologies that keep us entertained and deep in thought. Many people today have even taken to playing card games, role-playing games and LARPing. A lot of individuals play Magic: the Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons and take part in LARPing events in wooded areas (such as Knight Realms in northern New Jersey).

This adult need for fantasy and mythology was understood by individuals such as Joseph Campbell, J.R.R. Tolkien and George Lucas. Star Wars, for example, is an ultra-modern mythology that has been enjoyed by multiple generations of movie goers. Intellectuals such as Tolkien and Lucas created stories for our age that everyone can find appealing! Themes in fantasy and mythology tend to reappear in stories in different eras and regions of the world. Since storytelling is something common to all mankind, there are cultural universals present in many of these stories.

In my life, I have read fantasy books and works on mythology since my teenage years. I started reading the original Star Wars in 1996, when I was 13. In my twenties, I got into reading the Lord of the Rings, as well as additional Star Wars novels. These books, as well as their associated movies, have transported me to fun, gripping, far-away worlds that helped me forget my problems and daily concerns. When my mind is relaxed and positive, it is easier for me to deal with real world problems and issues without overreacting.

Children have fairy tales, but adults need such stories as well, as a form of escape from the troubles of everyday life. Adults have a desire to be creative, and what can be better than to envision new places, people, creatures and things! We all have dreams and nightmares; why not use those images and feelings to entertain us with a cool story!