A few I run across often...
1. Armies of Man fights against animalistic foe until a greater more sinister evil arises as a result of their conflict and comes to threaten them both, forcing the former rivals to team up as superfriends. Usually the more sinister evil is some sort of mindless undead. This represents the sheer destruction of war.
2. Sorceror from his tower becomes power-mad and corrupted. A young knight, at the behest of the king, goes out and kills the sorcerer, putting an end to the corruption. Then the young man returns home and is knighted for his efforts. This one seems like an anti-progress tale, where a change to the social order is met with violence, from fearful people who imagine new things as abominations.
3. Dragon kidnaps princess from castle. young knight goes out to find dragon. Deflects fire with shield. Kills dragon with sword. Rescues princess and gets some of the dragon's hoard of ancient treasure. Maybe representative of the exploration instinct that inspired Herman Cortez to sack the Aztec Empire? For queen and country, slay the enemy, take home the gold?
1. Armies of Man fights against animalistic foe until a greater more sinister evil arises as a result of their conflict and comes to threaten them both, forcing the former rivals to team up as superfriends. Usually the more sinister evil is some sort of mindless undead. This represents the sheer destruction of war.
2. Sorceror from his tower becomes power-mad and corrupted. A young knight, at the behest of the king, goes out and kills the sorcerer, putting an end to the corruption. Then the young man returns home and is knighted for his efforts. This one seems like an anti-progress tale, where a change to the social order is met with violence, from fearful people who imagine new things as abominations.
3. Dragon kidnaps princess from castle. young knight goes out to find dragon. Deflects fire with shield. Kills dragon with sword. Rescues princess and gets some of the dragon's hoard of ancient treasure. Maybe representative of the exploration instinct that inspired Herman Cortez to sack the Aztec Empire? For queen and country, slay the enemy, take home the gold?