Green mythology as ‘fantasy’

[Finchbearer]

What separates mythology from fantasy? There have been a lot of (mainly female) writers in recent years that have done Greek mythological retellings, for example Circe, which has done incredibly well, and there’s a lot of similar fiction out there.

I’m dabbling with a Greek goddess in one of my stories, wasn’t particularly intentional, but fits into the setting nicely, but I suppose it has got me thinking what actually separates the two when they are written in a modern fiction context? And does it make my fiction fantasy or not, because I was under the impression a that it was.

A lot of fantasy’s is inspired by myth and folklore that has been in part fundamental aspects of belief systems, but have also been important in traditional storytelling.

 

[Finchbearer]

*So the title should say Greek mythology - but my phone decided to do me dirty

 

[Prince of Spires]

It's a fun title I definitely was curious about green mythology...

In my view, mythology is a sub-genre of fantasy. Fantasy is the genre is which the impossible is made plausible. You can have magic or different races etc. Mythology clearly has that.

What defines mythology then is that they are stories passed down from ancient cultures, involving gods and heroes and magic.

 

[Queshire]

Mmm. I'd say it goes from mythology to mythology-inspired fantasy when it starts transforming stuff from the myth, and yes, I count something like telling the story Circe's perspective to get the audience to emphasize with her as a transformation.

 

[ThinkerX]

'Green Mythology' holds promise. Lots of 'back to nature' and 'sanctity of life' type stuff,' while ignoring or downplaying the truism 'Mother nature is a whore, red in tooth and claw.'

 

[pmmg]

Must admit, I was curious as to what green mythology was. I was expecting something environmentally related We'll just say Finch is very good at making the title something you want to click on.

I don't know that it makes a whole lot of difference how its defined. It seems to me they are both kind of the same. For some definition, typically Myths are things people believe that are most likely untrue, legends are things that may have historical bases but are likely embellished a lot, and fantasy is all the stuff we dream about. So...we all dream fantasy, you are a fantasy writer. Your story may have myths and legends in it. Are you writing something that is supposed to be a new set of stuff we are to believe that is untrue (or stuff that is untrue even if you think it isn't, I suppose)? Then you would be writing myths.

 

[Finchbearer]

There’s a whole load of typos in the main post too oh well. Serves me right for trying to write quickly on my phone…

To be honest, some of you have mentioned nature as a theme, and ironically this is something that I like to work with a lot, or it seems to follow me around. I like to explore our human relationship with the natural world, and how we also strain and fight against it or just outright ruin it. (Big fan of Princess Mononoke over here, and Nausicaa).

I suppose I’ve just naturally gone into writing fiction that feels like myths or fables, and then I go and put a Greek goddess in one of them, so it does make me think…am I actually writing fantasy or not when I write with those kinds of themes.

And MadSwedes thread also made me think about the kinds of fantasy I’ve read recently, not an elf or dragon or dwarf in sight, but they still feel distinctly ‘fantasy’ with all the world building and magical elements that I love.

That tradition of storytelling is certainly something I gravitate towards, and I’m even thinking of attempting a kind of Canterbury Tales retelling, or something inspired by that type of prose that was popular in medieval times.

It makes me question when did stories told around the hearth become so entrenched they became belief or religion?

 

[nck]

Our main Greek and Roman sources for mythology were already themselves retellings or reworkings of stories that were presumably originally orally transmitted, so any sort of contemporary retelling fits firmly into the mythological tradition, in my opinion (how it's labeled for marketing and categorization purposes is another matter, of course).