♪ [classical music] ♪
♪
- [man]Hey, wait a minute, this isn't
Kansas! Tornado drivers!
Well, it appears I've jumped into a land of high fantasy.
I guess we can look around for a while while I wait for my next ride.
Unfortunately, ruby sneakers don't work quite like ruby slippers.
[knocking] Now, you're probably familiar with Hogwarts,
Narnia, and The Land of Oz. High fantasy is full of
magic, surprise, and wonder. These stories are set in
imaginary worlds or realms of adventure that are separate from the real world.
If you pay close attention, you'll find that the imaginary settings
are influenced by myths and legends and include elaborate
details of society, history, family trees, geographic
location, population, religion, customs, and traditions.
But, you'll also find that they all have their own distinct features, like Yellow Brick
Road or Wonderland. Whoah!
[camera shutters] The world as we know it is
the primary world where the imaginary place created by the author is known as the secondary
world. Authors of high fantasy use three different
approaches when creating their settings. One approach sets the story exclusively
in the secondary world. Characters don't even reference or acknowledge
the real world. An example of this would be Middle Earth in "The Hobbit."
A second approach that authors use creates a contrast between
the primary and the secondary worlds. Characters in these parallel
worlds have little contact and may or may not be aware of one another at all.
The author of the Harry Potter series used this approach
by creating a train station that is not accessible to humans living in
the primary world, but allows Harry to travel back and forth between
the two.
"Look Here..." Okay, I'll bite, wonder
what's in here? Hey
guys, what's going on? Anybody know a shortcut to
Topeka? Well, this brings up a third approach
using high fantasy that the secondary world is in some way
a part of the primary world. Now, this is usually accomplished by entering
a portal that acts as a revolving door between the two worlds.
Characters in the primary world are aware of the secondary world and vice
versa and can usually go back and forth between them. The rabbit
hole acts as a portal between Alice's real world and the secondary
Wonderland into which she falls. Just as Lucy, Peter, Susan, and
Edmund enter the mystical land of Narnia through the wardrobe.
Wow, looks like there's some interesting characters living in here.
The characters in high fantasy have traits
that are very unique to this type of story just like Dorothy, Alice,
Frodo, and Harry. The main character is the hero or protagonist
of the story. He or she is often very young and innocent when
the story begins, but becomes more mature as the story goes on.
The hero or heroine is in pursuit of a major goal that is to be accomplished
by the end of the story. Often, the character lacks important information
about his or her birth and seeks to correct a wrong all while
discovering his or her own identity. The protagonist
triumphs over evil with the help of magic, sorcery, and the supernatural.
By accomplishing his or her quest, whether that's finding a way back home,
locating a magical ring, or obtaining a license of wizardry,
the character achieves a sense of self discovery.
I know, ignore the man behind the curtain...
but I really wonder what's back there.
[gong sounds] What's fun about high fantasy
is that the heroes usually have a team of companions to help them on their journey.
A team can often include a wizard or magician, someone with strong
leadership qualities, and yet another character with great physical strength.
There are several common themes found in high fantasy.
The idea that characters grow throughout their journey is one example.
Characters become more confident, realizing what they're good at
and what they can or cannot do and what makes them special as
individuals. The names in high fantasy often change
as the character grows. This is a common theme that symbolizes the
progression of maturity that the character experiences. Names
are very powerful and many stories include an important naming event in which
the characters are given their true or sacred name. The true name
and identity of the hero is generally known only by his trusted friends.
Authors put a lot of effort into naming the characters
in high fantasy, often hinting at their appearances, personalities, and actions
or by incorporating references to myths or other languages.
Perhaps you remember Harry's nemesis, the Malfoy family,
who's last name translates to something like "bad faith" or Mad-Eye Moody,
the Hogwarts faculty member who has one eye that spins around.
The battle between good and evil or moral and ethical decision making are
frequent themes. The protagonist is faced with challenges and
obstacles along their quest that force him or her to conquer evil and
make choices that shed light on moral issues. Characters take on these
battles for a specific purpose. Perhaps they may be finding the missing
heir, recognizing a prince or princess in disguise, or achieving
utopia under the rule of a king whose coming has been foretold.
Definitely no wizards
back there. Well, that's about it for high fantasy.
Tales of quests and conflict, magic and wizardry, and coming of age...
like all fantasy, high fantasy involves people, places,
or events that could not occur in the real world. High fantasy can develop
your imagination by causing you to think of alternative ways of life,
entertain new ideas and dream of strange new worlds.
Take your own journey to the nearest library and check out high fantasy in the fiction
section. Ask your librarian if you can't find your way.
Well, here's my ride! Ahh!