Today, we’re going to dive into the mysterious and often misunderstood world of religion and spirituality in epic fantasy.
Let’s start with the obvious—gods. These celestial beings are omnipotent, all-knowing, and all-powerful—or so they would have you believe. In many fantasy worlds, gods play a crucial role in shaping the fate of mortals, often meddling in their affairs and causing all sorts of chaos.
But, let’s take a step back and think about this. If you had the power to control the lives of countless mortals, wouldn’t you be tempted to use that power for your own amusement? I mean, it’s like having a giant sandbox and all the toys, what’s not to love? So, maybe the gods in fantasy worlds are just a bunch of bored, cosmic pranksters.
Next up, we have prophecy. Prophecies are often a key component of fantasy, foretelling the arrival of a chosen one who will save the world from certain doom. But let’s think about this for a moment. If you knew your destiny was to save the world, wouldn’t you just avoid the world altogether? I mean, talk about pressure.
Religious figures also play a prominent role in many fantasy worlds, serving as spiritual leaders and guiding forces for their followers. But let’s be honest, how many of these religious figures are just in it for the power and prestige? After all, who wouldn’t want to be the head of a massive religious organisation, with thousands of adoring followers and the ability to shape the lives of entire communities?
Finally, we have magic. Magic is often intertwined with religion and spirituality in fantasy, and it’s not hard to see why. After all, magic is just a way of manipulating the supernatural, and what’s more supernatural than the divine? But, if you had the power to control magic, wouldn’t you use it to create your own religion and become a powerful religious leader? It worked for L. Ron Hubbard.
So, religion and spirituality play a critical role in many epic fantasy worlds. Maybe the gods are just bored, the chosen one is just trying to avoid the spotlight, religious figures are just in it for the power, and magic is just a great excuse to start your own religious cult.
Would you like a free Ravenglass Universe starter library?
You will get a free novel, two novellas, plus short stories and all the latest news in the Ravenglass Universe.
