Reading fantastic stories, people can not only travel to other worlds, but also get deeper acquainted with mythology. Few people think that many races of fantasy lead their history from those distant years when there was no written language and stories were transmitted to each other only verbally. Since then, many of the invented heroes have changed and found a new role in modern literature.
Elves
Little charming prankish elves, who hide in the grass and carefully follow travelers, have been known for a long time. Legends and fairy tales developed about them. They became the heroes of songs. These creations survived during the reign of Queen Victoria. Then the artists turned to mythology for stories and heroes. And charming elves adorned many works.
However, as before, the elves did not have to live long. Exactly before the advent of the works of J.R. R. Tolkien. In his works, the writer radically changed the appearance of the elves, leaving them only a close connection with nature. Now they were already growing from people and were not inferior to them in the art of owning a sword. Among the many elves described by the professor, Legolas is most popular. Through this character, readers will know who the forest elves are.
Forests are far darker than plains. The most terrible enemies can find shelter under the branches. Therefore, forest elves must
possess weapons well
. They have to protect the borders of their possessions. In some works, elves can understand the language of plants and animals and call on the forces of nature to help themselves.
This race is distinguished from others by incredible beauty. Elves are aristocrats of the fantasy world. That men, that women are distinguished by subtle, expressive facial features. Their long hair can be any shade. Sometimes even one that does not occur in people. And the elf can always be distinguished from any other creature with sharp ears.
It is rare that elves become negative characters. Despite their slight arrogance generated by immortality, they are much more likely to take the side of good. But this does not apply to the dark elves. Elf races can be different. Like their abilities and goals.
Alva is another race
Alva appears in Germanic-Scandinavian mythology. According to the beliefs of these tribes, creatures are lower spirits of nature. They do not have the same strength as aces. But at the same time, they can benefit or harm a person if they want to.
In the early beliefs, alves appear to be wonderful children of the forest. They resemble elves in their description. Equally beautiful, they also have a high connection with nature. Books of the fantasy genre were not yet created. However, there were enough myths. They said that the Alves live in the world of people or in their own country. They have magical powers and can independently defeat some evil creatures that prey on alves and humans.
Some time later, the tribes began to attribute to the forest spirits a force that could determine how fruitful the year would be. In order not to starve, people held special ceremonies and sacrifices.
Alves were divided into dark and light. The former lived underground, the latter on earth and heaven. The dark ones were skilled blacksmiths. With the light, no one could compete in the art of folding and singing songs.
Even after the adoption of Christianity, the Alves did not fade from the memory of people. They still inspire artists and writers, although now alves are practically mixed in art with elves.
Gnomes
The fantasy races were largely supplemented and reworked by Tolkien. Although a lot of time has passed since the release of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and many other works, the influence of the great writer has not waned.
Dwarves also appeared in Tolkien's writings. But they were much closer to their mythological original than the elves. Few races of fantasy have retained this feature. Dwarves are a hardworking people who carefully hide from human eyes. As a rule, they live in the mountains and are engaged in the extraction of jewelry. Therefore, the belief that gnomes are very rich is widespread.
The growth of these creatures is about the waist of man. They wear long beards and simple clothes suitable for work. These creatures are not particularly friendly. But they also cannot be called enemies of man. After the release of The Lord of the Rings, many Tolkien followers wrote in their novels about the rivalry between elves and gnomes. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine two more dissimilar creatures fighting on the side of good.
Orcs
If other races of fantasy can appear on different sides, but more often fight for good, then the orcs are customary to represent as negative characters. Orc wars with humans and elves are reflected in many works. These creations first appeared back in the 17th century in the collection of fairy tales of Jambattista. Several centuries later, the orcs were given a second chance to gain a foothold in the world of literature. This time they appeared in Tolkien's novels.
Orcs are distant relatives of goblins and trolls. They look appropriate. They can not be called handsome, like elves. Because much more often they become villains in fantasy stories than heroes. Orc wars against other races often become the central theme of the plot. Motives for collisions can be different. But during the battles, the orcs do not know mercy. However, there are exceptions. Lymen Frank Baum also used the image of an orc in his writings on the country of Oz. And this character helped the main characters. He even knew how to fly, which was not in previous works.
Hobbits
Fantasy races have different ages. Some appeared in ancient times, when parents thought up fairy tales for their children before going to bed. Others were created specifically for science fiction novels. So the hobbits did not exist in the literature before Tolkien spoke about them.
These creatures are not just kind, but also simple-minded. As a rule, they live in villages and build holes. They are about the height of dwarves. Being lower than an ordinary person, the hobbits hide from a higher race and try not to endanger themselves once again. Therefore, little is known about them. In some historical chronicles, they do not appear at all.
Hobbits are the most dominant people. No race of fantasy likes to host guests like these creatures. They always have refreshments in the bins. They grow everything they need for cooking with their own hands. The hobbits are not afraid of labor.
Although this people loves to stay home and stay away from danger, they often fall into adventure. True, very soon after leaving their native village, they begin to regret that they went on such a long journey. But, as a rule, there is no turning back for them.
Cyclops
Fantasy books are distinguished from others by an incredible number of different enemies and friends. One of the controversial characters remains the cyclops.
Initially, the giant with one eye was only a villain. He was met by heroes who traveled to distant lands for treasures. On the island of Sicily, unusual creatures awaited them, which were called cyclops. These creatures fed exclusively on meat.
On the island, the Cyclopes were engaged in cattle breeding. But they did not refuse from human meat, if unsuccessful travelers came to them. Cyclops were not distinguished by special mental abilities. Their other weakness was that they had only one eye. All this gave the heroes a chance to escape from bloodthirsty creatures.
However, in a series of books about Percy Jackson, created by writer Rick Riordan, the cyclops appear in a different image. A character named Tyson appears in the novels. And this time, the cyclops eye does not strike with its fury. Tyson is a good friend of the protagonist. And with it passes through all adversity. After all, Tyson himself is not just a cyclops, he is the son of Poseidon.
Fairies
For a long time, magical creatures were interesting exclusively to children. They existed in fairy tales and could help the main characters at the most unexpected moment. Fantasy books have breathed new life into the heroes of myths and legends. So it happened with fairies.
Before the adoption of Christianity, many tribes inhabited forests and fields with unusual creatures. Some were beneficial, others could harm a person. Fairies are one of such controversial characters. They can live apart, and maybe families.
Forest Fairy tries to live with her family. Such a community is a real kingdom led by a wise ruler. These creatures spend their lives singing, dancing and various games. It is very difficult for a person to hear the sounds of their happy holidays, but it is possible. To do this, find a clearing, which left traces of the presence of fairies, and listen.
There are those creatures who refuse to live with their relatives. Some of them remain in the forest. They become boggarts and can harm a random traveler. Others go closer to the human dwelling. If the forest fairy does not like to work, then the home fairy sees the meaning of her life in this. In general, it is very difficult for these creatures to live without communication. If for some reason you can’t stay in the forest, then the fairy is looking for other intelligent races. She can be attached to both a child and an adult.
Having found his new home, the fairy tries to do everything in order to help its owners. However, these creatures are very irritable and cannot tolerate ingratitude. Noticing the help of the fairies, the owners of the house should leave a saucer of milk for her. Otherwise, it will begin to destroy crops, throw stones and destroy household utensils.
One of the most famous fairies is Ding Ding, which appeared in the fairy tale Peter Pan. She belongs to the class of home creatures. She is attached to her friend Peter, but when he does not pay attention to her or thanks for her help, Ding-Ding is angry and tries to take revenge.
Trolls
Often, negative characters in various fantasy stories and myths do not differ in mental abilities. Trolls stand out against their background. These giants are stupid, but very strong. Therefore, they are dangerous both for travelers and for residents of the villages near which these creatures settled. Often, gnomes and trolls collide. Although it seems that undersized creatures cannot cope with such an enemy, the inhabitants of the mountain dungeons are skilled warriors and can stand up for their house.
These creatures were created on the Scandinavian Peninsula. In those days, they believed that there was a race that was created from a rock. Their only weakness is sunlight. Once under the rays, the trolls turn back to stone.
These ugly creatures differ from all other human enemies in that their face adorns a huge nose. Trolls feed on human meat. Therefore, it is so dangerous to cross them on forest paths. But not only under the canopy of trees you can see the troll. Some of them settle in cities under the bridge. These creatures are different from their forest cousins. They are not afraid of sunlight, respect money and often abduct human women. There are even legends about children whom people gave birth to from trolls.
It is believed that such Scandinavian monsters can change their size. Some of them reach three meters, while others are tall with gnomes. Low-growing settle in forests and mountains. Because of this, gnomes and trolls often quarrel.
But not in all fantasy books, Scandinavian monsters harm people and other races. In some, trolls appear as charming creatures. So, in a series of books by Tove Janson, an entire family appears. The central character becomes the young Moomin Troll. The look of Tove Janson is the most original among all the writers who have ever created works about trolls. She presented the Scandinavian creatures as small, cute, respecting family values.
Giants
Any race of the old world had anything to do with religious beliefs. Paganism was present in many cultures. And wherever they believed in many gods, there were giants. In many ways, they were like people. But only their growth was huge. A giant could easily destroy an entire settlement of people, if he needed it for some reason. There is no unambiguous assessment of these creatures. The race of giants can stand both for good and for evil.
Giants presented themselves as children of the gods. The ancient Greeks believed in the titans, which were born by the inhabitants of Olympus and became the parents of a new generation. The Slavs loved stories about heroes, who were also ranked among the giants. The Scandinavians were waiting for the last war, when the gods and people begin the battle and destroy each other. During the battle, a significant role was attributed to the Yotuns. These creatures were Tours, analogues of the titans.
Each nation created its own stories about giants with tremendous power. Over time, these beliefs were not destroyed. They stayed to live in literature and not only. In many fantasy books this race appears. Some researchers are convinced that this is no accident. They are trying to prove that the ancestors did not come up with creatures that are much higher than man and are very powerful. To do this, they travel the world and try to find the skeletons of human-like creatures.
Minotaurs and Centaurs
A variety of races have long lived with humans. Some were friendly, while others abducted travelers and tramps who had left the villages. It is not surprising that in the mythology of many peoples, creations appear that were born by human women from other races. So centaurs and minotaurs appeared.
The minotaur has a long history. Fantasy of recent years represent him in different roles. However, our ancestors believed that he was evil embodied. The Minotaur is a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a person. He ate meat of people. The minotaur was the growth of a powerful man, but possessed much greater power. In this case, the monster was unusually mobile and could develop a good speed. By smell, the minotaur could detect where a person was hiding from it. And his eyesight was not bad. All this made the minotaur deadly for any person.
According to ancient Greek mythology, the minotaur was born by Queen Pasifaya, the wife of Minos. This ruler fell in love with a bull that was sent to people by Zeus or Poseidon. The newborn was so scared of everyone who saw him that it was decided for him to build a maze. Minos made sure that no one else saw the creepy son of his wife.
The minotaur grew within its walls, never leaving them. The maze has become an alternative to the ancient prison. As punishment, the criminals were sent to be eaten by the Minotaur. And every nine years, seven young men and women were chosen among young people, who also became an offering to the monster. And none of the maze returned alive. Some sources indicate that people gouged out their eyes so that they could not find a way out. But even without this frightening procedure, it was impossible to get out of the huge maze.
The minotaur could live like this for many years. But Theseus, a courageous young warrior, was sent to him. The handsome man captivated the heart of Princess Ariadne. And she gave him a ball, which could lead the young hero out of the maze. Theseus, with the help of cunning and strength, defeated the Minotaur and was able to return to the people. So one of the most terrible monsters in ancient mythology did not become. But he still lives in various fantasy books and films.
Other creatures that combine a person and a tamed beast, became centaurs. These creatures appeared in ancient mythology. And even then, the storytellers astounded their listeners with what the centaur looked like. These were creatures with the body of a horse and four hooves. But where an ordinary horse has a neck, a centaur has human torso and head. In some traditions, these creatures also have a pair of hands.
Centaurs represented in a variety of ways. They were intemperate creatures who were always ready to have fun, drink and take part in the battle. Some of them became educators of heroes and instilled in the future saviors of the human race a love of battles and the ability to stand up for themselves and loved ones. Others, on the contrary, opposed the heroes and posed a considerable danger to them.
The way the centaur looks has inspired many artists and writers. These creations often appear in paintings and in literature. They also became heroes in a series of novels about Percy Jackson. In addition, in one of the books, they helped the wizard Harry Potter.
Mythology has given rise to many races of fantasy. Over the years, they have changed a lot, both externally and internally. In various works, they can appear in the form of heroes, and in the form of terrible monsters, ready to destroy all life in its path. .