by Jeanette O'Hagan
A few weeks ago, we discussed some reasons why Christians may
be wary of Fantasy (What is Fantasy). Yet this genre also offers great opportunities to talk about God and faith. Fantasy
can engage the reader, often highlights the ongoing struggle between good and
evil on a cosmic scale, and provides opportunities for analogy and metaphor of
important themes.
So how might Christians include fantastical and supernatural
elements in fiction? Before we answer that question, I think it's important to understand some basic concepts.
Different Types of Fantasy
Fantasy comes in a number of different forms—from high
fantasy, low fantasy, sword and sorcery, fairy tales, secondary world, portal,
allegorical, animal tales, historical, ghost stories, paranormal, urban, even
horror—and may include magical realism or supernatural/spiritual tales.
Each of
these approaches includes fantastical and supernatural elements to different
extents and with a different relationship to realism.
To confuse the picture even
more, there can be a cross-over between science-fiction and fantasy— for instance
Anne Macaffrey’s Dragons of Pern series includes dragons but eventually gives a
natural explanation for these creatures. Similarly popular origin stories of superheroes
give a naturalistic explanations for their fantastic superpowers.
High Fantasy is usually about world shaking events, involves
prophecies, wizards, magical creatures, quests, battle between good and evil,
and high stakes while low fantasy may be on a smaller scale, grittier, less
magical elements or more political. Much fantasy is secondary world (an alternative
reality other than earth— like Tolkien’s Middle Earth or the world of Eragon), portal (where there is a
doorway to another world e.g. Narnia, the
Wizard of Oz, or Alice in
Wonderland) or alternative reality. Fantasy may be set in our world but still clearly meant to
be imaginary— for instance fairy tales, animal anthropomorphism (animals
acting like humans as in Wind in the
Willows, Peter Rabbit or Watership Downs), historical (Mary Stewart’s Merlin
trilogy) or verge on allegory (Anna Elizabeth Stengl’s Heartless or many of George
MacDonald’s fairy tales). Paranormal and urban fantasy is about creatures of
legend such as vampires, werewolves, witches, zombies or ghosts and are
usually set in a modern, contemporary world (eg the Twilight series but also Mike Duran’s The Ghost Box – or even Dickins The Christmas Carol). Magical realism might include symbolic supernatural
elements in otherwise realist story which are presented without comment (Life
of Pi, Chocolat). And for some
stories the supernatural is included as a higher rather than
an imagined reality— stories of angles, prayer, miracles (eg Frank Peretti or
Angelguard). Some writers of fantasy are naturalists and/or may use
fantastical elements with a basic anti-supernatural message (eg Pullman’s The Golden Compass).
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Different Definitions of Magic
To further confuse the issue, 'magic' like 'love' is an amorphous word—it has a range of meanings from the illusionist’s tricks, the purely imaginary or
unrealistic tropes of fiction (flying horses or carpets), to actual practices of traditional and tribal religions or
neo-paganism (New Age, Wiccan, modern Shamanism etc). Miracles might also
appear to be ‘magic’ to an outsider.
In fantasy, the fantastical and magical elements are not meant to correspond to the world as we know it. Fantasy is more than
magic— imaginative visions of different worlds, fantastic or imaginary creatures
or different realities. These imaginative
forays push the boundaries of our known reality, in part to entertain, but also
as a way of thinking about the world.
As Neil Gaiman says in Coraline (paraphrasing
G. K. Chesterton), ‘Fairy tales are more than
true – not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons
can be beaten.’
However, with the resurgence of alternative spirituality and
post-modernism, magical elements can begin to bleed into real-world beliefs and
practices about a magic that draws from a polytheistic or animistic world-view.
Prayers, rituals, divination either invoke or seek to control and manipulate
spiritual beings (gods, spirits) or forces (mana, chi, life-force) or tap into
an essential fatalism (implicit in omens, astrology etc).
Fictional magical systems (overlap with ‘real’):
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So what is at stake here?
The Bible clearly prohibits real-world magical
practices because:
- The Creator is the ultimate source of blessing and He determines our destiny. He wants us to depend on Him, not to go through intermediaries.
- While the spiritual forces invoked have some power, they are both deceitful and hostile.
- So ‘magic’ (calling or using supernatural power through a supernatural intermediary other than God) is ultimately harmful and entangles us in malign spiritual forces.
However, the Bible doesn’t discourage the expression of the
supernatural in the Christian’s life through the right channels such as faith,
prayer, the working of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts. ‘Magic’ is a counterfeit of God’s
(supernatural) work in the world.
And, I would add that the Bible also warns us against another
extreme – a materialism that, if it doesn’t deny God’s existence, at the very
least claims achievements and prosperity as the result of our own intelligence
and effort. Pride and rebellion against God are just as destructive and soul
destroying as sorcery and witchcraft (Deuteronomy 8:17,18; 9:4; 1 Samuel 15:23).
In both cases, we need to acknowledge God as the source of blessing and
direction.
Different Approaches for Writing Christian Fantasy
Steven D. Greydanus suggests J R R Tolkien and C S Lewis put
‘hedges’ around the portrayal of magic in their fantasy fiction through a clear
distinction between the imaginary fictional world and real-world practices and by
confining the use of magic to supporting characters (the wise old wizard that
helps the protagonist rather than the protagonist themselves).
Travis Perry suggests six positive ways to include magic in
Christian fantasy:
- Only the villains use ‘magic’ – while the ‘good guys’ either use ordinary means or rely on God’s power.
- Rename miracles ‘magic’ and prophets ‘wizards’ (that is, have prophets and miracles dependent on God’s power— even though using the terms ‘magic’ and ‘wizards’).
- Treat magic as an allegory for the workings of God (deep magic in Lion, Witch and Wardrobe).
- Magic is a form of undiscovered science (just as our use of electricity and machines would appear magical to a medieval person).
- Blur the lines between the supernatural and the natural, by making the supernatural a fabric of everyday life (eg Alice in Wonderland – everything is fantastical).
- Have innate supernatural talents as an analogy for spiritual gifts.
I think it helps to consider the source of magic, how it is used, by whom
and for what reasons. The nature of the magic within the world may be
explicitly stated or implicit. I’d suggest that you:
- Have a clear distinction between good and evil (though there may be shades of grey, heroes and heroines are flawed & villains are never pure evil).
- Ask what is the source of 'magic' in your world – is it from a good God, from innate power or ability (which would be directly or indirectly a gift of God), or is there a natural explanation (e.g. telepathy as brainwaves)? Be cautious about magic drawing on a life force or power lines or some esoteric knowledge, while invoking, manipulating or controlling spiritual beings other than God might be confined to antagonists or presented as a false step by protagonists.
- Ask who can use ‘magic’ and how—is it something everyone can use or is it reserved to special people (superpowers or professionals), is it intuitive or does it require study and training, does it depend on one’s relationship with God (or other supernatural beings) or on natural abilities?
- Indicate the motivation for using magic— is it to manipulate other people, to harm (black magic) or to heal and help them (white magic). Yet even ‘white magic’ is harmful if it comes from the wrong source.
- Show how the villains’ use of ‘magic’ differs from the ‘good guys’? Do they use a different type of magic or do they wield it in a different (maybe illicit) ways or for different reasons?
- Consider how blurred the lines are between what is clearly imagination and reality. Could it be confused for contemporary dabbling in magic and thus encourage further involvement or exploration of such avenues?
Some examples:
Paul Gallico’s The Man Who Was Magic— A magician
arrives in town of magicians or illusionists famous for their use props,
sleights of hands and tricks. The difference is the stranger can do ‘real’
magic— producing a real rose out of thin air with the dew still on the
petals. Jealous and afraid of losing their livelihoods and reputations, the
false magicians wish to kill the stranger. This story is a powerful allegory
of Jesus’ story (the true magician where the magic of the others is
counterfeit).
C S Lewis Narnia series—the
villains are often witches or magicians (Jardis, the White Witch, the Lady of
the Green Kirtle, Uncle Andrew). Their magic is used for selfish reasons or
to control and manipulate others, and is opposed to the powerful and true
magic of Aslan the Lion (analogy for Christ-figure) and his father, the
Emperor over the Seas. The children are given gifts (including Lucy’s magical
cordial which heals) or signs (as with Jill in the Silver Chair) but it is
their faith in Aslan that is most important. Narnia is a fantastical world in
which animals talk and the stars have human form.
In Tolkien’s Middle Earth—the
elves have innate magical abilities while men, dwarves and hobbits do not.
The magicians like Gandalf are physical personifications of angels (Istari),
sent by the creator God to guide elves and men back to him. Necromancy, sorcery are
condemned and the great power of the One Ring will corrupt and subvert the
good in even the best and must be destroyed rather than used.
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This is a complex issue and I found it hard to cover all the
issues succinctly—so I do apologise for a rather lengthy post. I hope I’ve
given some direction and, more importantly, something to think about. On Thursday, I want to approach this issue
from the perspective of the reader, including young readers.
What about Fantasy?
Part One - Should we read/write Fantasy
Part Two - Writing Fantasy (that's this one)
Part Three - Reading Fantasy
Other posts:
Saints, Seekers and Sleepers
What is Christian Fiction?
What about Fantasy?
Part One - Should we read/write Fantasy
Part Two - Writing Fantasy (that's this one)
Part Three - Reading Fantasy
Other posts:
Saints, Seekers and Sleepers
What is Christian Fiction?
Further reference:
http://travissbigidea.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/7-ways-to-deal-with-problem-magic-poses.html
http://travissbigidea.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/7-ways-to-deal-with-problem-magic-poses.html
http://www.decentfilms.com/articles/magic
https://droppedpebbles.wordpress.com/fantasy-and-faith-part-one/
http://mikeduran.com/2015/09/dont-wake-the-watchful-dragons/
https://droppedpebbles.wordpress.com/fantasy-and-faith-part-one/
http://mikeduran.com/2015/09/dont-wake-the-watchful-dragons/
Fantasy Image: Jeanette O'Hagan © 2015
Jeanette O'Hagan has a short story published in
the general market Tied in Pink Romance Anthology (profits
from the anthology go towards Breast Cancer research) in December 2014 and two
poems in the Poetica
Christi’s Inner Child anthology launched
in July 2015. She has practiced medicine, studied communication, history
and theology and has taught theology. She cares for her school-aged children,
has just finished her Masters of Arts (Writing) at Swinburne University and is
writing her Akrad's
fantasy fiction series.
You can read some of her short
fiction here.
You can find her at her Facebook
Page or at Goodreads or on her websites JennysThread.com or Jeanette O'Hagan Writes .
Thanks for another awesome post, Jenny. I'm bookmarking it immediately. Not only are those lists and tables so interesting and clearly set out, but there are several book recommendations I'll pick up. I especially love the different distinctions of magic in fantasy, as it may clear up all sorts of misgivings and confusions Christian readers (and their parents, if they are young people) may have.
ReplyDeleteThanks Paula. I'm glad it comes across clearly (I was little worried it might be information overload :) ). I was also thinking about giving an annotated reading list on Thursday's post.
DeleteWow, that was certainly comprehensive. And I thought I had it nailed by knowing the difference between fantasy and sci-fi :) Thanks for a really well thought out and well-researched post. I don't write much fantasy at the moment, but those guidelines will come in handy when I do.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nola. I look forward to your fantasy writing :)
DeleteThanks for an informative post, Jeanette. I've been on the periphery of a number of discussions attempting to determine the boundary between different fantasy and science fiction sub-genres. It is interesting the variety of perspectives readers and writers hold on such matters.
ReplyDeleteI had to go back and read these. Fabulous, Jenny. This post is bookmark worthy. I'm sure I will come back to it again and again. I've always wondered how to differentiate between fantasy and science fiction. I loved reading about writing Christian fantasy. I really want to try that. After I finish the middle-grade adventure novel. Excellent tips, my friend. Well written post. Thank you!
ReplyDelete