Browsing all articles by Janie Bill.
Elements of Fantasy: Owls
Of all the bird species, owls have a unique talent for scaring the dickens out of people. They hide during the day and bellow haunting hoots throughout the night. Owls can have a panoramic view of the landscape by rotating their necks like possessed teens. They can stare down the fiercest creatures, which makes them […]
Elements of Fantasy: Brownies
Hidden in the forgotten rooms of a house and in cluttered corners are little supernatural children who perform chores in exchange for food and treats. Even though they are personable and happy on their good days, they are considered to be evil spirits called brownies. Brownies aren’t just the girls who knock on your door […]
Elements of Fantasy: Zombies
The living dead. Zombies made their first documented appearance in 1929 when William Seabrook recorded his participation with Haitian voodoo ceremonies in The Magic Island. Seabrook had been interested in witchcraft for many years prior to traveling to Haiti where he was inspired to write about the undead. He advocated cannibalism and fully described the […]
Sirens
Sirens were created by the Greek goddess, Demeter. A group of maidens failed to protect Demeter’s daughter, Kore who was the younger version of Persephone, from being kidnapped by Hades. To give the negligent maidens the ability to fly in search of Kore everywhere in the world, Demeter transformed half of their voluptuous figures into […]
Elements of Fantasy: Elves
Ever glimpsed a spark of light moving around fertile trees? You experienced the sight for picking up on elf activity. Elves are angelic tree-spirits that reside side by side with angels in heaven. Although they originated in Germany, their sprits migrated across Europe, into Scandinavia and through Great Britain. Iceland has the largest population of […]
Elements of Fantasy – Frogs
For a dame seeking a handsome, wealthy husband who has an affluent family, all she needed to do was kiss a lot of frogs. Simple and foolproof. The Brothers Grimm received most of the credit for igniting the folklore about a frog who helped a girl find her ball in a well. He pressured the […]
Elements of Fantasy: Fairies
The types of spirits known as fairies exceeded the number of ways the word was spelled. Fairy godmothers were given human dimensions, oftentimes without wings. Tinkerbell was tiny with dragonfly qualities. Puck was mischievous and emotional. At a first glance, fairies lacked a particular identity. Many people adamantly believed in fairies. In Scotland, land developers […]
Elements of Fantasy: Ogres and Ogresses
What was your worst nightmare? Did he have an enormous head and wiry hair? Well that, my friend, was an ogre trying to consume you. An ogre is a grotesque creature with animalistic strength that eats human flesh. The Latin term, orcus, referred to the god of the underworld. They were the brainless wits who […]
Elements of Fantasy – Heroes and Heroines
Without heroes and heroines, fantasy worlds fall flat. Heroes put the oomph into enchanted settings and heighten emotions in everyday relationships. Men and women build stories, but what qualities create a heroic figure? The hero evolved hundreds of years ago, well before stories of survival were written down. Initial storylines portrayed heroes with superhuman characteristics […]
