Ancient Symbology in Fantasy Literature: A Psychological Study

Very Freudian, and little literary perspective. No historic connections, although these tales come from the oral tradition of ancient cultures, somehow the only meaning given is that of the emotional lessons endured facing puberty and aging. If you like psychological studies, you will like this one. i was looking for something with more meat. Wasted my money.

Ancient Symbology in Fantasy Literature by Dr. William Indick takes both the academic or layman into the real meaning behind the symbols of fantasy literature. What instantly struck me about the book were Indick's brilliant and beautifully-written passages such as: "Myths and fairytales do not tell us how to live; rather, they provide symbols for ideas to live by. In the end, we have to interpret the symbols ourselves, just as we have to interpret the meaning of our own lives by ourselves."Indick delves into each archetype i.e. hero, fairy, man and beast, magic, etc. As a layman, I loved the Princess chapter, in which Indick discusses the real Grimm's fairytales and their intended meanings--not the watered-down versions that Disney dictates to us. The argument about princess characters facing the same challenges of maturation and coming into their female sexuality proved astoundingly true. From Cinderella to Alice in Wonderland, these young women are forced into adulthood in different ways. Blood symbolizes the female maturation, thus I will never look at the witch's hourglass of red sand in The Wizard of Oz the same way again. Same with the rabbit in Alice, since according to Indick, the creature is a symbol of Alice's biological clock, hence the rabbit's constant reminder of 'being late' to Alice and him carrying the watch.I was also drawn into the magic numbers section, because when I had lived in Eastern Europe, the people had a fascination with numbers i.e. flowers must be given in odd numbers or in threes. The symbol of magic numbers as explained by Indick helped me link the old European traditions with fantasy literature, thus rooting fantasy in reality and vice-versa.I highly recommend Ancient Symbology to anyone who loves fairytales, fables and fantasy literature, including Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. The book transcends academia to provide a fascinating, entertaining read that any layman and lover of literature will thoroughly enjoy.