Who has power in fantasy?
A brief talk about superpowers and fantasy we had recently with alumfelga reminded me certain musings of mine. Fantasy as a genre is usually big on supernatural powers as a trope. Therefore it's obvious that the genre itself and literary analyses of it focus on supernatural beings. Actually, the only reason that fantasy has any non-supernatural ones is that they serve as the plain background for emphasizing the former and, usually, as the stake in the game - your everyday, mundane, tedious, unappreciated, apple-pie and making-ends-meet things that won't be there anymore if cool and interesting things from other dimensions take over the reality, which would be bad.
[ETA after what was pointed out in comments. Thank you, moth2fic. Everything told in this post applies only to the fantasy that makes the distinction between mortal and immortal (natural and supernatural, our world and other world, etc.); to the fantasy that doesn't - typically the fantasy set entirely in a Fantasyland - it's irrelevant.]
Supernaturals being most often immortal (though almost as often still killable, but that's quite another matter), the linguistic inevitability granted their mundane default background the name of mortals. Immortals are defined by being different than mortals, and that's because mortals don't need defining - as I say, they're default. And anyway one doesn't come to fantasy for them, quite the contrary, right? That's why hardly anyone ever talks about them in the context other than “we need to save them”. So, “mortal power” by itself is oxymoronic.
And yet, it's not. Since it goes unmentioned, though, it needs to be gleaned from logical conclusions of what is mentioned of immortal limitations. Like pieces of dough from between cut-out cookies after they have been cut out. And once in a while there happen also a text of fantasy that does mention it outright, and in the tone of awe, because in such cases the authors knowingly use and reverse the “Immortals Are Cool” trope. It is also noticed that the Humans Are Special trope is a thing, but that's not exactly what I mean, as this one is more about “being effectively powerful in spite of being technically powerless”. Of course, mortals achieving the use of supernatural powers, though they are a thing in fantasy as well (and big thing), also are not what I mean. What I do mean, are powers that usually aren't regarded as such, until fantasy gives them a new perspective. They are powers that mortals have just by being mortals, and take for granted.
# mortals can pass life on;
Immortals often can't procreate, which seems a rare stroke of sense on the side of universe. In cases when they can, it's often accomplished on the way of involving mortals in the process.
# mortals can name things;
Knowledge of a name, especially the individual and unique name of a living being, in fantasy enables a magical influence over its bearer. However, immortals often can only use names that already are there, but can't make up new ones. Have you noticed that embodiments of primeval forces usually introduce themselves as “I'm called by many names, but the most popular is...” ? Basically it's just “pompous fantasy talk”, but there's also an underlying implication that they can't choose names for themselves on their own, which is something that mortals do all the time. Naming is an act of creation in a way, so it's related to the #1 on this list, and generally to mortal innovative abilities.
‘It was the rule of names,’ he said. ‘I remembered my mother telling me that story when I was maybe four or five years old. How God brought all the animals to Adam to be named. “And whatsoever he called them, that they became.” As though they hadn’t been anything up until then, and the names pinned them down.’ … ‘We bring [demons] by using their names,’ he said. ‘And we send them away by using their names. The names have got all the power in them, even now. So I drove that evil fucker out of me by driving in [my body] my own name, every few inches, until he had no place to hide, no place he could go that wasn’t marked as mine.’
The Naming of the Beast, Mike Carey
”Names have tremendous power, Dresden. Yet mortals toss them left and right as though they were toys. It’s like watching infants play with hand grenades sometimes.”
Ghost Story, Jim Butcher
# mortals have free will;
The basic problem of which is that free will is another thing going without defining. That often makes the matters a little puzzling, because apparently the lack of free will doesn't really keep immortals from making decisions and undertaking actions on their own initiative. It seems like the popular fantasy idea of free will, or rather the lack of thereof, is “being unable to act against a direct and explicit order of those who have the authority over them”; again something that mortals do on a daily basis. Immortals are in this a little like robots having Asimov's Laws built in.
Being a demon, of course, was supposed to mean you had no free will. But you couldn't hang around humans for very long without learning a thing or two.
Good Omens, Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
# mortals can lie;
Gaelic and generally Western fantasy faeries cannot knowingly utter words that aren't in accordance with facts. Not that it keeps them from deceiving the hell out of you, but they can do it only indirectly. Perhaps that's why they're so obsessive about keeping their word, as breaking it would backwardly make giving it telling a future lie? Same as passing the life and naming things are creative powers, choosing own name, exercising one's free will and lying are acts of defiance and therefore autonomy.
# mortals are not influenced by symbols;
And that's another sort of the latter, though more metaphorical. Immortals who wield cosmic scale powers at their will and are generally scary sonuvabitches... can be restrained by a little of paint. Signs or magic circles, both of which mortals step over without even noticing they were there. A mortal can also free a trapped immortal by breaking the continuity of the lines, and then fix it again or set up a new trap. Same as the power of naming, it indicates that immortals are in fact dependent on mortals, or more precisely on their minds and imagination. So, it all boils down again to mortal creativity.
Supernatural 6.04 Weekend at Bobby’s
Most of fantasy and myths give just meta-clues that immortals are the creation of mortals. Some texts of fantasy tell it outright. This entry could use more examples, but as you can see, it's hardly a dissertation, and I just gave a handful quotes off the top of my head. So you're more than welcome to throw in more. :)
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You can comment on it also in Disqus, here.
It's okay to comment in whatever language fits you best, as long as I get it. Don't mind the entry's language.
Można komentować w języku, który najbardziej ci odpowiada, o ile go zrozumiem. Nie przejmuj się językiem notki.
[ETA after what was pointed out in comments. Thank you, moth2fic. Everything told in this post applies only to the fantasy that makes the distinction between mortal and immortal (natural and supernatural, our world and other world, etc.); to the fantasy that doesn't - typically the fantasy set entirely in a Fantasyland - it's irrelevant.]
Supernaturals being most often immortal (though almost as often still killable, but that's quite another matter), the linguistic inevitability granted their mundane default background the name of mortals. Immortals are defined by being different than mortals, and that's because mortals don't need defining - as I say, they're default. And anyway one doesn't come to fantasy for them, quite the contrary, right? That's why hardly anyone ever talks about them in the context other than “we need to save them”. So, “mortal power” by itself is oxymoronic.
And yet, it's not. Since it goes unmentioned, though, it needs to be gleaned from logical conclusions of what is mentioned of immortal limitations. Like pieces of dough from between cut-out cookies after they have been cut out. And once in a while there happen also a text of fantasy that does mention it outright, and in the tone of awe, because in such cases the authors knowingly use and reverse the “Immortals Are Cool” trope. It is also noticed that the Humans Are Special trope is a thing, but that's not exactly what I mean, as this one is more about “being effectively powerful in spite of being technically powerless”. Of course, mortals achieving the use of supernatural powers, though they are a thing in fantasy as well (and big thing), also are not what I mean. What I do mean, are powers that usually aren't regarded as such, until fantasy gives them a new perspective. They are powers that mortals have just by being mortals, and take for granted.
# mortals can pass life on;
Immortals often can't procreate, which seems a rare stroke of sense on the side of universe. In cases when they can, it's often accomplished on the way of involving mortals in the process.
# mortals can name things;
Knowledge of a name, especially the individual and unique name of a living being, in fantasy enables a magical influence over its bearer. However, immortals often can only use names that already are there, but can't make up new ones. Have you noticed that embodiments of primeval forces usually introduce themselves as “I'm called by many names, but the most popular is...” ? Basically it's just “pompous fantasy talk”, but there's also an underlying implication that they can't choose names for themselves on their own, which is something that mortals do all the time. Naming is an act of creation in a way, so it's related to the #1 on this list, and generally to mortal innovative abilities.
‘It was the rule of names,’ he said. ‘I remembered my mother telling me that story when I was maybe four or five years old. How God brought all the animals to Adam to be named. “And whatsoever he called them, that they became.” As though they hadn’t been anything up until then, and the names pinned them down.’ … ‘We bring [demons] by using their names,’ he said. ‘And we send them away by using their names. The names have got all the power in them, even now. So I drove that evil fucker out of me by driving in [my body] my own name, every few inches, until he had no place to hide, no place he could go that wasn’t marked as mine.’
The Naming of the Beast, Mike Carey
”Names have tremendous power, Dresden. Yet mortals toss them left and right as though they were toys. It’s like watching infants play with hand grenades sometimes.”
Ghost Story, Jim Butcher
# mortals have free will;
The basic problem of which is that free will is another thing going without defining. That often makes the matters a little puzzling, because apparently the lack of free will doesn't really keep immortals from making decisions and undertaking actions on their own initiative. It seems like the popular fantasy idea of free will, or rather the lack of thereof, is “being unable to act against a direct and explicit order of those who have the authority over them”; again something that mortals do on a daily basis. Immortals are in this a little like robots having Asimov's Laws built in.
Being a demon, of course, was supposed to mean you had no free will. But you couldn't hang around humans for very long without learning a thing or two.
Good Omens, Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
# mortals can lie;
Gaelic and generally Western fantasy faeries cannot knowingly utter words that aren't in accordance with facts. Not that it keeps them from deceiving the hell out of you, but they can do it only indirectly. Perhaps that's why they're so obsessive about keeping their word, as breaking it would backwardly make giving it telling a future lie? Same as passing the life and naming things are creative powers, choosing own name, exercising one's free will and lying are acts of defiance and therefore autonomy.
# mortals are not influenced by symbols;
And that's another sort of the latter, though more metaphorical. Immortals who wield cosmic scale powers at their will and are generally scary sonuvabitches... can be restrained by a little of paint. Signs or magic circles, both of which mortals step over without even noticing they were there. A mortal can also free a trapped immortal by breaking the continuity of the lines, and then fix it again or set up a new trap. Same as the power of naming, it indicates that immortals are in fact dependent on mortals, or more precisely on their minds and imagination. So, it all boils down again to mortal creativity.
Supernatural 6.04 Weekend at Bobby’s
Most of fantasy and myths give just meta-clues that immortals are the creation of mortals. Some texts of fantasy tell it outright. This entry could use more examples, but as you can see, it's hardly a dissertation, and I just gave a handful quotes off the top of my head. So you're more than welcome to throw in more. :)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can comment on it also in Disqus, here.
It's okay to comment in whatever language fits you best, as long as I get it. Don't mind the entry's language.
Można komentować w języku, który najbardziej ci odpowiada, o ile go zrozumiem. Nie przejmuj się językiem notki.