Artificial mythology (compare artificial language) is any complete, invented world with mythic features that, rather than arising out of centuries of oral tradition, are penned over a short period of time by a single author or small group of collaborators. While many literary works carry mythic themes, only a few approach the dense self-referentiality of, for example, William Blake or C.S. Lewis. An artificial or constructed language (known colloquially as a conlang among aficionados), is a language whose vocabulary and grammar were specifically devised by an individual or small group, rather than having naturally evolved as part of a culture as with natural languages. ... William Blake (November 28, 1757 – August 12, 1827) was an English poet, painter and printmaker, or Author & Printer, as he signed many of his books. ... Clive Staples Lewis (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an author and scholar. ...

Artificial mythology includes fictional details imitating true mythology but specifically created for fantasy or science-fiction books or movies (such as The Lord of the Rings), role playing games, or any other fiction not simply based upon pre-existing myths. The Three Graces, here in a painting by Sandro Botticelli, were the goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility in Greek mythology. ... Mythology is the study of myths: stories of a particular culture that it believes to be true and that feature a specific religious or belief system. ... Look up Fantasy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For other definitions of fantasy, see fantasy (psychology). ... A collection of classic science fiction novels Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology upon society and persons as individuals. ... Wikicities has a wiki about The Lord of the Rings: The Lord of the Rings Wiki The Encyclopedia of Arda - Mark Fishers tribute site to the works of Tolkien Tolkien Gateway Tolkien Collectors Gateway The Tolkien Wiki Community TheOneRing. ... This article is about traditional role-playing games. ...

Such fictional worlds are expansive creations with well-ordered histories, geographies, and laws of nature. Some build upon many aspects of the real world, while others are almost entirely invented. Artificial mythology is like an imagined world of any other work of science-fiction or fantasy in basic features shown in a simple narrative but is similar to a typical mythological system in scope and detail. Artificial mythology can be created entirely by an individual, like the world of Middle-earth, or can be formed as a result of an amalgam of writings, like the Expanded Universe of Star Wars. A map of the Northwestern part of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age, courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Arda. ... The Expanded Universe (or EU for short) is a collection of fictional background material from the Star Wars universe that is derived from official novels, comic books, and various other media besides the movies themselves. ... For the 1977 film originally released under the name Star Wars, see Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. ...

The place of artificial mythology in society

Works of artificial mythology are often treated as normal works of fantasy or science-fiction, but many hardcore fans relate to them as if these worlds were real. They study the languages, histories and religions depicted in the fiction. Joseph Campbell, a famous student of world mythology, spoke of a Nietzschean world which has today outlived much of the mythology of the past. He claimed that new myths must be created, but he believed that present culture is changing too rapidly for society to be completely described by any such mythological framework until a later age. He did, however, use Star Wars as an example of the creation of such fantasy worlds by which civilization will one day describe itself. Without relevant mythology, Campbell claimed, society cannot function. Look up Fantasy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For other definitions of fantasy, see fantasy (psychology). ... A collection of classic science fiction novels Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology upon society and persons as individuals. ... History Forums - History is Happening -Discuss all historical topics, as well as current events, in an academic setting. ... Joseph Campbell (New York City, March 26, 1904 - Honolulu, October 30, 1987) was an American professor, writer, and orator best known for his work in the fields of (comparative) mythology and comparative religion. ... Friedrich Nietzsche, 1882 Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 - August 25, 1900) was a highly influential German philosopher. ... For the 1977 film originally released under the name Star Wars, see Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. ...

Literature

Antiquity

Perhaps the first attempt to construct a mythology out of whole cloth was the book of Pherecydes of Syros, written in Greek Southern Italy in the 6th century BC. Pherecydes transformed the Greek pantheon beyond recognition, with Zas ("he who lives") rather than Zeus as the king of the gods, and Chronos ("time") rather than Kronos as Zas's father. Pherecydes's book was a key turning-point in the Greek movement towards scientific and philosophic thought. Pherecydes of Syros (in Greek: Φερεχύδης) was a Greek thinker from the island of Siros, Magna Graecia of the 6th century BC. Pherecydes authored the Heptamychia, one of the first attested prose works in Greek literature, which formed an important bridge between mythic and pre-Socratic though. ... Magna Graecia (Latin for Greater Greece, Megalê Hellas/Μεγάλη Ελλάς in Greek) is the name of the area in ancient southern Italy that was colonised by ancient Greek settlers in the 8th century BCE. Sources differ on whether it included Sicily, as well as Apulia and Calabria. ... (7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC - other centuries) (600s BC - 590s BC - 580s BC - 570s BC - 560s BC - 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC - 520s BC - 510s BC - 500s BC - other decades) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) The 5th and 6th centuries BC were...

19th and 20th centuries

J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth is perhaps the most well-known of contemporary artificial mythology. In his fictional works, Tolkien invented not only a cosmogony, anthropogony and epic cycle, but also a fictive linguistics, geology and geography. His close friend, C.S. Lewis, followed suit with his fantasy world of Narnia, as well as the planets of Perelandra, Malcandra and Thulcandra. J. R. R. Tolkien in 1972, in his study at Merton Street (from by H. Carpenter) John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) is the author of The Hobbit and its sequel The Lord of the Rings. ... In space science and astronomy, the term cosmogony is also used to refer to theories of creation of the Solar System, for example, the Solar Nebula. ... EPIC might be an acronym or abbreviation for: Electronic Privacy Information Center Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing Enhanced Programmable ircII Client El Paso Intelligence Center End Poverty In California European Privatisation and Investment Corporation Sometimes it is also used to refer to Epic Games game development company. ... Broadly conceived, linguistics is the scientific study of human language, and a linguist is someone who engages in this study. ... Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. ... Narnia is a fantasy world created by the Irish author C. S. Lewis as a location for his Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven fantasy novels for children. ...

William Blake's "prophetic works" (e.g. The Fours Zoas) contain a rich panoply of original gods, such as Urizen, Orc, Los, Albion, Rintrah, Ahania and Enitharmon. Blake was an important influence on Aleister Crowley's Thelemic writings, whose dazzling pantheon of invented deities and radically re-cast figures from Egyptian mythology and the Book of Revelation constitute an artificial mythology of their own. William Blake (November 28, 1757 – August 12, 1827) was an English poet, painter and printmaker, or Author & Printer, as he signed many of his books. ... The prophetic works of the English poet and mystic William Blake contain a rich mythology, in which Blake worked to encode his revolutionary spiritual and political ideas into a prophecy for a new age. ... Urizen is depicted in Blakes watercoloured etching The Ancient of Days. In the complex mythology of William Blake, Urizen was the embodiment of reason and law. ... Orc (a proper name) is one of the characters in the complex mythology of William Blake. ... Los, most commonly used to refer to a person of Hispanic or Spanish-speaking origin is an abbreviation for the name Carlos. This abbreviation appears to have originated somewhere in northern California during the onset of the telecom industry boom with new startup corporations beginning to hire cheap labor in... The white cliffs of Dover Albion (in Ptolemy Alouion), is the most ancient name of Great Britain, though often used to refer specifically to England. ... Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was a British chess master, mountain climber, poet, writer, painter, social critic, occultist, mystic, astrologer, sexual revolutionary, and drug addict. ... Thelema is the English spelling of the Greek word Θελημα which means will or intention. ... Egyptian mythology (or Egyptian religion) is the name for the succession of beliefs held by the people of Egypt until the coming of Christianity and Islam. ... Visions of John the Evangelist, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ...

The repetitious themes of Jorge Luis Borges's fictional works (mirrors, labyrinths, tigers, etc.) tantalizingly hint at a deeper underlying mythos and yet stealthily hold back from any definitive canonicity. Jorge Luis Borges (bôr′hĕs) (/ˈxoɾ.xe luˈis ˈboɾ.xes/ in IPA) (August 24, 1899 – June 14, 1986) was an Argentine writer who is considered to be one of the foremost writers of the 20th century. ... A mirror is a reflective surface that is smooth enough to form an image. ... Classical labyrinth Another labyrinth Walking the famous labyrinth within the Chartres Cathedral. ... Tigers (Panthera tigris) are mammals of the Felidae family, one of four big cats that belong to the Panthera genus, and the largest of all cats, living or extinct. ...

The pulp works of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert Howard contain imagined worlds vast enough to be universes in themselves, as does the science fiction of Frank Herbert and E.E. "Doc" Smith. Pulp magazines (often referred to as the pulps) were inexpensive fiction magazines widely published from the 1920s through the 1950s. ... Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 - March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan, although he produced works in many genres. ... Robert William Howard aka Bob Hardcore Holly is a professional wrestler performing for World Wrestling Entertainment on the Smackdown! brand. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Frank Patrick Herbert (October 8, 1920 – February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author. ... The Lensman series is a serial science fiction space opera by E. E. Smith. ...

Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, apart from genre, fit the definition; coteries of dedicated fans perform close textual analysis, and real-world letters seeking help continue to be mailed to Holmes's fictional address. Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (May 22, 1859 – July 7, 1930) is the British author of Irish descent most famously known for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction. ... Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes (1854-) is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th century, created by British author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. ...

Collaborative efforts

The Rosicrucian hysteria of the 17th century arose out of a collective effort at artificial mythology, as multiple anonymous authors wove an innovative hagiography and foundation myth of the brotherhood in their tracts. The Temple of the Rosy Cross, Teophilus Schweighardt Constantiens, 1618 The Rosicrucians are a legendary and secretive Order dating from the 15th or 17th century, generally associated with the symbol of the Rose Cross, which is also used in certain rituals of the Freemasons. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Hagiography is the study of saints. ...

The Cthulhu Mythos of H.P. Lovecraft was likewise taken up by numerous collaborators and admirers. Cthulhu in Rlyeh Cthulhu mythos is the term coined by the writer August Derleth to describe the shared themes, characters, and elements in the works of H.P. Lovecraft, his protegés, and writers influenced by him. ... H. P. Lovecraft Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890–March 15, 1937) was an American author of fantasy and horror fiction, noted for giving horror stories a science fiction framework. ...

Scholarship

Many students of comparative religion have been accused of weaving their own myths rather than honestly interpreting the ones they purport to study, including Claude Lévi-Strauss, Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, Georges Dumézil, Jane Ellen Harrison, James Frazer and Barbara Walker. T.S. Eliot's Waste Land was a deliberate attempt to model a 20th century artificial mythology patterned after the birth-rebirth motif described by Frazer. Comparative religion is a field of religious studies that analyzes interpretive differences of common themes and ideas among the worlds religions. ... Claude Lévi-Strauss (born November 28, 1908) is a French anthropologist who became one of the twentieth centurys greatest intellectuals by developing structuralism as a method of understanding human society and culture. ... Carl Gustav Jung Carl Gustav Jung (July 26, 1875 – June 6, 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and founder of Analytical Psychology. ... Joseph Campbell (New York City, March 26, 1904 - Honolulu, October 30, 1987) was an American professor, writer, and orator best known for his work in the fields of (comparative) mythology and comparative religion. ... Georges Dumézil (March 4, 1898 - October 11, 1986) was a French comparative philologist best known for his analysis of sovereignty and power in Indo-European religion and society. ... Jane Ellen Harrison (September 9, 1850–April 5, 1928) was a ground-breaking English classical scholar and feminist. ... Sir James George Frazer (January 1, 1854 - May 7, 1941), a social anthropologist influential in the early stages of the modern studies of mythology and comparative religion, was born in Glasgow, Scotland. ... Thomas Stearns Eliot (September 26, 1888 - January 4, 1965), was a major Modernist Anglo-American poet, dramatist, and literary critic. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

Music

In classical music, Richard Wagner's operas were a deliberate attempt to create a new kind of Gesamtkunstwerk ("total work of art"), transforming the legends of the Teutonic past into a new, nearly unrecognizable monument to the Romantic project. Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 in Leipzig – February 13, 1883 in Venice) was an influential German composer, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his groundbreaking symphonic-operas (or music dramas). His compositions are notable for their continuous contrapuntal texture, rich harmonies and orchestration, and elaborate use... Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement in the history of ideas that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ...

In popular music, George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic collective produced numerous concept albums which tied together in what is referred to as P Funk mythology. George Clinton at the VH1 Fashion Awards. ... The bands Parliament and Funkadelic are intrinsically linked and can not be easily separated. ... Funkadelic was originally the backing band for the doo wop group, The Parliaments. ... Usually, in popular music, an album of an artist or group simply consists of a number of unconnected songs that the members of the group or the artist have written or have chosen to cover. ... The bands Parliament, Funkadelic and related offshoots (see List of P Funk members) are collectively referred to as the P Funk. ...

Other media

George Lucas claims to have been consciously influenced by Joseph Campbell's theories in making his Star Wars movies. Their older, televised cousin Star Trek has become a sort of religion for certain fans. George Lucas George Walton Lucas, Jr. ... This article is being rewritten at Star Trek/temp. ...

Comic books have been seen as the twentieth century's answer to epic. Perhaps the most ambitious and deliberate effort at artificial mythology in the comic field was Jack Kirby's Fourth World series, with the cosmic struggle between Darkseid's Apokalips and the gods of New Genesis and Mister Miracle and Orion as messiah-figures. A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... EPIC might be an acronym or abbreviation for: Electronic Privacy Information Center Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing Enhanced Programmable ircII Client El Paso Intelligence Center End Poverty In California European Privatisation and Investment Corporation Sometimes it is also used to refer to Epic Games game development company. ... The Fantastic Four, one of Kirbys most famous creations Jack Kirby (August 28, 1917–February 6, 1994) was one of the most influential, recognizable and prolific artists in United States comic books. ... Mister Miracle is the name of a DC Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby, originally as part of The Fourth World series of titles. ... In Judaism, the Meslolsiah (מָשִׁיחַ Anointed one, Standard Hebrew Mašíaḥ, Tiberian Hebrew Māšîªḥ) initially meant any person who was annointed by God to do a job. ...