Where did the concept of fantasy originate? For that matter where did the concept of fiction come from? Ancient man had sacred texts, but they certainly did not consider them “fantasy.”
According to Gene Veith, it was the Bible that made fantasy possible in the first place. While the Greeks emphasized imitation, the Bible emphasized creation. The universe is not an imitation but a creation out of nothing. This concept helped to provide the conceptual basis for creating stories, fiction.
Another common objection of our day is that fairy stories and fairy tales in particular are scary and violent and are therefore unfit for children.
There is no natural connection between the minds of children and fairy tales, states Tolkien.
This essay was presented as an essay at the 2011 CiRCE Conference.
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