Dale Hurst – Author - Novelist news and other titbits
  • Home
  • About Dale Hurst
  • Buy My Books
  • Blog
  • Podcast – The Dale Hurst Writing Show
Home
About Dale Hurst
Buy My Books
Blog
Podcast – The Dale Hurst Writing Show
Dale Hurst – Author - Novelist news and other titbits
  • Home
  • About Dale Hurst
  • Buy My Books
  • Blog
    • Lust & Liberty
    • Sin & Secrecy
    • You Can Hear Chopin
    • Short Fiction
    • Poetry
  • Podcast
    • Season 3
    • Season 2
    • Season 1
  • Get in touch
Browsing Tag
baba yaga
Blog

Fantasy Writing: 5 Mythological Figures to Inspire Your Characters

August 5, 2021 No Comments

Our inaugural podcast episode explores ways to keep fantasy writing fresh. And one of the things we explored is drawing inspiration from ancient myths and legends. Here are a few that are a bit outside-the-box…

The first episode of The Dale Hurst Writing Show deals with keeping fantasy writing freshI once dabbled in a bit of fantasy writing. Never really got the knack for it, though. For one thing, I expect I was too young to understand the greater process of world building. The amount of history that goes into these things, as you see in Tolkien’s Middle Earth legendarium, or the world of George R. R. Martin… in short, it’s no small feat crafting a successful fantasy world.

As discussed in the first episode of The Dale Hurst Writing Show, when writing fantasy, we sometimes look to comparable works such as those of Tolkien and Martin, as well as maybe those of C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia), J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter), and Andrzej Sapkowski (The Witcher). Other times, we draw from what we grow up learning about ancient cultures – gods, goddesses, heroes, and monsters. In other words, figures featuring in myths and legends. 

I was a bit obsessed with this sort of thing when I was younger. And while, of course, I would read about the feats of Zeus, Poseidon, Odin, Thor, and Loki, I also remember some of the more obscure mythological figures I read about. So, when it comes to creating your own fantasy story, maybe you’d like to take inspiration from some of these characters, rather than the usual go-tos…

LOUHI (Finnish mythology)

The Witch of the North in Finnish folklore, and already an antagonist in some pre-existing fantasy series. All the same, Louhi, or a character inspired by her, could be quite a harrowing villainess. Some portrayals have her taking the full guise of an eagle or some other monstrous bird. Meanwhile others, including the first depiction I saw of her, showed a frightening-looking woman (white eyes, fanged teeth) with handmade wings and talons, the latter made from farmers’ scythes. If I were to head back into the realms of fantasy writing, Louhi would have to be in there in one form or another.

RAVANA (Hindu legend)

The Ramayana is possibly one of the earliest legends I ever remember hearing. We were taught about it in school when I was either five or six years-old. It’s the tale of Rama and Sita, but it also features one of the most memorable villains ever, in the form of Ravana. A demon king with ten heads and 20 arms. Hindu tradition already regards him as a symbol of evil, so why not inject a bit of him into your next dark lord?

BABA YAGA (Russian mythology)

One of my main guilty pleasures is the film Anastasia; in part for its music, in part on account of my obsession with Russian imperial history. This film produced a direct-to-video spin-off called Bartok the Magnificent, an antagonist of which was Baba Yaga, who is actually a prominent figure in Russian folklore. A child-snatching witch who lives in a house mounted on chicken’s legs, and who travels the Russian skies in a flying mortar and pestle. In Bartok, her portrayal was relatively light-hearted compared to what it could have been. Maybe you could push her to the other extreme in your fantasy villainess.

ACALA (Buddhism, particularly Japanese Buddhism)

You could include a character based of Acala based on his depictions alone. This is one scary and angry looking guy. Bulging white eyes, fanged teeth, a sword in one hand and a noose in the other. Acala is what is described as a wrathful deity; in some cases, he is the wrathful manifestation of the buddha Vairocana. Either way, he gives plenty with which to inspire up-and-coming fantasy writers.

ANANSI (African mythology)

The trickster spider Anansi gets a passing mention in the podcast episode. He is a god in African and Caribbean mythology, who knows all the stories in the world. As such, he is attached to a great many myths, stories and parables. He is the only entry on this list that does not specifically fill an antagonistic role. Anansi typically uses cunning and creativity to outsmart his opponents. With that in mind, he could always serve in a similar capacity to the MCU’s Loki. Or a would-be fantasy author might push Anansi one step further and make him 100% evil, who plays tricks purely out of sadism.

Any more weird and wonderful mythical or legendary figures you think would inspire decent characters, whether hero or villain? Why not let me know in the comments? For more author news and views, my Facebook and Instagram pages are here.

Continue reading
Reading time: 3 min
Written by: Dale Hurst

Newsletter

About me

This is Dale Hurst here. Novelist and journalist. Subscribe above to receive all updates.

Popular Posts

ANNOUNCEMENT: New Book in Progress

November 15, 2018

No Time Like the Present…

July 1, 2018

“To Err is Human…”

August 4, 2018

You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic: A Brief Overview

January 24, 2019

Categories

  • Ballad of a Godless Man
  • Blog
  • Characters
  • Food Writing
  • Journalism
  • Lifestyle
  • Lust & Liberty
  • Podcast
  • Poetry
  • Short Fiction
  • Sin & Secrecy
  • Travels
  • Writing
  • You Can Hear Chopin

dalehurst_author

The Berylford Scandals (1. Lust & Liberty, 2. Sin & Secrecy) 📚
Podcaster | The Dale Hurst Writing Show🎙️

Dale Hurst | Author
Find out what's been bubbling beneath the surface Find out what's been bubbling beneath the surface on my ongoing projects. New post for you to read now available on my website (#linkinbio)
.
#writingcommunity #writersofig #creativewriting #creativesofinsta #authorscommunity #authornetwork #igbooks #bookstagram #bookaddict #writingprocess
What do authors need to send to potentially catch What do authors need to send to potentially catch @abbie_editorial 's attention? This and more on the latest edition of my podcast The Dale Hurst Writing Show! Available now on Spotify 🎧🎙️✍️📚🖋️📖
.
#thedalehurstwritingshow #writingcommunity #writingpodcast #publishingadvice #publishinghouse #editorsofinstagram #podcastaddict #podcastsofig #proofreader #creativesofinsta #writeradvice
There's a lot more to publishing a book than crack There's a lot more to publishing a book than cracking out a manuscript... @abbie_editorial tells a few home truths about the publishing process in the most recent episode of The Dale Hurst Writing Show... now available to listen on Spotify 🎧🎙️📖🖋️📚✍️
.
#thedalehurstwritingshow #writingcommunity #writingpodcast #publishinghouse #editorsofinstagram #proofreader #authorscommunity #writeradvice #publishingadvice #podcastersofinstagram
Been in one of my inspired mania moods lately, wit Been in one of my inspired mania moods lately, with dozens of short stories and poem ideas rattling around and currently nowhere to put them 😅😅😅
.
#writerthreads #writersofinsta #writerproblems #authorscommunity #authorlife #creativewritingcommunity #creativesofinsta #amwritingfiction #shortstorywriter #poetrycommunity
New episode now available. @abbie_editorial talks New episode now available. @abbie_editorial talks us through the role of the commissioning department and how authors might get their work in front of them. Plus, my views on social media personalities... 😏😏😏
.
Listen now on Spotify 🎙️✍️🖋️📖🎧
.
#thedalehurstwritingshow #podcastsofig #igpodcasts #podcastaddict #writingpodcast #publishingcommunity #writeradvice #publishingadvice #proofreader #editor
Introducing my guest for the latest episode of The Introducing my guest for the latest episode of The Dale Hurst Writing Show – @abbie_editorial – who lent her expertise to discuss the role of the commissioning department within a publishing company, among other things... New episode available from this Thursday! Don't miss it! 🎙️✍️📚🖋️📖
.
Catch up with the podcast on Spotify (#linkinbio)
.
#thedalehurstwritingshow #writingcommunity #writingpodcast #publishinghouse #editorsofinstagram #proofreader #authorscommunity #writeradvice #publishingadvice #podcastersofinstagram
Wales (Cardiff/Caerphilly) ft. Mediaeval castles, Wales (Cardiff/Caerphilly) ft. Mediaeval castles, libraries and dragons 🏰🐉
.
#exploringwales
How significant is that emotional connection to wh How significant is that emotional connection to what you're writing? Just one of the many things @bertiebrosnanfilms and I talked about in the most recent podcast. Filmmakers from aspiring to pro ought to give this episode a listen – all on Spotify 🎙️🎧🎬🎥
.
#filmmakersofinstagram #thedalehurstwritingshow #screenwritersofinstagram #screenwritersofig #screenwritercommunity #filmmakinglife #filmmakersworld #writingpodcast #podcastersofinstagram #igpodcast #writeradvice
Load More… Follow on Instagram

Dale Hurst

  • About Dale Hurst
  • Get in touch

Recent Posts

  • Progress Report — September 2023
  • Progress Report — August 2023
  • The Dale Hurst Writing Show Season 3 arriving soon
  • How to get in the right writing headspace
  • What to do with Bad Ideas, Off-Cuts and Throw-Outs

Dale Hurst

  • Email
    dale.hurst93@gmail.com
  • Address
    Poole, Dorset
© 2020 Copyright Dale Hurst // All rights reserved