Where the magic things are

Forests in fantasy literature

Abstract

This paper analyses the portrayal of forests in modern fantasy literature as the source and dwelling of magic and magical beings, with a close look at five important works by J. R. R. Tolkien, Peter Beagle, Ursula K. Le Guin, George Martin, and Patrick Rothfuss. A connection between nature and the fantastic can already be seen in early works of literature, folklore, and traditional fairy tales. In modern fantasy literature, following the path set by Tolkien, the motif of magical forests remains, with constantly shifting boundaries, a different perception of time, fantastic creatures, miraculous cures, superior wisdom. Given the, at least ideological, human-nature distancing and antagonism, characteristic of civilization (HARRISON, 2009), and considering that fantasy can have a recovery function (TOLKIEN, 2009), these fantastic forests can help humankind marvel at and reconnect with nature, possibly aiding in the development of a new and much necessary environmental awareness.