Folklore and the authors who rely on it

If you're a fan of reading, you are bound to run into fairy tales at some point. You may not do it consciously, but going to a Shakespeare festival can bring you into the court of Titania and Oberon or find you listening to Mercutio talk about Queen Mab. You might be a Terry Pratchett fan who consciously sees the satire of folklore in Witches Abroad. Or you may be a fan of Ella Enchanted and only realize halfway through that this is a much healthier perspective on Cinderella. If you want to experience works grounded in folklore, here are three foolproof recommendations.

The Ring of the Nibelung

You wouldn't be caught off-guard if I reverted to a reference to my favorite ring-centric epic. J.R.R. Tolkien certainly penned one of the world's greatest sagas about rings of power associated with the powers of a world and the quest to defeat the Dark Lord who seeks to rule the world.

Decades before Bilbo Baggins found a circle of metal that was "a turning point in his career," German composer Richard Wagner took the Norse sagas of the Nibelunglied and composed four operas comprising The Ring Cycle. It was based on Germanic heroic legends and began with the forging of a great ring by the Nibelung dwarf Alberich. The cycle tells the story of generations of gods and heroes attempting to regain control and mastery of this ring that grants the power to rule the world. It's a compelling and far-seeing epic for those who enjoy dramatic music.

The Chronicles of Prydain

I didn't know I was being introduced to Welsh folklore when I picked up The Book of Three at the age of 9. I had run out of things to read on a trip and knew that it was part of the same saga as The Black Cauldron. I enjoyed that movie, so I decided to read another installment in the story.

This five-book series by Lloyd Alexander is loosely based on Welsh tales. Arwan and Gydion, two of the series' characters, are figures in Welsh legend, but their motivations are altered. Those looking for familiar fantastical locations and names can enjoy the tales that Alexander wove into the established world.

The Chronicles of Narnia

C.S. Lewis' books are obvious Christian allegory, with the self-sacrificing lion confirming that he is literally Jesus in one book. That doesn't mean that there aren't shades of other mythological systems at play.

Consider that the first friend Lucy makes is a faun and the first foe Edmund meets is a dwarf. We have giants and centaurs playing parts and even Dionysus has a role to play in the community-building parts of Prince Caspian. The White Witch's wolf enforcer is named for a destructive Norse figure. You can get through the books in a spirit of mythological cooperation no matter your religious proclivities.

There are many other places to go in this vein, but these are places to start. We look forward to seeing more as our horizons broaden.