Why do we love magical creatures so much?
Every country and every religion has its share of legendary beasts. Some of them are cross-cultural – dragons, or versions of dragons, turn up nearly everywhere. Human fascination with mythical creatures has persisted for centuries.
My love affair with magical animals started with Carbonel, a witch’s cat who could talk to you as long as you were holding the witch’s broom. Then there was Mr Tumnus in CS Lewis’s Narnia – a faun (part human, part goat) - and the glorious Fledge, originally a cabby’s horse called Strawberry who was given wings by Aslan (a talking lion, obviously).
Maybe this is what we love about them. The ability to be more than just an ordinary creature. Maybe we all wish we could sprout wings or breathe fire. And maybe it also explains why we love vampires and werewolves so much.
Originally they were created as creatures of horror – let’s face it, Nosferatu was no-one’s idea of a romantic date. But they later morphed into love interests. These fantasy figures of terror became the heroes, not the villains. Even the less aesthetically-pleasing supernaturals have had a makeover of late. Terry Pratchett made an orc a hero in one of his last books, ‘Unseen Academicals’.
In writing, fantasy tends to go through trends. Maybe it’s witches and werewolves one year, vampires and fae the next. But the fascination persists with creatures that are more powerful, more beautiful and more seductive than we are.
I’ve put fantastical beasts into all my books so far. My last book, Kingdom of Salt, was based on mermaids. My latest urban fantasy Mark of the Djinn is due out in August. It not only features a – the clue’s in the title – magical djinn (or genie), but there’s also another mythical creature which plays a small role. I won’t spoil the surprise, but it’s a legendary beast that fascinated me when I was a kid.
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