![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Maps-of-Tolkiens-Middle-Earth.jpg\")
<\/a>Of course, to fit the trope\/tradition, the protagonist doesn’t have to be a farm boy or gal specifically (although they very often are<\/em>) but rather a person of comparatively low degree in their society\/world, who nonetheless becomes the pawn of prophecy (I’m sure all keen fantasy readers will get this allusion!) and\/or destiny and so must set out from their own front door (you must<\/em> recognize this person \ud83d\ude09 ) on a journey (often internal in terms of personal growth, as well as being externally focused geographically) that will see him\/her face dangers and be tested, before (in the classic version) returning home to assume a far more distinguished place in their society or community. (Samwise Gamgee, anyone?)<\/p>\nHere are some examples of this tradition that readily spring to mind in terms of contemporary epic fantasy:<\/p>\n
- \n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/the-hobbit-96x150.png\")
<\/a>Bilbo Baggins<\/strong> in JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit<\/em><\/strong> — Although not a person of low degree in his own society, hobbits are little known or regarded in the wider world, being halflings. But Bilbo is chosen by the wizard Gandalf and runs out of his front door to embark on the classic quest-journey.
\n.<\/span><\/li>\n- Similarly, Frodo Baggins, Sam Gamgee, Pippin Took<\/strong>, and Merry Brandybuck<\/strong> fulfil a similar role to Bilbo in Tolkien’s far grimmer sequel, The Lord of the Rings<\/em><\/strong>, troubling the councils of “the great” and playing a pivotal role in the events of their world. Arguably, Frodo does not return home to higher status (but then, The Lord of the Rings<\/em> is not a one-dimensional story) but the other three do, particularly Sam.
\n.<\/span><\/li>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Pawn-of-Prophecy-113x150.jpg\")
<\/a>Garion<\/strong> in David Eddings’ Belgariad<\/strong> is unquestionably a farm boy and the first novel in the quintet is titled, unmistakably, Pawn of Prophecy<\/em><\/strong> — so check, also, to prophecy, the journey, and the ultimate rise to become King…
\n.<\/span><\/li>\n- Pug<\/strong> and Thomas<\/strong> in Raymond E Feist’s Magician <\/em>(and sequels): again farm boys who must leave their home village and play significant parts in the affairs of their world (Midkemia) and the war with an adjoining world (Kelewan.) In their case they do not return home but become great leaders in their society.
\n.<\/span><\/li>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Sheepfarmers-Daughter-90x150.jpg\")
<\/a>Paksennarion<\/strong> (Paks) in Elizabeth Moon’s Sheepfarmer’s Daughter<\/em><\/strong> (and sequels) is another heroine where the farmgal tradition is heralded by the title of the first book. It’s so long since I read the series that I can’t recall whether Paks returned home or not, but the farmer’s daughter definitely went on a classic quest journey, becoming a paladin or knight-hero.
\n.<\/span><\/li>\n- Rand Al Thor<\/strong> and his companions Mat, Perrin, Egwene<\/strong> and Nyneave<\/strong>, in Robert Jordan’s Wheel Of Time<\/strong> series, are a group of farmboys and gals who embark on a world-traversing journey in which they play-out destinies closely linked to the saving of their world from a great and destructive evil (similar to most if not all the titles so far.)
\n.<\/span><\/li>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Daggerspell-92x150.jpg\")
<\/a>Gill<\/strong> (Gilyan) in Katharine Kerr’s Daggerspell<\/em> <\/strong>(and sequels) also has humble beginnings, being an itinerant mercenary’s (a ‘Silver Dagger’) illegitimate daughter. She travels the roads of Deverry with her father initially and later in the course of her own adventures, rising in fame and status. In this series, though, the sense of a world at threat from a great evil, while present, is a less pronounced plot feature.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n………<\/span>Of course, the “great, world-threatening evil” is another trope —
\n………<\/span>but I’ll get to that in another post, since this is a series, after all. \ud83d\ude42
\n.<\/span><\/p>\n- \n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/TheWhitefireCrossing_FrontCover_Small-100x150.jpg\")
<\/a>Dev<\/strong>, in Courtney Schafer’s The Whitefire Crossing<\/em><\/strong>, is another street-raised, urban protagonist who occupies the lower social echelons of his society, in which magic and magicians rule. Being a\u00a0 caravan guide, journeys are a more regular part of Dev’s lot but the titular Whitefire Crossing takes him way out of his comfort zone and much farther geographically than he expects to venture.
\n.<\/span><\/li>\n- Jobber<\/strong>,
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/New-Moon-95x150.jpg\")
<\/a> from Midori Synder’s Oran<\/strong> trilogy is not only one of my favourite Fantasy heroines but a street brat and street fightin’ gal who nonetheless discovers she has a destiny and must flee for her life from her home city.\u00a0 Interestingly, Shedwyn, the main character in Sadar’s Keep<\/em><\/strong>, the second Oran book, is<\/em> a farm worker, which maintains the epic tradition while also providing an interesting juxtaposition with Jobber’s urban character.
\n.<\/span><\/li>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/half-the-world-cover-103x150.jpg\")
<\/a>Thorn<\/strong> in Half The World<\/em>, the mid-but-awesome book in Joe Abercrombie’s Shattered Sea<\/strong> trilogy, is another street-fightin’ heroine of humble origins. Her journey is based on the Viking’s fabled eastern route to Miklagard (Constantinople\/Byzantium) through Russia and into the Black Sea, and thence the Mediterranean—albeit in a Fantasy setting—and while a coming-of-age story is connected to the larger story being told through the three books.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Carnivale-101x150.jpg\")
<\/a>These are only a handful of examples from the many epic fantasy stories “out there” but I feel that they are sufficient to illustrate the prevalence of the trope\/tradition. As most of you have probably already realized, it’s not confined to literature alone.<\/p>\nLuke Skywalker epitomizes the trope in the original Stars Wars<\/em><\/strong> film, and more recently the hero of Interstellar<\/em><\/strong> is a farmer who goes on a space journey to save humankind…I’ve spotted it in less likely places, too, such as the TV series, Carnivale<\/strong>.\u00a0 The story follows a carnival in the US Depression—but the hero is still a Dust Bowl farm boy and the progress of the carnival across the States is driven by a conflict between good and evil: the very stuff of epic fantasy, in fact.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/HeirofNight_new_small-93x150.jpg\")
<\/a>USA<\/p><\/div>\n
In terms of The Wall Of Night<\/strong> <\/a>series (and later again we’ll get to how I wanted the series to have “all the tropes”, or at least, as many as I could reasonably accommodate, at any rate \ud83d\ude09 ) the “farm boy” character is Kalan. He’s of the Derai rank-and-file rather than the ruling elite known the “Blood”, but he is also the “Token bearer” (i.e. appears to have a “destiny” that is working out through the books); he set out on Fantasy and epic’s classic road journey in The Heir of Night<\/strong>,<\/em> and has been rising through the ranks,\u00a0 and in stature,\u00a0 as the series progresses.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Force-Awakens_Star-Wars-100x150.jpg\")
<\/a>In terms of why the farmboy\/gal tradition has endured in storytelling and successfully transitioned into a trope of contemporary Fantasy, I wonder if it may not have something to do with aspiration: the human desire for social progression and success in the eyes of the world. The possibility of such ambitions being achieved is both modelled and affirmed in the stories, so in that sense they have a meaning for their audience that may go beyond simple escapism.<\/p>\nThis, however, is no more than speculation on my part, so if you have theories of your own, feel free to share them through the comments. Similarly, if you have a personal favourite among the farmboy\/farmgal-goes-on-a-journey books, do add them to the list. For example, Simon<\/strong> in Tad Williams’ The Dragonbone Chair<\/em><\/strong> is another classic example, or Taizu<\/strong> in CJ Cherryh’s The Paladin<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Dragonbone-Chair-98x150.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Lord-Of-The-Rings-99x150.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Magician-94x150.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/TheEyeOfTheWorld-97x150.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/interstellar2-101x150.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Paladin_The_v2-93x150.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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—<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Next Week:<\/strong> The Prince\/Princess With A Destiny<\/span><\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
Previously On SF Signal: The\u00a0\u201cHaving Fun With Epic Fantasy\u201d Series<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1. \u201cMaking the Grand Tour<\/a>\u201d (aka the Road Journey);<\/p>\n
2. .\u201cThe \u201cBand of Brothers<\/a>\u201d; and\u00a0the<\/p>\n
- Jobber<\/strong>,
- Similarly, Frodo Baggins, Sam Gamgee, Pippin Took<\/strong>, and Merry Brandybuck<\/strong> fulfil a similar role to Bilbo in Tolkien’s far grimmer sequel, The Lord of the Rings<\/em><\/strong>, troubling the councils of “the great” and playing a pivotal role in the events of their world. Arguably, Frodo does not return home to higher status (but then, The Lord of the Rings<\/em> is not a one-dimensional story) but the other three do, particularly Sam.