Fantastisk historia och fornstora dagar: En jämförelse av kunskapen om förflutna guldåldrar i J. R. R. Tolkiens och George R. R. Martins fantasyvärldar

Författare

Ludvig Lhonneur

Summary, in English

In this study I have compared the use of intradiegetic history in the fantasy worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin in their novels The Fellowship of the Ring and A Game of Thrones. Both authors make use of ancient kingdoms and their aftermaths in constructing their fantasy worlds and the stories that takes place within them. There are however some differences in how they do it. Inspired by Heckel Hartwig’s definition of “Golden age theory” I sought to map out these differences. In Tolkien’s work there is a clear dichotomy between good and evil where the good characters are the once who discuss historical knowledge regardless of class and gender. In Martin’s world however there is no clear distinction between good and evil, and therefore social class and gender become bigger markers for historical knowledge. Artefacts and ruins prove to be another theme where the two authors differ. The ruins in Tolkien’s Middle-earth are often inhabited by ghost whilst the ruins in Martins Westeros lack this form of old inhabitants. Instead Martins world has institutions which can draw back their roots thousands of years which make old buildings have another form of history. In both authors world’s old artefacts of war such as swords and armour were made better in the “Golden age” which has turned them into symbols of status in the “present day”. Over all there are both differences and similarities between the fantasy worlds and the author’s use of history in them.

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