The Postcolonial lens of literature is one that highlights that of stories stemming from the Northern half of Europe, both though historical means but also cultural. Nordicism is a branch of Postcolonialism that specifically finds its way into fantasy literature through the means of mythology. While most fantasy attempts to make an original plot, many also rely on pre-existing mythological groundwork. The fantastical nature of mythology lends itself well to being used in these works of fiction though with that being said this practice is skewed heavily in modern literature. Norse mythology is a dominant factor within fantasy literature that leaves little room for creative ideas from outside of Northern Europe.

Incredibly famous cases of this exist such as Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings which go so far as to act as an alternate ancient history to the actual world. These books were written with Norse creatures placed in major roles such as Elves, Dwarves and Orcs. These creatures can often be seen as caricatures for minority groups in the real world such as Dwarves being representative of the Jewish community. Tolkien made the creatures short with large noses and long beards but also gave them the quality of greed. The Dwarves constantly yearn to find more riches in their mines and increase their wealth. Not only this but often find themselves homeless, especially in the plot of The Hobbit where they have been cast away from their homeland. Orcs on the other hand are an unfortunate symbol of Africans. They are described as having dark of black skin but are given little respect throughout the story. They typically act in a hivemind manner due to their low intelligence and acting as soldiers with their brutish strength. Along with this Tolkien sticks to his main characters being white males while also only bringing in people of color as canon fodder for them. Tolkien’s equivalent of Asians and Africans are introduced as wicked men who have sided with a dark lord determined to take over the world. The characters are not used for a greater purpose and die in the process.

Works such as that of Tolkien’s are still consistently being shoveled out in the modern world as well. The Harry Potter books barrow from this idea by focusing in on strictly European mythology. The use of creatures such as Phoenixes, Goblins, Giants and Dragons (specifically western stylized dragons) proves this but not as much as the characters within the story. All of the main characters have been portrayed as white and strictly British even with the setting being well into the globalized time of the 1990s. Most characters of color are sidelined if focused on at all while the Eurocentric white character are given the starlight. This overuse of Eurocentric white washing of fantasy goes beyond just written literature though. It can also be found in popular games such as Dungeons and Dragons or Skyrim.

The fact is that modern fantasy is dominated and obsessed with the classic literature and culture of European roots above all else. White characters, often with British accents, fill the roles of critically acclaimed stories centered around a supposed escape from the real world but fail to move beyond a single continent. Perhaps other cultures should be given the opportunity to share their greatest works of fantasy and expand the genre such as African, Asian and Native American fantasy.

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings. 50th anniversary 1 vol. ed., Houghton Mifflin, 2005.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter