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| Mythlore | |
|---|---|
| Title | Mythlore |
| Frequency | Biannual |
| Category | Fantasy studies, Folklore, Literature |
| Firstdate | 1969 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Mythlore is a scholarly and fan-oriented periodical dedicated to the study of fantasy, folklore, mythology, and related narrative arts. It publishes critical essays, bibliographies, reviews, interviews, and creative work that engage with authors, texts, and traditions from across global literatures and media. Contributors have analyzed works associated with figures such as J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, George R. R. Martin, Ursula K. Le Guin, and J. K. Rowling, while situating those texts alongside traditions invoked by names like Homer, Virgil, Geoffrey Chaucer, and William Shakespeare.
Mythlore presents interdisciplinary scholarship linking medieval studies and modern narrative forms, examining continuities between writers such as T. S. Eliot and J. R. R. Tolkien, and tracing mythic motifs from sources like The Iliad and Beowulf through contemporary retellings by Neil Gaiman and Patricia A. McKillip. Articles commonly engage with archival materials associated with institutions including the Bodleian Library, British Library, Marquette University Libraries, and manuscript traditions exemplified by the Cotton Library and the Exeter Book. The journal frequently situates analyses within movements and contexts invoked by New Historicism, comparative readings that resonate with scholars associated with University of Oxford, Harvard University, Yale University, and University of California, Berkeley.
Founded in 1969 by members of the University of Minnesota fantasy and folklore community and early fans of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, Mythlore evolved from fanzine origins into a refereed journal with ties to societies such as the Mythopoeic Society, the Folklore Society, and the American Folklore Society. Early editors drew on networks connected to conferences like the Tolkien Society gatherings and panels at conventions including Worldcon and PhilCon. Over decades the journal reflected shifts in literary studies influenced by critical figures such as Northrop Frye, Joseph Campbell, and Vladimir Propp, and responded to publishing trends represented by houses like HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin, and Penguin Books.
The journal covers a wide array of themes: comparative mythology with references to Norse mythology and Celtic mythology, adaptations and performance tied to companies such as New Line Cinema and BBC Television, and author-centric studies of writers like Terry Pratchett, Ray Bradbury, Frank Herbert, and Philip K. Dick. It publishes work on narrative theory linked to scholars from Columbia University and Princeton University, and on iconography observable in collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Essays often invoke canonical epics—The Aeneid, The Odyssey, The Divine Comedy—while also examining modern mythmaking in franchises such as Star Wars, Doctor Who, and The Lord of the Rings film adaptations. Intersections with religious and cultural figures like Saint Augustine, Ibn Sina, Rabindranath Tagore, and Confucius appear in comparative treatments that trace archetypes across Eurasian and African oral traditions connected to archives like the Smithsonian Institution and the British Museum.
Mythlore transitioned from mimeographed fanzine to a professionally produced journal with editorial boards drawing members from universities including University of Wisconsin–Madison, Ohio State University, University of Chicago, and University of Toronto. Editorial policy emphasizes peer review and scholarly apparatus while retaining space for creative contributions and reviews of books published by presses such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and Routledge. Production values have benefitted from collaboration with librarians and bibliographers at institutions like Indiana University Bloomington and the Library of Congress. The journal’s distribution has intersected with cataloging systems used by JSTOR and library networks like OCLC.
Mythlore has functioned as a hub connecting academics, librarians, and fan communities associated with organizations such as the Mythopoeic Society, Tolkien Society, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and convention scenes like Worldcon and Dragon Con. Its influence is evident in graduate research at departments including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of California, Los Angeles, and in syllabi drawing on essays published in the journal for courses on authors like C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. Cross-pollination with editors, critics, and award committees tied to the Hugo Awards, Nebula Awards, and Mythopoeic Awards demonstrates its role in shaping conversations about contemporary mythmaking and reception studies.
Conferences and panels that feature Mythlore contributors meet at venues such as King’s College London, Boston University, University of Notre Dame, and festival sites like the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Contributors and subjects have been associated with prizes and recognitions including the Pulitzer Prize, Man Booker Prize, Costa Book Awards, and specialist honors like the Mythopoeic Scholarship Award. Symposia connected to the journal have intersected with events organized by the Folklore Society, the American Comparative Literature Association, and the International Medieval Congress.
Category:Literary journals Category:Fantasy studies