The relationship between the craft and literature is one that causes
many problems.  I am not here talking about books written about the
craft but rather works of fiction.

The craft has featured in fiction for centuries, mostly in literature
for children and young adults.  We have frequently been portrayed in
literature as evil, malicious or hostile, especially in children’s
literature of the 19th century and later.  Paradoxically this does
little direct damage to us overall as it is seen as fictional, but it
does set up a very inaccurate and unhelpful stereotype in those who
cannot appreciate the difference between fact and fiction.

This also applies to film and television in many cases.  The origin
and perception of this stereotype is rooted firmly in ignorance and
fear.  Added to this is religious bigotry and this is most evident in
the United States, where, despite supposed constitutional guarantees,
religious intolerance and bigotry is rife and wide spread.

 Even more damaging is literature, especially in film and television
that is, on the surface not hostile but very inaccurate, this promotes
many misconceptions and sets up expectations of young people learning
about the craft of the use of magic in self-serving and wildly
unrealistic ways.  Productions such as “The Craft”, “Buffy the vampire
slayer” and “Supernatural” are some obvious examples.

Some writers of fiction will, however make some efforts to research
their topics with more care.  These writers will use older sources or
will speak to members of various traditions to get a better
understanding but always keep in mind that their product is not
intended to be factual it is still fiction.  Some of these include
Tolkein, as seen in the similarities in the first part of “The
Silmarillion” to the Creation, Le Guin, in her “Earthsea” books, where
she makes mention of a modified form of the theory of symbolic magic,
and Cooper, who makes use of some ( but by no means all) aspects of
craft ritual.

Such more careful writers are trying to make their work more realistic
by referring to ritual and tradition as far as they know it.  This
information being found most often by the fleeting and often obscure
references in earlier works and also by speaking to members of the
various traditions who may be known to them.

This approach can however lead to some misconceptions, (usually
unintentional) and sometimes they will serve to obscure the origin of
the basis of their work.  This is OK, it is not meant to be taken as
fact.  An example of this is Cooper’s use, in her “the Dark is Rising”
books of descriptions of craft symbols and ritual, such as her
descriptions of the Wild Hunt and Dark journey.

References to the Wild Hunt are common in literature and often come
from a variety of sources, often quite obscure.  The regiment known as
the Wild Geese, which formed Charles Stuart’s bodyguard in the
Jacobite rebellion (1746) takes its name from the invocation of the
Hunter in the Yule ritual.  Being formed in the aftermath of the
Battle of the Boyne (1699) it is a reference to the seeking of
justice.

Indeed some writers do their job of seeking realism (not reality) so
well that some people have used these references to justify their view
of the origin of the things being referred to.  They have fallen prey
to the same mistake that children are prone to in looking at movies
like “the Craft”.  They mistake art imitating life with life imitating
art.  Fiction is just that, Fiction.

The conclusion of all this?  Simple really, we must gently guide the
ignorant to the understanding that fiction may draw from reality but
does not replace it and drawing conclusions form works of fiction is a
fruitless exercise.

A writer of fiction is telling a story, and using aspects of reality
to do this makes the story more compelling.  It does not, however tell
us much, if anything about the origins of those aspects that are used,
it is not the fiction authors role.

Walk in the Light

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