Mythology is the study of myth, but how does the study of ancient myth guide today’s modern myth? Mythology has been brought to life through art, film, and theatre, but those are just a few ways myths have been transformed through time. In some cultures myths are still passed down through oral tradition, with an expectation from the listeners to be wowed and awed at the telling. This essay we will look at Terry Brooks’ The Sword of Shannara. Brooks’ work is done in the literary art form, but how does his work relate to our world view of myth? What is used in his work as mythic symbolism? Is it modern myth or old myth presented in a new light? These questions will be addressed in this essay. In the Sword of Shannara, Brooks takes the reader into world that resembles ours today, but is indeed very different. Brooks weaves a tale that could be seen as a past long forgotten or a look into the future, where mythological creatures are no longer myth, but living breathing beings that coexist in the human world. The myth in his work is not the characters he has created, but the legend and tale of an ancient sword, which symbolizes the truth that not all beings can accept about themselves. Brooks’ tale parallels the everyday life and thoughts that exist in the world today, but outside of the normal bounds that one would be used to. Common across myth throughout time and seen here again in Brooks’ work. Brooks introduces the young man who is on a quest, but with a twist. The birthright that this young man is to claim is not a throne, but a legendary sword, that has become myth in the world in which he lives; also we have the ever present struggle between good and evil. The themes found throughout Brooks’ work parallel that of myth throughout time. Brooks like Tolkein uses mythic symbolism throughout his work; not just in the form of ancient relics and forgotten stones, but in the characters themselves. There is the sword, which is the only weapon capable of stopping the evil that is slowly spreading across the land and it is up to a young Shea to destroy the unseen enemy. The elf stones, a myth in themselves; powered by the same magic used in the making of the sword, which are able to provide protection to the unlikely hero. Brooks creates the warlock Lord who is a representation of all the evil in the world. He introduces the mysterious stranger, Allanon who is essentially a knight for good. Each of the characters, Brooks introduce is not just a representation of the races in this fantasy world, but a representation of the beliefs and values of each race, what is considered good and true in the fantasy Brooks has weaved. Brooks weaves myth, fantasy, and a prediction of possible future events during his time into the fabric of his tales. Brooks came from a time when the possibility of nuclear holocaust was on the mind and hearts of many during a time of innovation and weapons advancement. Brooks’ using the possible outcome of nuclear holocaust to introduce his reader to a world in which everything upon the surface seems the same, but isn’t as a result of man’s own basic nature. Brooks brings in most of the "common" myhtical races: dwarfs, elves, trolls, and gnomes. Symbolism can be seen throughout this tale whether through objects or people, it is only a matter of truly looking beyond just the words on the page, but processing all of what Brooks shows you and piecing together the subtle connections. For example, the sword itself is a symbol, for truth and how a man, can or cannot handle the inner most truth about himself, while this sword should be able to be used by all, because of who did the wielding the sword will only work for someone of that same bloodline. There’s also the elfstones, stones of immense magical power that are in tune with the mythical sword. Brooks’ literature reinforces the new modern myth and how we as an ever changing people relate our world to myth, through fantasy.

Bibliography
Brooks, Terry. The Sword of Shannara. Volume. 1. New York: Random House, 1977. Print.
Leitner, Sabine. Modern Mythology: New Acropolis. Electronic
Rosenberg, Donna. World Mythology, An Anthology Of The Great Myths And Epics. 3rd ed. Chicago, Illinois: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, Inc., 1999. Print.