Posted: March 12, 2024
A common trope in Fantasy writing is the sacred “prophecy.” Prophecy sets the stage for quite a few popular stories, including Harry Potter; Percy Jackson; Good Omens; American Gods; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; The Mockingjay, and more. Oftentimes, it sets up the whole plot. Others, there are multiple prophecies, all which guide the heroes through the story, but in a smaller way.
Prophecies, originally, were delivered by prophets, and were known as divine messages from deities. The term prophet comes from the Greek prophētēs, meaning “forthteller.” The gods would speak through their chosen religious priests, shamans, or diviners. This person was defined as the “mouthpiece” for their god.
There are many ways to deliver these messages, though; it’s not only through spoken word. It could be through casting lots, through the reading of smoke or entrails, through dreams or visions.
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However, the more common representation of prophecy nowadays in fiction is through rhymes or short verses. For instance, throughout the Percy Jackson series, Rick Riordan provides several Great prophecies, as well as regular quest prophecies, as were delivered in Ancient Greece. Most often, their prophecies are two or three rhyming couplets, though, in his recent series, The Trials of Apollo, they receive different forms of prophecy from the different oracles they discover.
The first great prophecy, which the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series follows, is this:
A half-blood of the eldest gods / Shall reach sixteen against all odds / And see the world in endless sleep / The hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap / A single choice shall end his days / Olympus to preserve or raze.
While easy to understand the words, it’s not clear what will happen which is common for Riordan’s prophecies. Often, the reader does not understand what it means until the scene comes to pass. This is what makes prophecies powerful, but also good for younger readers. It tells the reader what will happen but allows for creativity and imagination as they try to predict what will happen based on what they’ve already read.
In Harry Potter, there is only one main prophecy, delivered by the prophet Sybill Trelawny. In the series, there is the practice of divination, and the natural possessors of the Gift are either Seers or Prophets. A Seer has visions which they can remember and, in some cases, share visually with others. A Prophet, however, is known to go into a trance-like state. They will speak their prophecy, which is often recorded into a crystal ball by the Ministry, but once the prophecy is spoken and the Prophet comes out of their trance, they do not remember it. Harry’s prophecy specifically does not rhyme, and goes as follows:
“The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives… the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies….”
This is more of a statement of what will happen. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy, as many are. In fiction, one cannot fight against prophecy, and the steps they take to either ensure or refuse a prophecy will lead them to their fate.
Good Omens, a book by Sir Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, is a fun comedy about the end of the world, and a lot of what happens follows the 5000+ prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, in her book The Nice and Accurate Prophecies. Her prophecies are short, sometimes even one or two lines, and are incredibly accurate. She looks into the future as a massive painting, and she only has a keyhole to see. Another problem is that her prophecies are written from the perspective of a woman living in the 1600s, and as such, she does not understand modern inventions such as airplanes or computers. Also, a lot of the prophecies which lead up to the end of the world are merely there to put her family in a good position to be there. For instance, this one:
Prophecy 2214: “In December 1980, an Apple will arise no man can eat. Invest thy money in Master Jobbes’s machine, and good fortune will tend thy days.”
This predicts Steve Job’s invention of the Apple computer, and Agnes advises her descendants to invest in the company because of its future success. I love this version of prophecy because of some of its comedic uses, merely because of the confusion and misunderstanding that can come of it. It is more like a list of instructions than a foretelling of fate.
The main problem is that prophecy is an overused trope; it’s quite cliché. Some writers may find it difficult to find the sweet spot in which their prophecy creates intrigue, but also doesn’t immediately give away the ending. Personally, I think the trick is to make it unique. Riordan’s prophecies typically follow types of poetry depending on who is delivering the prophecy. His main prophecies have an AABBCCDD rhyme scheme, but another oracle gives a limerick (AABBA), one gives an acrostic poem, one gives a Shakespearean Sonnet (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG in iambic pentameter), and one gives a terza-rima (ABA BCB CDC, etc.) rhyme scheme. I think he had a lot of fun combining his prophecies with different methods of poetry—given that the god of prophecy, Apollo, is also the god of poetry.
Typical ancient Greek prophecies did not rhyme like Riordan’s did, but rather follows more along the lines of Agnes Nutter or Sibyl Trelawny. Even so, they were often misinterpreted due to wording, such as one which predicts “a mule for a king,” but refers to a half-Persian, half-Median man rather than an actual cross between a horse and a donkey.
The question is, how will you write yours? Will the prophecy be known right from the beginning, or will it be mentioned, but only revealed at the end once it’s been fulfilled or about to be fulfilled? Keep in mind the origin of prophecy, making it a message from a deity. Does your world have oracles, prophets, mystics?
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Vampires in Fiction II
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Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Sir Terry Pratchett
Percy Jackson & the Olympians Book 1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
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