Mythopoeic Narrative in The Legend of Zelda

<p>The Legend of Zelda series is one of the most popular and recognizable examples in videogames of what Tolkien referred to as <i>mythopoeia</i> or myth-making. In his essay <i>On Fairy Stories</i> and a short poem entitled <i>Mythopoeia</i> Tolkien makes the case that the fairy tale aesthetic is simply a more intimate version of the same principle underlying the great myths: the human desire to make meaning out of the world. By using mythopoeia as a touchstone concept the essays in this volume explore how <i>The Legend of Zelda</i> series turns the avatar through which the player interacts with the in-game world into a player-character symbiote wherein the individual both <i>enacts</i> and <i>observes</i> the process of integrating worldbuilding with storytelling. Twelve essays explore <i>Zelda</i>’s mythmaking from the standpoints of literary criticism videogame theory musicology ecocriticism pedagogy and more.</p>