Religions in Fictional Worlds: Infernal Religious Mythology in Fantasy Series

Abstract

This article discusses the reasons behind the popularity of infernal heroes in the context of “religions in fictional worlds”. Are there any common guidelines for creating fantasy narratives? This refers to the “monads”, that are infernal cultural heroes, and the origins of their popularity in teenage series. Modern infernal heroes are generally not negative, foul or repulsive. On the contrary, as the result of inversion, as one of the methods of religious mythology, they became attractive role models for many admirers and movie fans, as well as readers of novels, on which these movies are based. Can we call religious fantasy modern fairytales for adults? Do infernal heroes start young people thinking about the bottom line of their life? Why are these characters so appealing to women – perhaps, they are the new gender myths? The author of this article tackles these and many other important issues through hermeneutic analysis of S. Meyer's “Twilight” and “The Vampire Diaries” by L. J. Smith.