Since the beginning of time mankind has made up epic fantasy stories in the form of myths to reflect his role in the universe. The oldest piece of written work is the Epic of Gilgamesh. It was inscribed on stone tablets a thousand years before the Iliad was written and it is in the genre of epic fantasy. Since this piece was written many more have followed.

We are all familiar with the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece, or the story of King Arthur and the Holy Grail. We are also all familiar with the quest of Bilbo Baggins. Why have these stories and others like them survived for so long? Why are they so fully engraved in our psyche as a race? Is it because they are fun stories? It is true that they are good stories and grand adventures but they also convey a deeper meaning about what it is to be human. And this search for a deeper meaning has been with humans since the beginning of time.

The ancient Greeks created myths that revolved around heroes facing the wrath of a variety of gods. This helped them to understand their place in the world and it applied meaning to their lives relative to the world they lived in. In medieval times humanity changed. The Renaissance brought with it a new understanding of the world we live in. And that new understanding brought new questions. No longer were we subject to the whims of a variety of gods. We, as people, gained a new control of our own lives and we came to the realization that it wasn