Friendly Fire Blog Tour: The Mythology Behind the Books

I don't know if you remember, but I took part in the awesome Thin Air blog tour last year.  I adored the book and couldn't wait for Friendly Fire.  And now... it's here!  Yess!  And the lovely author Lynn Seresin is here to tell us all about the mythology in the two books!

Oh, and before we start, I must tell you about the awesome Blog Tour Grand Prize Giveaway!  It's this gorgeous necklace!

To enter, comment on any of the blog tour posts!

Your comment is an entry for the grand prize giveaway!

The winner will be selected via random.org and

announced on These Paper Worlds

(But US/Canada Only!)

The Mythology behind THIN AIR and FRIENDLY FIRE:

The mythology behind THIN AIR and FRIENDLY FIRE is rooted in a time when men of learning struggled to understand what made up the world around them. Without the benefit of scientific equipment, they could only apply their limited understanding to their direct observations of nature.

The idea of four elements comprising the natural and material world—earth, fire, wind, and air—dates back to the ancient Greeks. It was their belief that all matter, living and inanimate, was comprised of some combination of these four building blocks. However, it took a learned man from the Renaissance to bestow “personalities” to the elements. It is his elaboration on ancient tradition that my books—and any other books about elementals—owe their origin.

Paracelsus (1493-1541), born Phillippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, was a Swiss-born physician, botantist, alchemist, astrologer, and occultist. He devised the notion that each of the elements could be personified by a group of beings, as real in substance as humans, but essentially invisible to the naked eye. He classified the four elements as follows:

Gnomes – Earth elementals. Their ruler is Gob.

Undines – Water elementals (this includes nymphs and mermaids). Their ruler is

Sylphs – Air elementals. Their ruler is Paralda.

Salamanders – Fire elementals. Their ruler is Djin

It is important to remember that these mythological beings are not represented by the tangible aspect of the element they belong to. For instance, the wetness of water, or the searing heat of fire can’t be identified as an undine or salamander, respectively. Rather, they are the “spiritual” non-physical essence of the element, made up of a ubiquitous substance called ether. They are present when we encounter water or fire; without them, these elements wouldn’t exist. They embody their element, but they can’t be physically experienced the way any of the four elements can. It’s a difficult concept to get your mind around. It helped me to think of these beings as protectors of their element.

Anything else you read in either THIN AIR or FRIENDLY FIRE is an embellishment from my own imagination. I haven’t read anything to suggest that elementals can transmute from their ethereal state to a physical, human one. I made that up. But I loved the idea of this sort of alternate society living right under our noses, made up of beings that, for whatever reason, chose to take on a human form and live among us. While I don’t believe in elementals, I think it would be amazing if they existed.

Previous Stop on the Friendly Fire Blog Tour: Everything To Do With Books

Next Stop on the Friendly Fire Blog Tour: Book Briefs

See all the stops: These Paper Worlds

Thank you so much for stopping by Lynn!
All of you, hope you enjoyed this!  Check out Thin Air and Friendly Fire on Goodreads!  And check out Lynn's Blog, Site, Facebook and Twitter account!  Oh, and thanks to the amazing tour hosts at These Paper Worlds!  Keep an eye out - the tour will be stopping by here again soon! :D