13/10/2024
Heralding Dungeon Synth Zine #10: THE LORD OF THE RINGS vs WITH FIRE AND SWORD!
You can purchase DSZ #10 here: https://dungeonsynthzine.bigcartel.com
With Fire and Sword is based on a 19th century novel written by Henryk Sienkiewicz (if you’ve ever heard about the Nobel-prize-winning Quo Vadis, it’s the same guy), a Polish writer who wrote during the time when Poland was no more. (...)
Now, when it comes to similarities… Heavy spoilers ahead.
1. The action takes place during a time of historical changes and in the shadow of an upcoming war. That might not feel like something special, but bear with me.
2. Rzędzian, the servant of the protagonist, Jan Skrzetuski, shows many similarities to Sam (check out their haircuts, by the way). He accompanies Skrzetuski everywhere and shows a kind of affection that has been lost to history, as we don't understand this kind of relationship anymore. Perhaps that's why there are so many memes about Frodo and Sam being gay.
3. Skrzetuski, the protagonist, sets out on a quest as an emissary, carrying an important message to the enemy (the Cossacks) in order to defuse the war. Of course, being an emissary is not the same as being a ring-bearer, and a message is not the One Ring, and the Cossacks and Tatars are not orcs, but... Let's wait til later. (...)
The most fascinating fact I found during this research was that Tolkien was a big fan of Sienkiewicz! Wow! The probability that he read With Fire and Sword is then around 90%, as it’s at least in the top three of his best known books. (...)
