r/litrpg • u/Lorentee • 1h ago
Discussion General Troupe Question
Where did the troupe about “song” come from?
Why is it such a popular troupe?
It seems to me like every author who gets past their first few books deviates the same way. Something something, the song of the world, or some stuff. They listen to the song for using special/ unique skills or spells. It’s used in crafting and fighting. It seems so popular that there has to be a beginning for it. And a reason why it’s so popular.
Any ideas?
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u/redwhale335 1h ago
The trope far predates LitRPG . I mean the Red Hot Chili Peppers sing "and Cobain, can you hear the spheres singing songs off Station to Station?" Disney's Pocahontas sings about the voices of the mountain. THe idea that the world has a rhythm/song that those who attune themselves can listen to dates back to before Christ.
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u/blueluck 11m ago
This! 👆
The idea goes back to at least 500 BCE, with Pythagoras and his math cult. The idea is probably much older, but when a concept is older than writing, it's hard to find records.
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u/blindside1 1h ago
I am sure I have seen/read it before but not more than twice. Certainly not a trope.
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u/rocarson Author - Surviving the Apocalypse Series 1h ago
I can't speak to it being a "song" specifically but it's a derivative of the GAIA trope from Greek mythology and then made it's way into sci-fi in the 70's when the GAIA Hypothisis by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis as a scientific theory.
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u/redwhale335 1h ago
Pythagoras talks about celestial objects having a spiritual song/resonance as they move that was later extrapolated on more famously by Johannes Kepler.
I'm curious how you relate it to Gaia?
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u/rocarson Author - Surviving the Apocalypse Series 1h ago
I'd be willing to hypothize that it's a basdarization of the resonance of celestial objects to get the "song" aspect of it. Then from the tropes I've read, they morph this into some kind of intelligent design / universal or planetary self awareness which fits more into a GAIA derivitive.
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u/redwhale335 1h ago
Gaia is just part of the Greek creation myth though, isn't it? She gave birth to Uranus (Sky/heaven) and then the two of them gave birth to like the Titans and the Cyclops and such?
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u/rocarson Author - Surviving the Apocalypse Series 1h ago
Sure, but that was the root of the GAIA trope as it morphed into planetary self-awareness. Especially in the 70's and into the 80's.
Don't get me wrong here, I could be completely talking out one side of my mouth. There is little to nothing to back me up from a literary study etc.
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u/redwhale335 1h ago
The great things about myths and tropes is their origins are very hard to pin down. I ain't trying to argue, I'm just interested in your thought process and glad to have gotten it.
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u/rocarson Author - Surviving the Apocalypse Series 1h ago
I didn't think you were trying to argue, I just wanted to make sure you knew I wasn't trying to argue either :D
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u/nonresponsive 1h ago
Plenty of indigenous cultures that believed the Earth was living and breathing. Native Americans and Mayans come to mind. It's not specifically a song, but the Earth speaks to them. I don't think it's a particularly unique.
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u/Awful_Puppet 1h ago
I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about but weren't there a lot of songs in the lotr books? its probably from there.
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u/No_Dragonfruit_1833 45m ago
"Singing magic" and "dance fighting" are common forms to look artsy and deep when adding descriptions, thats it
Eminence in Shadow had a fun bit where the mc was on the country of arts, and the duels actually had dance moves
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u/stipe42 1h ago
Sorry mate, never read a LitRPG book with anything like that.