A Myth Reborn: The Gospel of Matthew in a modern fantasy setting
The Gospel of Matthew lives on in so many different ways if you know where to look, even in modern fantasy.
I’ve often been told that my book Tarja Titan gives off strong Harry Potter vibes. While that’s indeed the case, I was also thinking of something that was loosely based on the New Testament. Tarja, while she has her flaws, possesses a Christ-like demeanor. Or, at least it’s in her personality.
Just check out the tagline for the book’s ultimate rebrand: She was murdered as a child. Now she’s back—and everyone already knows her name.
Now that I’m rebranding all of my books and re-releasing some short stories/novellas onto various platforms, the time was right for one 5,000-word story lost in the mix to work its way into the limelight; the prequel to my fantasy fusion Terrian Chronicles Series, Titan Legacy.
The Gospel of Matthew entwined with modern fantasy
- Elementals of Nordica
- Terrian Chronicles
- Chronicles of Rondure
- Sentrys of Terrene
- Cymraeg Tales
- Catenarian Chronicles
One character from five of the six series (Cymraeg Tales is a prequel series to Elementals of Nordica) belongs to a group of chosen ones known as the Five. And in case you hadn’t figured it out, Tarja is in the Five. But she’s not just a member of the Five; she’s the group’s Spirit Master. The one who can channel the most powerful element.
Tarja is the human personification of the goddess Valitut. Valitut, in turn, is the daughter of Trinity and Stoicheia, and sister of the trickster god, Langennut.
Those are some broad, biblical correlations, so let’s break it down to just how Titan Legacy entwines with the Gospel of Matthew. Because you can trust me to touch on other correlations when I see them fit to discuss.
The Virgin Birth
In Titan Legacy, Meera Titan becomes pregnant with Tarja without Teuvo Titan’s involvement. Of course, this leads to Teuvo suspecting that Meera cheated on him. He goes as far as to consider leaving Meera, but the god Stoicheia appears to him in a vision.
He tells Teuvo that Meera’s pregnancy is divine, and that His daughter’s (Valitut’s) consciousness is incarnated through Meera. Thanks to Stoicheia’s intervention, Teuvo returns to Meera, where he vows to protect her and the unborn Tarja.
This is the first sign that Tarja is the Christ-like figure, while Stoicheia takes on Gabriel’s role from the Gospel.
The Star of Bethlehem / Star of Columbia
This correlation is by far my favorite, since the Star of Columbia links the Five Worlds of Terra (Earth), Eidolon, Rondure, Terrene, and Catenary. It has appeared in every single series at least once, and I even hinted at the star’s presence in Spirit and Water (Catenarian Chronicles, Book II).
In Spirit and Water, Dianna Norsk tells Malikki “Mali” LaSalle that in the far future, the Star of Columbia will appear, signaling a divine birth. This radiant, eight-pointed star stood as the focal point on Nordica’s flag in Wind Wielder, and it’s on the cover of the Sacred Texts, which also appear in each of the Five Worlds.
When astronomers see the star from the World of Catenary on the Winter Solstice, they send three men, Seren, Nimbus, and Octaris, through a magical archway to Terra. Their mission is simple: to verify the prophecy.
So, in case you need clarification, the Star of Columbia mirrors the Star of Bethlehem, while Seren, Nimbus, and Octaris symbolize the Magi (Wise Men).
Oh, and it’s no coincidence that Elementals in Catenary are called Mages. That said, if you check out Deceived Mage or Cursed Mage, you’ll know more than the casual reader when you open the books.
And one more fun fact: In the lore, Tarja was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. You’ll find Bethlehem in Eastern PA, and it’s even known as Christmas City, USA. A replica of the Star overlooks the city.
The Visit of the Magi/Catenarian Mages
The Catenarian Mages visit the Herod-inspired Lord Baron Machi XV. Machi is a moniker for a rich, well-known political figure in the World of Terra. He leads the world’s global shadow government and deep state, and his family has known about the prophecy in the Sacred Texts for hundreds of years.
The shadow government of shadow governments and deep state of deep states, Machi’s faction was also Illuminati-inspired. And one Prince Caer casually first mentions to Mali in Spirit and Fire (Cymraeg Tales, Book I).
Like Herod, Machi claims he wants to honor Tarja, when he, in reality, wishes to kill her. Meanwhile, the Mages head to Bethlehem and bring Tarja gifts related to the Element of Spirit.
Massacre of the Innocents and Flight to Egypt/Weirton
Machi dispatches his faction’s soldiers, called Machis, to kill Tarja. Stoicheia again returns to Teuvo, warning him in a vision that it’s too dangerous to stay in Pennsylvania. Teuvo takes Meera, and they flee across the state and into Weirton, West Virginia, narrowly escaping the pursuing Machis.
They end up in Marland Heights, a region in Weirton that overlooks the Ohio River. Here, the Fury family hides them in their home, with their Falconer and Sentinel allies swarming the area for further protection.
As mentioned, the Machis are stand-ins for Herod’s soldiers, while Weirton is the Egyptian equivalent. The Falconers and Sentinels, while mortal beings, mirror the protective community or angels in disguise.
Fun Facts: I wrote this article from the edge of Weirton, facing a window from which you can see the sign, Welcome to Pennsylvania. Marland Heights doesn’t just overlook the Ohio River; you can also see the hill on which Costonia, Ohio, sits. Costonia is where Tarja spends her formative years.
Prophecy Fulfillment
Stoicheia tells Teuvo that Tarja fulfills several prophecies from the Sacred Texts, and she’s here to counteract the chaos Langennut’s unleashing in the Five Worlds. Oh, and if you feel like checking out that chaos, feel free to tune into your local news outlet, and it’ll tell you everything you need to know.
While I also used specific pagan and Jedi concepts to concoct the Sacred Texts, the Christian aspect shines just as much, if not more. Therefore, the Sacred Texts symbolize the Poetic Edda, which features Norse Gods and Heroes. But the Old Testament scrolls were also a key inspiration.
And then there’s Langennut, who, if you haven’t already figured it out, represents Satan, the Devil, Lucifer, however you want to refer to our primary antagonist. I also put a lot of the Germanic/Norse god Loki into Langennut (sometimes known as Lang), too.
The Clash of Kingdoms: Heaven vs. Empire
And finally, we got the entire reason I created and continue to create this shared universe in the first place: The Clash of Kingdoms. Tarja’s birth threatens the Machi Party’s control not just over America, not just over the United Nations, but every major government, governmental organization, and initiative worldwide.
But, as you can also see, Machi isn’t the primary antagonist some may think he is. Instead, he’s nothing more than Langennut’s puppet. Just like King Magnu in Cymraeg Tales/Elementals of Nordica, or Venn Rhine and Misha Hagg in Sentrys of Terrene.
Tarja, our Jesus figure, symbolizes spiritual liberation. She also counters institutional oppression, which is why I’m, in the most unconventional way, a believer in Christ. Even if I see the Bible as a collection of tales, as opposed to historical fact.
War is also a constant theme in my works. While I despise war in every way, shape, and form, or at least the way we’re conditioned to think of war, there’s really two types of war going on here: physical and spiritual warfare.
And that’s what makes the Terrian Chronicles so unique. There’s less physical war involved, even if it’s present every now and again, especially when Liza Fury takes center stage. But, as far as the series itself goes, it focuses much more on spiritual warfare.
