Christia Sylf
Encyclopedia
Christia Sylf was the pseudonym
of Christiane Léonie Adélaïde Richard, born 28 September 1924 in Paris
, died on 28 November 1980 in Entrevaux
(Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
). She was a French
writer
of the fantastique
.
. Kobor Tigan't (1969) and its sequel, Le Règne de Ta [The Reign Of Ta] (1971), take place thirty throusand years ago, during the reign of the Giants, a mythical pre-Atlantean
race which preceded ours.
The novel tells of the conflict between the sorcerous Queen-Mother, Abim, and her daughters Opak, who rules Kobor Tigan’t, the five-levelled City of the Giants, and her sister, Ta. The world of Kobor Tigan’t is inhabited by a race of reptilian bisexual humanoids, the T’los, who are used as sex slaves by the Giants. The novels also features the crystal-like Elohim, messengers of occult alien powers from beyond, dragon
s and a host of other fantastic creatures.
The Kobor Tigan’t novels are clearly heroic fantasy, yet would be hard to compare to anything published in England or America. They contain numerous erotic scenes as well as esoteric
elements that one rarely finds in the more literary worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien
or Robert E. Howard
. They are written in a rich, colorful prose, and even include a glossary of the language of the Giants.
Sylf continued her saga with Markosamo le Sage [Markosamo The Wise] (1973), this time with a story featuring the reincarnation
s of all her principal characters, but taking place twenty thousand years ago, during the Age of Atlantis.
A fourth volume, La Reine au Coeur Puissant [The Strong-Hearted Queen] (1979), carried on with a tale taking place in Ancient China
, two thousand years ago.
Sylf had announced the publication of five more volumes in her series: La Geste d’Amoïnen [The Saga Of Amoinen], taking place in Nordic Finland
; Amiona la Courtisane [Amiona The Courtesan], taking place in Renaissance
Venice
; Ertulie de Fons l’Abîme [Ertulia Of Fons-The-Abyss], taking place during the reign of the French King Louis XIV; and the two-volume L’Apocalypse de Kébélé [Kebele’s Apocalypse], featuring her immortal narrator and taking place in the far future. Unfortunately, these works were never published because Sylf died in the early 1980s, soon after the publication of La Reine au Coeur Puissant [The Strong-Hearted Queen] (1979). Reportedly, she was working on an additional novel, taking place in Ancient Egypt
, which was left uncompleted.
Her companion was her illustrator, Kerlam.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Christiane Léonie Adélaïde Richard, born 28 September 1924 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, died on 28 November 1980 in Entrevaux
Entrevaux
Entrevaux is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Geography:Set on both sides of the narrow road between Annot and Puget-Théniers that runs alongside the gorge of the river Var, the mediaeval walled town lies in the shadow of a mountaintop...
(Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is a French department in the south of France, it was formerly part of the province of Provence.- History :Nord-de-Provence was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
). She was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
of the fantastique
Fantastique
The Fantastique is a French term for a literary and cinematic genre that overlaps with science fiction, horror and fantasy.The fantastique is a substantial genre within French literature...
.
Overview
Christia Sylf’s novels were pure heroic fantasyHeroic fantasy
Heroic fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy which chronicles the tales of heroes in imaginary lands. Unlike stories of sword and sorcery, heroic fantasy narratives tend to be intricate in plot, often involving many peoples, nations and lands. Grand battles and the fate of the world are common themes,...
. Kobor Tigan't (1969) and its sequel, Le Règne de Ta [The Reign Of Ta] (1971), take place thirty throusand years ago, during the reign of the Giants, a mythical pre-Atlantean
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
race which preceded ours.
The novel tells of the conflict between the sorcerous Queen-Mother, Abim, and her daughters Opak, who rules Kobor Tigan’t, the five-levelled City of the Giants, and her sister, Ta. The world of Kobor Tigan’t is inhabited by a race of reptilian bisexual humanoids, the T’los, who are used as sex slaves by the Giants. The novels also features the crystal-like Elohim, messengers of occult alien powers from beyond, dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s and a host of other fantastic creatures.
The Kobor Tigan’t novels are clearly heroic fantasy, yet would be hard to compare to anything published in England or America. They contain numerous erotic scenes as well as esoteric
Esotericism
Esotericism or Esoterism signifies the holding of esoteric opinions or beliefs, that is, ideas preserved or understood by a small group or those specially initiated, or of rare or unusual interest. The term derives from the Greek , a compound of : "within", thus "pertaining to the more inward",...
elements that one rarely finds in the more literary worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
or Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
. They are written in a rich, colorful prose, and even include a glossary of the language of the Giants.
Sylf continued her saga with Markosamo le Sage [Markosamo The Wise] (1973), this time with a story featuring the reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
s of all her principal characters, but taking place twenty thousand years ago, during the Age of Atlantis.
A fourth volume, La Reine au Coeur Puissant [The Strong-Hearted Queen] (1979), carried on with a tale taking place in Ancient China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, two thousand years ago.
Sylf had announced the publication of five more volumes in her series: La Geste d’Amoïnen [The Saga Of Amoinen], taking place in Nordic Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
; Amiona la Courtisane [Amiona The Courtesan], taking place in Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
; Ertulie de Fons l’Abîme [Ertulia Of Fons-The-Abyss], taking place during the reign of the French King Louis XIV; and the two-volume L’Apocalypse de Kébélé [Kebele’s Apocalypse], featuring her immortal narrator and taking place in the far future. Unfortunately, these works were never published because Sylf died in the early 1980s, soon after the publication of La Reine au Coeur Puissant [The Strong-Hearted Queen] (1979). Reportedly, she was working on an additional novel, taking place in Ancient Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, which was left uncompleted.
Her companion was her illustrator, Kerlam.