The Oracle at Delphi

Long a staple of fantasy stories, the Quest is not restricted to that genre alone. Depending upon how strict you are with the definition, even a mainstream fiction search for self-discovery could be considered a quest. One aspect common to all quests is the trigger, the event that starts the character on his or her journey. In many myths and legends this occurs when an authority figure assigns the quest to a hero, and often times this figure is a prophet. This essay discusses a model for one such prophet, the Oracle at Delphi. In particular, it describes a new theory about where she obtain her prophetic power, which could be adapted for prophets appearing in speculative fiction.