Symbolism of the Dungeon in Fantasy Storytelling

The Dungeon. It’s quite the trope in fantasy storytelling, and especially in role playing games.

(Image Source "Into the Crypt" by alexson1 on Deviant Art)

I’ve recently heard some arguments (shout out to Shadiversity on Youtube) all very good and very sensible that call into question the feasibility of mammoth underground complexes. Truth be told, they would be rather costly to construct. Considering the wealth that was required to build a castle, the idea of building a massive subterranean complex, specifically one to then fill with traps, tombs and treasure, does seem a bit of an investment with low return on investment. He also brings up some good points about how the concept of a dungeon has been altered to suit the mechanics of various games, which I will touch on later.

So in that sense, indeed, the feasibility of such structures are pretty unlikely. There are of course, various underground complexes, tunnels, catacombs, in our world that we can draw inspiration from, but these are usually far more cramped and less expansive than one would commonly encounter in fiction.


It might be easy therefore to pass off the whole dungeon theme therefore as just a mere fantastical element of the genre. An exaggeration for the sake of some entertainment. This is where I would say that the dungeon in fantasy storytelling is really something quite different.


I would argue that the presence of the dungeon in such stories is primarily symbolic one, that it serves a purpose beyond it’s the material feasibility. I will say quickly, that I do not mean this as a counter argument in favor of the overly gamified dungeon. I think that past a certain point, the dungeon can be deprived of its symbolic value, which perhaps more than anything else grates at our sense of realism.


As best I can make out, the role of the dungeon fantasy stories is a place of transformation. It’s a place here the hero's journey dips down into hades, into death and darkness, and hopefully comes back out again. It is a space that serves as a transition from the world that we know, into a world that is dark, and full of dangers. It is truly in the dungeon, that we realize our quiet homes and comforts have truly been left far behind.


In J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit, this is what happens when the company of Bilbo and the dwarves are taken prisoner by Goblins. In the story, the deep subterranean tunnels where the Goblins live serve the purpose of a dungeon to poor Bilbo. Bilbo learns even more clearly than in his encounter with the trolls just how dangerous the outside world is. It is also, there, in the depth of these tunnels beneath the mountain that he finds the one ring, which is a turning point in the story, and the history of middle-earth. This of course, is the purpose of the hero’s journey into such dark places. To go into those places which normally devour other adventurers, and to make it out again. To emerge not only alive, but often posing some additional knowledge, which is often represented by a magical item. In the case of Bilbo, the item he discovered was very dangerous. Yet at least as far as the events in the Hobbit were concerned, it proved pivotal.


We see a similar pattern in the 1982 film, Conan the Barbarian. There is the scene when finally set free, Conan is pursued by wild wolves and ends up seeking shelter by climbing onto a rock formation. As he is climbing, he accidentally falls into the tomb of some ancient king. This is, symbolically speaking, like a dungeon. He approaches the skeleton of the old king with awe and not a little fear. The imagery of death is very present, but fortunately for Conan this is the death of his old self.


Conan is also able to take the sword that belonged to the old king and clean the corrosion off the blade, to reveal the gleaming steel beneath it. Conan emerges from the tomb, not merely a freed slave and gladiator, but a warrior. This is more of a spiritual transformation than it is a physical one. It is necessary for him to ascend to the next level of his character’s journey. Like the ring found by Bilbo in the goblin tunnels, Conan’s newfound sword symbolizes a pivotal point in the story. From that point onward things begin to move in a more purposeful direction for him, and becomes an active agent in the world and of his own fate.


So there are two examples. It would not be hard to find more. This pattern is evident even in films set in the modern era such as Indiana Jones. So when I encounter the idea of a dungeon, a subterranean city, or some cavern beneath the earth, I try to understand it primarily from the symbolic point of view rather than the material. I know that the engineering might not exist to make such a place feasible, but if it performs the correct function in the story that I have been trying to describe so far, then I am not really disappointed.

One example of the more unrealistic forms of dungeons that I am willing to give a pass to would be the more maze or labyrinth like structures. The first two examples that spring to mind for me would be the ancient story about Theseus and the Minotaur and the 1980’s film the Labyrinth (yes, I suppose I am dating myself by drawing on all of these 1980’s fantasy films, but they are darn cool so deal with it).


Both of these stories have antagonists at the center of a labyrinth. It is pretty obvious that these are not practical places to live, not unless you have some secret and direct way in and out. But these practical concerns are not important to what the story is trying to tell us. Moreover, I think that a labyrinth is just another type of dungeon. One that obscures the protagonist’s ability to navigate, to know, or to see a clear path. It is also a structure that conceals dangerous things until it is often too late.


One clear parallel to this type of space is the landscape presented by our own internal struggles and darker emotions. I can certainly imagine hearing someone describe a battle with depression or anxiety like trying to find their way through a labyrinth, all the time bumping into uncomfortable thoughts in their attempt to get out. Even just the circumstances around our own lives can become so bewildering and complex as to seem like a labyrinth. All that is really needed to make this feel like it is the case is a lack of clear vision and a sense of directionlessness and danger. It could be said that on some level we understand in a very real way what it is like to wander through a maze trying to defeat some negative force in our lives, despite there not being an analogous material structure that we can point to. It is perhaps because this is the case that such stories so easily grab our attention and our imaginations, allowing us to easily suspend our disbelief.


I do think that these themes in storytelling can be bent out of shape, however. I think this is especially the case when they are represented poorly and gamified to the point of losing the potent symbolism I have tried to describe. I have noticed that often in major role playing styled video games that the act of going into a dungeon to get a reward (often referred to as loot) can become extremely repetitive. Often for such games, players will “grind” away often going to the same dungeons over and over again until they are able to collect all the various randomized types of treasure that part of the game has to offer.


I would say that this is an example of where something has been gamified to the point where it doesn’t really map onto any real world scenario, or have much symbolic value for the internal world of our experiences. Rather, it can make the fantastical into the mundane. Remember, that the dungeon was never the point of the story, not for Bilbo or for Conan, or for any others that I can think of. The dungeon is a transformative experience, but not a place to get stuck in. It is not a job that can be endlessly mined. One can only imagine trying to pull off such a game-like approach in an older fantasy story. The likely result being getting oneself captured and eaten by goblins, with no respawn available.


Perhaps this is one area that future story tellers in this genre can touch on. To in some way re-mystify or re-enchant the dungeon as a structure and place that can be transformative for the characters who enter them, but are not the point of the quest in themselves. For journeying into dark places is not something to be attempted lightly. And the treasure to be found is not just a cool bit of loot, or extra bit of coin in the pocket. The things we find in the darkest places may be what we most need to seek, but what we do with that item or knowledge is a matter of grave responsibility. If we don’t choose wisely disaster may follow. Or perhaps, the experience of hardship overwhelms us, and we are thankful merely for a way out of the dungeon treasure or no. These are outcomes that are much more true to life than in any game.


So I would say, next time you come across a dungeon in some fantasy story, or in real life, take it seriously. Dungeons are not to be trifled with. Not any more than you would trifle with the darkest part of your soul. So may you remember those heroes who were able to tread those paths, and mark well their wisdom, or their folly. Seek not a treasure you are not wise enough to wield, yet be of good courage and carry some light with you always, even in the darkest of places.