Kneeknock Rise

Kneeknock Rise marries elements of traditional European folklore with modern literary themes that examine the purpose of myth and belief. The story draws on the folkloric tradition of mythical creatures inhabiting mysterious landscapes. For example, the Megrimum echoes creatures found in European folklore, such as the Wendigo or the Loch Ness Monster, which exist as symbols of unexplained forces of nature that both terrify, captivate, and define communities. Like these creatures, the Megrimum’s existence in the mountains of Instep is fueled by local superstition and the community’s need to explain the unknown. The Megrimum, like many monsters from European folktales and literature, such as The Princess and the Goblin, serves as a metaphor for humanity’s struggle to understand and cope with the unexplained. In European folklore, mysterious creatures like dragons or forest spirits often represent the unknown—forces that must be conquered or appeased, such as the way the townspeople in Kneeknock Rise grapple with their fear and awe of the Megrimum.

As a work of modern literature, Babbitt’s story challenges traditional notions of myth. The tension in Kneeknock Rise between believing in the supernatural and uncovering its true nature mirrors the broader conflict in modern literature between the comforting simplicity of myth and the complex, often harsh realities of life.