Cimmerianism

/sɪˈmɪriəˌnɪzəm/ noun

Definition

A literary or philosophical aesthetic emphasizing darkness, mystery, barbarism, or the exotic; a style inspired by imagined Cimmerian culture or similar mythical settings.

Etymology

From Cimmeria plus -ism, creating an abstract noun describing a cultural or artistic movement. The suffix -ism transforms adjectives and nouns into systematic belief systems or artistic practices.

Kelly Says

Cimmerianism became a whole sub-genre of fantasy and weird fiction in the early 1900s—writers used the vaguely historical Cimmerians as a blank canvas for barbaric, mysterious cultures. It's literary escapism that plays with real history!

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