Literary notes about fabulous (AI summary)
The word "fabulous" in literature has been employed with a rich variety of meanings, ranging from the magical and mythic to the hyperbolic and even the mundane. In many texts, it is used to evoke legendary qualities—describing mythic beings or events that border on the surreal, as when King Yen of Hsu is called a "fabulous being" [1] or when ancient creatures and serpents are woven into fantastical narratives [2], [3]. At other times, "fabulous" serves to question or belie the truth behind extravagant tales, suggesting that certain stories might be too incredible to be accepted at face value [4], [5]. Furthermore, the term sometimes shifts to a more literal or contemporary application, highlighting remarkable wealth or price, as in the accumulation of treasures [6] or the reporting of exorbitant costs [7]. Through these diverse uses, "fabulous" becomes a flexible literary tool that blurs the line between myth and reality, inviting readers to both wonder and question the narratives presented.
- King Yen of Hsu, a fabulous being, of whom Sun Hsing-yen says in his preface: "His humanity brought him to destruction."
— from The Art of War by active 6th century B.C. Sunzi - 3 Those great birds are doubtless derived from Indian literature in which the fabulous bird garuda played such an important part.
— from Philippine Folk Tales - fabulous smith mentioned in this poem and in other old Teutonic literature.—
— from Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem - Do you take these for fabulous stories?
— from Cicero's Tusculan Disputations by Marcus Tullius Cicero - However, this story sounds rather fabulous.
— from Plutarch's Lives, Volume 1 (of 4) by Plutarch - The spirit of our age has gathered fabulous treasures into its storehouse.
— from The Jewish State by Theodor Herzl - Bread had reached a fabulous price.
— from The Moors in Spain by Stanley Lane-Poole
