Auto-translated
Fantasy before Tolkien? Legends and myths of ancient Greece.
As far as I remember, "Konina" also started existing before the "Professor," who read a lot of native mythology and presented it all in beautiful frills.
And to avoid completely straying into off-topic discussions, I'll subtly hint that the Heroes of Might and Magic universe has never had any connection to Middle-earth, especially considering Ashan/Ashan/Eshen.
