How Did J. R. Tolkien Use European Mythology?

Thesis: John Ronald Reule Tolkien’s life experiences influenced his writing, beginning as a student, then a soldier, lexigrapher, professor, and then a writer to his own children; Tolkien’s life created the place known to most as Middle-Earth.

Fairy Folk Tales are the most popular types of literature. The tale is an orally transmitted tradition by generations through the time; some events are changed to fit reality and society. Folk fairy tales deal with the dualism of the good and the evil. They are basing on a conflict between the good and the evil forces. The conclusion comes from aspirations of the human desire to achieve the justices. There are no known authors and sources for ancient literature. We have many versions of the story; they are credited by many authors later. Each tale is very like some other culture’s tale. Each culture has own tales, but all the tales are similar and different in some points. This essay will compare between two

Thesis: In The Hobbit, Tolkien wants to show the reader that anyone, from any background can step up to a challenge, and be extraordinary rather than ordinary.

     There are many similarities between the hero of the poem Beowulf and the heroes of the two Icelandic sagas, The Saga of The Volsungs and The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki. The former saga is an Icelandic saga representing oral traditions dating back to the fourth and fifth centuries, when Attila the Hun was fighting on the northern fringes of the Roman Empire; the latter is an Icelandic saga representing 1000 years of oral traditions prior to the 1300’s when it was written.

Tolkien, let the story unfold: Unfettered by the chains of innovation and not blinded by its obscuration of reality, the story itself, had the characters tackle the battles, the triumphs, and the disappointments of the actual good and spiritual humans. That is the thing that great narratives do. The reader is especially attracted to the story in light of the fact that the reader gets the chance to know and admire the real, not cardboard, characters, and the characters are genuine in the light of the fact that they have souls, displaying fundamental goodness in the midst of failings and ready to settle on choices in spite of knowing that choices are however a piece of a bigger story. The reader partakes in a mythic universe of Middle-earth and experiences there—without allegory or specific

In 1920 Tolkien was appointed to the position of Associate Professor in English Language at the University of Leeds. At the university Tolkien cooperated with E.V. Gordon to publish the Songs for the Philologists. Tolkien in 1937 published The Hobbit and in 1954 published what would be his most famous works, The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien's wife died in 1971 and himself died two years later in 1973 at the age of 81 and had four children. (Doughan).had many influences on his writing one among these is the literature of the old Norse. (Clair) This influence is visible in almost all aspects of the stories that Tolkien tells of Middle- Earth. The Hobbits, for example, are Tolkien's unique contribution to the world of Middle Earth. However the Hobbits are clearly based off of the Icelanders in the Njal's Saga. (Clair) There are many similarities between these two groups of peoples in the two stories. Many of these similarities are in habit. The Icelanders much like the Hobbits were fond of food and often were very proud of their ancestry and their belief in hospitality. Another similarity between the two groups is their ostentatious methods of dress. Both groups dressed very ornately and very colorfully. (Clair) Tolkien's elves also show many similarities to the elves of Northern literature. Both elves have histories of healing and of being smiths. (Clair) Aside from the influence of Norse Literature Tolkien was also influenced by his Catholic faith and

Curry, Patrick. Defending Middle Earth: Tolkien, Myth, and Modernity. New York: St. Martins, 1997. Hargrove, Gene. “Who Is Tom Bombadil?”

It is not a surprise Tolkien was heavily inspired by Anglo-Saxon literature and language and that it has seeped into a lot of his work. The Hobbit is not exception, in that it borrows a lot of influence from Beowulf. The Hobbit visits a lot of themes from Beowulf and Anglo-Saxon culture such as greed, catabasis, and musicality and language, all of which will be explored on this essay. Two of the characters in particular are reminiscent to Beowulf in his both halves of the text; Bilbo would be the young Beowulf proving himself to the reader and the people around him. Thorin would be the old King Beowulf, obsessed with his need for treasure and haunted by greed.

Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves and Orcs: A Look at the Life and Works of J.R.R. Tolkien

Incorporating traditional Anglo Saxon beliefs of heroism with the image of Christ on the cross allows the poet of The Dream of the Rood to effectively communicate the benefits of Christianity to pagan warriors. By comparing characteristics, duties, and treatment of heroes in Beowulf and the Battle of Maldon to the depiction of Christ in The Dream of the Rood, it becomes evident that the image of Christ is altered to mirror that of heroic warriors. Through this melding of heroic beliefs and Christianity, the poet of Rood is able to show how Christ can become the ultimate ring giver or Lord.

Tolkien’s The Silmarillion is rife with battles between good and evil, these diametric ideals are what make this fantasy mockup of the bible a compelling and interesting book. The relationships between different peoples and the tension those relationships create are fueled by the binary opposition of what is considered good and evil. Tolkien was a literary scholar and payed abrupt attention to the appellation of places and people and the affect the supposed locution of the cultural groups within the novel. A central element that drives the work’s exploration of its theme includes suggestions of the dualism of good and evil and the different ways evil corrupts good. The opening of “Ainulindalë” establishes the potential for a dualist

     One of the masters of British Literature, J.R.R. Tolkien was able to create a fantasy world with an endless supply of parallelisms to reality. The fantasy world was found in the “Lord of the Rings.” Tolkien is able to create wonderful symbolism and meaning out of what would otherwise be considered nonsense. He creates symbolism and meaning by mastering his own world and his own language. To understand the symbolism of The Ruling Ring, or The One Ring, one must understand the events, which take place from the time of the ring’s creation until the time

"Three Rings for the Eleven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his Dark throne, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie(Tolkien)." Master of storytelling J.R.R. Tolkien continues the lives of the fictitious creatures that he introduced in The Hobbit, in his modern classic The Fellowship of the Ring. He artfully illustrates the truths of the evil that plague the hearts of man. He tells a story of greed, destruction and how mortal men are enslaved by

Audry Hepburn once said, “If I’m honest I have to tell you I still read fairy-tales, and I like them best of all.” Often, a child’s first introduction to literature begins with fairy tales and which tends to resonate with them years later. Fairy tales then become a story that is inspiring for children and nostalgic for adults. The fairy tale story varies in definition between critics, yet it is always a form of fantasy. J.R.R Tolkien’s fantasy novels The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion follow clear structural patterns common among fairy tales. One story in particular, “Of Beren and Lúthien” found within The Silmarillion, was originally to be Tolkien’s epic poem titled The Lay

Professor’s Comment: This student was very wise not to summarize Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The student’s primary intention was to describe the ethical themes that can be found in the book. The first part of this essay describes Tolkien's view on the nature of good and evil, while the second part deals with his ethics of individuals. Excellent work!