J.R.R. Tolkien's inspirations: Difference between revisions

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J.R.R. Tolkien has inspired many people since the publication of [[The Lord of the Rings]] in the 1950's. Tolkien himself was inspired by a wide range of sources during the creation of his Legendarium, ranging from history to theology to even the geography of his childhood.  
J.R.R. Tolkien has inspired many people since the publication of [[The Lord of the Rings]] in the 1950's. Tolkien himself was inspired by a wide range of sources during the creation of his Legendarium, ranging from history to theology to even the geography of his childhood.  

Revision as of 20:43, 24 January 2022

J.R.R. Tolkien has inspired many people since the publication of The Lord of the Rings in the 1950's. Tolkien himself was inspired by a wide range of sources during the creation of his Legendarium, ranging from history to theology to even the geography of his childhood.

Historical

History provided ample inspiration for the Legendarium. It is hard to say any of Tolkien's fictional countries or narratives were directly inspired by various historical accounts, but parallels do exist. The Siege of Gondor, for example, parallels the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Ottoman Empire. Both cities are the capitols of empires whose glories have long since faded, faced with overwhelming odds that would spell doom if faced alone. Unlike Constantinople, Minas Tirith would defeat its opponents with help from Rohan and the army brought up by Aragorn. The division of Arnor into three pieces may also be seen as similar to what happened to the realm of Louis the Pious, being divided up into three smaller kingdoms.

Theological

Tolkien's major theological influence was Christianity, specifically Catholic theology. A lifelong Catholic, Tolkien described The Lord of the Rings as a "fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision." The legendarium as a whole touches very little on organized religion or overtly theological themes, however they are very present implicitly.

The most prominent theological theme is that of the providence of God, or as He is known in the Legendarium, Eru. Eru's direct actions within the legendarium are very few, most prominently during the Music of the Ainur and the Drowning of Númenor. Indirectly, however, Eru is active throughout. In the legendarium, providence goes by the name of "luck" or "chance". For example, the "chance meeting" between Gandalf and Thorin may at first glance appear to be only that, a circumstance that occurs because they happen to go down the same road. However, this "chance meeting" leads to a chain reaction of events that ends with Smaug destroyed and Sauron's power in the north of Middle-earth drastically weakened. The legendarium is filled with many such examples of "chance" events which prove to be the workings of a God who is actively involved in His creation, just indirectly. Christian theology holds that while God can visibly and directly intervene in His creation, usually in the form of miracles, for the most part He opts to instead act subtly, using both human and inhuman agents to accomplish His purpose. Just as Christian theology holds God as the author of history to accomplish certain objectives, so Eru is the author of Arda, using indirect means to accomplish the ultimate triumph of good over evil.

Other theological influences are present as well, such as the ceremony in Farewell to Lórien containing similar elements to the Eucharist, the Tale of Adanel being a legend regarding the The Fall of Man as it may have happened in Tolkien's world.

Mythological

Mythological sources were a great inspiration for Tolkien. The Legendarium was originally conceived as a "body of more less connected legend... which [Tolkien] could dedicate simply to: to England; to [Tolkien's] country."[1]

Works such as the Kalevala, Beowulf, or Athurian mythology all have influences within the legendarium. Often this influence creates parallels within Tolkien's work to pre-existing mythology. For example, Smaug in the The Hobbit may be compared with Grendel in Beowulf. The Kalevala served as an inspiration for the story of Túrin Turambar. The Valar may be thought of as a way to have a pantheon of gods, and indeed are called gods (or Powers) within the earlier works of the legendarium.

At other times the influence is more thematic. Similar to Norse mythology, Tolkien's own mythology has a gradual "decay" of the world from its original state. Just as the Norse gods die in Ragnarok, the Valar and the Elves fade into the background as Men take their place.

Literary

Linguistic

Tolkien cited Finnish as an initial inspiration for Quenya, though as the language evolved it moved away from its Finnish roots to become more unique. Tolkien himself was knowledgeable of several languages: French, Latin, German, Welsh, and most famously Old English. Various languages later constructed by Tolkien would show a variety of influences. Khuzdul would show a Semitic flavor, as would Adunaic. The Black Speech of Mordor may possibly have been inspired by an ancient Mesopotamian language.[2] Rohirric was modeled on Old English.

Experience

Possibly the most impactful event on Tolkien's life was World War I, or the Great War as it was known at the time. Enlisting in the British army, Tolkien was deployed in 1916 and saw action at the Battle of the Somme, where he caught trench fever and was sent back to Britain to recuperate. The war had a significant effect on Tolkien. Of his friends in the TCBS, a literary club he had formed before the war started, only one other of the core four members other than himself survived.

The Fall of Gondolin may be the story most impacted by Tolkien's wartime life. Written in 1916 or 1917 while recovering from trench fever, the story contains descriptions of metallic dragons very similar to the tanks first deployed by the British at the Battle of the Somme.

References