English Language and Literature Commons^™

Negative Estrangement: Fantasy And Race In The Drow And Drizzt Do’Urden, Steven Holmes

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This essay introduces the concept of negative estrangement to help understand current cultural interventions into the norms of depicting fantasy races. First, this essay builds on Shklovsky’s concept of estrangement to describe the literary practice of negative estrangement, wherein artists craft “more evil” foes based on hybridized amalgamations of stereotypes to create antipathy toward a subject, be it monster or fantasy race. This practice is sometimes used in service of confronting the issue of race and racism, despite seeming to reify or rearticulate racist stereotypes.

This essay builds on Tolkien’s argument in favor of creating “more evil” foes to exemplify …

Through Fire And Water: The Exodus Of The Gondothlim, Ethan Danner

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Despite being one of the earliest Middle-earth texts and a central component of the legendarium, J.R.R. Tolkien's Fall of Gondolin has received far less attention than the tale deserves. Building upon the works of David Greenman, Bruce Alexander, and Austin Freeman and their studies comparing The Fall of Gondolin to Virgil's Aeneid as well as Tom Shippey's monograph, The Road to Middle-earth, this article seeks to expand current scholarship surrounding The Fall of Gondolin by the examination of Exodus, as both a Medieval and religious text, as a potential source for the narrative structure, characters, and themes found …

The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Of Frodo Baggins, Bruce D. Leonard

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

J.R.R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings accurately portrayed the signs and symptoms of what is currently labeled Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Frodo’s condition logically follows his experiences of less than a year in the War of the Ring. Tolkien did not have access to a diagnostic manual but apparently used his keen observations from both World Wars to inform his narrative. No fantasy is employed to describe Frodo condition after the Ring is destroyed. His condition is that of a vet with PTSD. Evidence from the History of Middle-earth demonstrates the deliberate steps taken to show Frodo as …

The Lord Of The Rings Tarot Deck And Guide By Casey Gilly And Tomas Hijo, Emily E. Auger

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Review of

The Lord of the Rings Tarot Deck and Guide. Casey Gilly (author) and Tomás Hijo (artist). San Rafael, CA: Insight Editions, 2022. 78-card deck and folded guide sheet. $27.99. ISBN 978-1- 64722-809-5.

Well, I’M Back: Samwise Gamgee And The Future Of Tolkien’S Literary Pastoral, Mg Prezioso

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This article examines the treatment of the literary pastoral in The Lord of the Rings in order to demonstrate that Tolkien’s pastoral, often considered a vestige of authorial nostalgia, is as forward-looking as it is wistful. Through Samwise Gamgee and his connection to the Shire, Tolkien presents a pastoral that, though rooted in memory, is as mutable as nature itself – one that orients the reader forward and conveys that change is not only something to be accepted, but also embraced.

The David Oberhelman Collection Of Science Fiction, Fantasy, And Tolkieniana At Oklahoma State University, Phillip Fitzsimmons

Faculty Books & Book Chapters

In September 2020 I drove to the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Stillwater campus to see “The David Oberhelman J. R. R. Tolkien Collection” exhibit, on display on the Edmon Low Library’s second-floor mezzanine in the Lisa and Mark Snell Gallery.

Books Within Books In Fantasy And Science Fiction: “You Are The Dreamer And The Dream”, Phillip Fitzsimmons

Faculty Books & Book Chapters

This chapter discusses books that exist only within works of science fiction and fantasy—what the “List of Fictional Books” on Wikipedia calls a “fictional book” and what Claire Fallon calls “invented books” in her article for the Huffpost website, “Fictional Books Within Books We Wish Were Real.”

The Decline And Fall Of The Osgiliathian Empire, James D. Allan

Mythcon Proceedings

Taking Tolkien’s statement that hobbits lingered in “the North-West of the Old World” as its basis, this paper examines the fauna, organization of human culture, development of armor and so on in Middle-earth to place it in the “heroic age” of Europe and to identify Gondor with Rome. The author further identifies the function of the Elves and their protected kingdoms with the monasteries that preserved cultural memories through the Dark Ages. Consideration is given to the nonmedieval culture of the Shire, the fact that Aragorn does not map precisely onto any particular ruler of this period, and what these …

Sindarin And Quenya Phonology, Robert Foster

Mythcon Proceedings

Attempts to classify the distinguishing phonemes of Quenya and Sindarin and use them to develop a framework for determining where on the scale of historical change a vocabulary word might fall.

The Language Of J.R.R. Tolkien In The Lord Of The Rings, Judy Winn Bell

Mythcon Proceedings

Analyzes Tolkien’s use of language: instances of word-magic and name-magic, style to denote character and nationality, syntax to emphasize mood and the social level of characters, and the contrast of archaism and simplicity in some of the most powerful moments. Also looks more closely at the individualized speech patterns of Gollum, Tom Bombadil, and Treebeard, as well as speech markers used for hobbits, Elves, and the Rohirrim.

On The Natures & Histories Of The Great Rings, Virginia Dabney

Mythcon Proceedings

Primarily Middle-earth studies rather than criticism. Reviews the history of the great rings, bringing together information from various parts of LotR Appendices (The Silmarillion not yet available at this time). Speculates on the linguistic roots of the names of the three Elven rings and the possibility that the seven Dwarven rings may have had associations with the alchemical metals and the nine rings for Men with the planets.

Noms De Guerre: The Power Of Naming In War And Conflict In Middle-Earth, Janet Brennan Croft

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Considers named weapons, noms de plume and other personal name changes, place name changes. Un-naming is seen as both a political strategy and a key tactic of in Sauron’s arsenal.

Constructing Lothiriel: Rewriting And Rescuing The Women Of Middle-Earth From The Margins, Karen Viars, Cait Coker

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Examines the presence and absence of female characters in Tolkien, in the Peter Jackson films, and in fanfiction, paying particular attention to a “footnote character,” Lothíriel, and what the body of fanfiction built around her brief mention as the daughter of Imrahil and wife of Éomer reveals about reader engagement with Tolkien’s texts.

Tolkien 2005: The Ring Goes Ever On, The Tolkien Society

Mythcon Souvenirs

The idea to organise an event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Lord of the Rings was mooted several years ago. I can remember it being discussed at The Plough & Harrow hotel, the location for the 1998 annual general meeting. We felt that this event should be held in Birmingham and subsequently, Trevor Reynolds and myself visited both Aston and Birmingham Universities. Aston was chosen due to the fact that it was more centrally placed for attendees to get to and far more compact that the Birmingham campus. In time the 2005 organising committee started …

Mythcon 30 - Bree & Beyond: Exploring The Fantasy Worlds Of J.R.R. Tolkien And His Fellow Travelers, The Mythopoeic Society

Mythcon Programs

Whether this is your first fantasy-related conference, or your fourth or your thirtieth-a thousand welcomes to you all. Whether you come here from elsewhere in the midwest, or the west coast, or strands afar remote--be assured that you are very welcome. Your conference committee has organized this little gathering, at bottom, for the fun of it not that the chores necessary to make it possible have always been fun, but such is our goal for the conference: intelligence and fun, scholarship and joy. We are delighted that you have come to contribute to this and to share in it.

Mythcon 28 - J.R.R. Tolkien: The Achievement Of His Literary Life, The Mythopoeic Society

Mythcon Programs

Welcome!
I hope this will be a very enjoyable and memorable conference for you. Many people have worked very hard to bring this to fruition, with the goal of your pleasure in mind.

Where Do Elves Go To? Tolkien And A Fantasy Tradition, Norman Talbot

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

The departure of the Elves from Middle-earth haunted Tolkien’s imagination, but it has also fascinated many other writers before and since. After Kipling and Tolkien, the twin pivots in recent literary ideas about Elves, the destiny of the Elves is being treated in more and more diverse ways. But Hy Braseal is so hard to imagine, given the Americas in this century: how can the people of the starlight still “go west”? Most go “in” instead, into humanity or into places (and computer programs) with that special Elf-friendly charge.

Tolkien Centenary Conference 1992, The Tolkien Society, The Mythopoeic Society

Mythcon Souvenirs

Welcome to the Long-expected Party! I can hardly believe that almost six years have passed since the meeting that began the planning of this great occasion. I do not think that any of us who gathered that day in the Turf Tavern after Oxonmoot 1986 foresaw how our originally quite modest plans would grow and develop, or how much work the organization of the Conference would involve. I would like to thank the 1992 Committee members, past and present, for all that they have done, especially those who have served in the last two years when increased work demanded so …

A Comprehensive Index Of Proper Names And Phrases In The Hobbit, Paul Nolan Hyde

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Indexes the names in The Hobbit, including personal names, nicknames, place names, unique phrases, and invented words.

The Elvish New Year & The Memorial Victory Celebration Of The Destruction Of The Ring, Gerald Rioux

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Saturday, March 22 (Astron l), was born with a miraculous blue sky and golden sun in tribute to the celebration of the Elven New Year and the Destruc tion of The Ring by the Mythopoeic Society it Arroyo Seco Park in Highland Park, a northern suburb of Los Angeles.