Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons^™

Tolkien's Dictionary Poetics: The Influence Of The Oed'S Defining Style On Tolkien's Fiction, Dierdre Greene

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

This paper examines the connections between Tolkien’s writing of fiction and his work as a lexicographer on the Oxford English Dictionary. Some of Tolkien’s most characteristic stylistic flourishes show the influence of the distinctive, charming defining style of the first edition of the O.E.D.

"Less Noise And More Green": Tolkien's Ideology For England, Patrick Curry

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

This essay explores Tolkien’s work (especially The Lord of the Rings) in terms of what I identify as his three central concerns, described here as English culture, nature and ethics. I also defend the work against its detractors, especially cultural materialists. I am more concerned with the reception of the work (e.g. its contemporary meanings) than its production.

J.R.R. Tolkien And Old English Studies: An Appreciation, Bruce Mitchell

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

Some scholars argue that Tolkien did not fulfil some of his responsibilities during his thirty- four years as an Oxford Professor, in that he spent the bulk of his research time on his imaginative writings, thereby depriving scholarship of valuable works he - or other holders of his Chairs — might have produced. This paper leaves posterity to judge this issue, but in assessing Tolkien’s contribution to Old English studies, it will argue that one of them - his 1936 British Academy lecture, “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics” - has had more influence than most of the products of …

The Critical Response To Tolkien's Fiction, Wayne G. Hammond

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

This paper illustrates, primarily by reviewing reviews from The Hobbit to “The History of Middle-earth”, how Tolkien’s critics have approached his works and popularity. The paper also briefly comments on the state of Tolkien criticism in its second half-century.

Tolkien And The Other Inklings, Colin Duriez

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

This paper looks at Tolkien’s relationship with the other Inklings, especially Lewis, Williams and Barfield, in particular studying the affinities and differences between them and what Tolkien owes to them. “The Notion Club Papers” is discussed as an idealized portrait of the Inklings.

A Physics Of Middle-Earth, Jenny Coombs, Marc Read

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

This paper takes a light-hearted look at how far one can go in applying primary world science to Middle-earth. Tolkien purists and physics purists may wish to pass over this!

Tales Of Wonder - Science Fiction And Fantasy In The Age Of Jane Austen, Madawc Williams

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

This paper challenges the accepted view that the works of writers such as Mrs. Radcliffe, “Monk” Lewis, Maturin and Mary Shelley are part of a Gothic tradition deriving from Horace Walpole’s Castle of Otranto. The paper also studies the connection of Jane Austen to these writers and will try to unravel the errors of Brian Aldiss, whose ideas are taken from earlier authors.

Editorial, Glen H. Goodknight, Patricia Reynolds

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

No abstract provided.

Tolkien Centenary Banquet Address, Glen H. Goodknight

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

No abstract provided.

Higher Argument: Tolkien And The Tradition Of Vision, Epic And Prophecy, Dierdre Greene

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

This paper attempts to place Tolkien’s fiction in a distinctively English literary context: a tradition of visionary writing which strives toward national epic, existing from Spenser through Milton (and in certain respects, Blake) to Tolkien.

Quid Hinieldus Cum Christo? - New Perspectives On Tolkien's Theological Dilemma And His Sub-Creation Theory, Nils Ivar Agøy

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

In the 1920s and 1930s Tolkien’s developing, and to all appearances pagan, legendarium posed a theological dilemma to its devoutly Christian author. How could it be reconciled with his faith? There are striking parallels with the Danish theologian, poet and philologist N.F.S. Grundtvig (1783-1872). This paper will try to establish whether Tolkien’s answer, which is only partly to be found in “On Fairy-Stories”, was directly influenced by Grundtvig’s attempts at reconciling Norse myths and Christendom.

An Anthropologist In Middle-Earth, Virginia Luling

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

The author is an anthropologist who works as a campaigner for indigenous people’s rights. From this perspective she has some thoughts about Tolkien’s work as a vision of an unwesternized Europe, and on the re-enchantment of the world.

The Earthly Paradise In Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings, Gwenyth Hood

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

Valinor, modelled on the Earthly Paradise, is described more fully in Tolkien’s posthumously published works than in The Lord of the Rings. Yet the fleeting Valinorean images within the trilogy have a powerful impact, heightening and simultaneously providing consolation for the horrors of Mordor.

How Russians See Tolkien, Vladimir Grushnetskiy

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

The understanding of J.R.R. Tolkien in Russia is affected by two circumstances. One is that the general public is only familiar with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The other fact is that for the last 75 years cultural values and ethical rules have been methodically changed and replaced with communist ideology. So I’d like to divide readers of Tolkien into four groups: children, youth, general readers and the intellectual elite. J.R.R. Tolkien is of extremely great interest for children from 7 to 13. It seems that they enjoy their first meeting with true and really good …

The Realm Of Faërie, Christine Barkley

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

Middle-earth is not the only glimpse we get of Tolkien’s view of Faërie. This paper examines his definition of Faërie and how it applies to Niggle’s Parish and to the forest in Smith of Wootton Major. Once we are aware of certain aspects of Faërie (for example the double vision possible), we can appreciate them in Middle-earth.

A Tolkien Chronology, Nancy Martsch

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

Premise: A writer's professional and personal life affect his creative writing. A knowledge of what Tolkien was doing, and when, may give insight into his Mythology, or creative writing on Middle-earth. Outlines Tolkien's life, giving dates of important events, professional and personal life, status of writing. Divides creative output into three Periods, Early, Middle, and Late, plus an Ur-Period (youth) before the Mythology was formed. Describes thematic and linguistic characteristics of each Period.

Conclusion: Although the substance of Tolkien's Mythology was not much influenced by outside events, except during the Ur-period, outside events greatly affected its composition, focus, …

Tolkien's Elvish Craft, Dwayne Thorpe

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

This paper examines “fusion”, the basis of artistry, in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Fusion takes place in descriptive passages, in the characters’ perception and in the language Tolkien uses. Fusion works toward the purpose of Tolkien’s fiction, which is to be found in the Christian views of earth and escapism, especially as expressed by sea-longing.

Hermetic Imagination: The Effect Of The Golden Dawn On Fantasy Literature, Charles A. Coulombe

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

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was an English expression of the Nineteenth-Century occult revival in Europe. Dedicated to such practices as ceremonial magic and divination, it valued these more as gateways to true understanding of reality than for their intrinsic merit. The Golden Dawn’s essentially Neoplatonic world-view is reflected in the writings of such some-time members as W.B. Yeats, Arthur Machen and Charles Williams.

Evil And The Evil One In Tolkien's Theology, Tadeusz Andrzej Olszański

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

This paper analyses Tolkien's theological theory of evil: first its cosmological aspect (especially the relation between Eru and Melkor), then the place of evil in the structure of the world, the question of salvation, and finally, the question of the End and the second "Doom of Mandos" announcing Morgoth's fall.

Tolkien's Exceptional Visit To Holland: A Reconstruction, René Van Rossenberg

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

In March 1958 Tolkien was the guest of honour at a “Hobbit Meal” in Rotterdam, Holland. He had never before accepted such an invitation and never did again. By interviewing the organisers and many people who met Tolkien, the visit has been reconstructed, and many, often funny anecdotes have come to light.

A Mythology? For England?, Anders Stenström

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

It is well known that J.R.R. Tolkien said that he wanted to make “a mythology for England”. Well known, but not true. This paper investigates how Tolkien really used the word mythology, and also looks at the relation with England.

Short History Of The Territorial Development Of The Dwarves' Kingdoms In The Second And Third Ages Of Middle-Earth, Hubert Sawa

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

This speculative paper, discusses the emergence of the kingdoms of the Dwarves, changes in their borders, and different factors influencing them (e.g. wars with Elves and Orcs). Their history recorded up to the beginning of the Fourth Age, when, after the fall of the enemy, the kingdoms flourished again. This fictional history is extrapolated from references to the Dwarves in the published works of J.R.R. Tolkien, to which much new material has been added by the paper’s author.

The Mechanics Of Dragons: An Introduction To The Study Of Their 'Ologies, Angela Surtees, Steve Gardner

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

Dragons are found throughout the history of most civilisations, yet we appear to know little about them. This paper will present a (tongue-in-cheek) introductory analysis of dragons and their place in society, suggesting that perhaps they are not necessarily the terrible and evil creatures they are sometimes portrayed to be . . .

Natural Mysticism In Kenneth Grahame's The Wind In The Willows, J. R. Wytenbroek

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

This paper explores the use of Pan as the medium for an intense mystical experience in “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn”, and how this mystical passage fits in with the rest of The Wind in the Willows. The author also explores possible influences on Grahame from writers of the nineteenth century who had mystical emphases in their books. The “Piper” is one of the most beautiful passages of natural mysticism in twentieth-century literature, but one rarely discussed: the author hopes this paper will begin to fill this critical gap.

More Than A Bandersnatch: Tolkien As A Collaborative Writer, Diana Lynne Pavlac

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

It is commonly argued that the Inklings had no influence on Tolkien. This paper will show that they had a profound influence, so much so, that Lewis and Williams should be considered co-architects of Middle-earth.

Mythcon 27 - The Inklings And Nature: Magic In The Mountains, Wonder In The Woods, The Mythopoeic Society

Mythcon Programs

Welcome to the Twenty-Seventh Annual Conference of the Mythopoeic Society. Doris Myers' Plenary Presentation and Ted Nasmith's Special Exhibit will set the tone for our Conference.

The Language Of Myth, Verlyn Flieger

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

Guest of Honor address, Mythcon 25. Discusses the uses of language among contemporary fantasists, both invented and native, and reminds us of the mythic underpinnings of our own everyday language.

Breaking Free: The Closed Universe Theme In E.M. Forster, Owen Barfield, And C.S. Lewis, Doris Meyers

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

Reviews “the role of the Enlightenment in gaining acceptance for the model of the closed universe and how that model contrasts with the medieval [...] model.” Examines the use of the theme of the closed universe and breaking out of it in Forster, Barfield, and Lewis.

Breastplates Of Silk: Homeric Women In The Lord Of The Rings, Mac Fenwick

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

Notes parallels between women characters in Homer’s Odyssey and Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, especially Circe, Calypso, and Galadriel. All assist the hero and give gifts which allow him to defeat female monsters such as the Sirens and Shelob.

In This Issue, Glen Goodknight

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

No abstract provided.