"Then Daddy Began A Story": Storytelling In Tolkien’S Home And Our Own, Josh Renaud

Journal of Tolkien Research

"Then Daddy began a story, and this is what he said." That's how J.R.R. Tolkien began the first manuscript version of "Farmer Giles of Ham," one of a few moments of fatherly storytelling to be found in his fiction. Tolkien is remembered today as a great author and artist, but in his home he was a loving parent who regaled his children with tales — a "story-telling presence," as his daughter Priscilla Tolkien put. In this presentation, I reflect on Tolkien as a "daddy" and oral storyteller, drawing on examples from Tolkien's life and writing. I also consider what storytelling …

The Fantasy Of J.R.R. Tolkien: Mythopoeia And The Recovery Of Creation By Robert J. Dobie, Hayden Bilbrey

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

A chapter by chapter review of Robert J. Dobie's 2024 book The Fantasy of J.R.R. Tolkien: Mythopoeia and the Recovery of Creation. The review gives a chapter by chapter breakdown and asserts that though the book is more likely for academics, its approachable coverage of Tolkien's work and philosophical ideas also makes it a great read for anyone who is a fan of Middle-earth.

J.R.R. Tolkien’S Utopianism And The Classics, By Hamish Williams. Reviewed By Łukasz Neubauer., Łukasz Neubauer

Mythprint Book Reviews

At first glance, the concept of looking at the works of Tolkien through the prism of Classical studies may strike one as eccentric, even misguided. After all, he dedicated his academic life to the study of medieval literature, teach-ing courses in early English poetry as well as Norse myths and sagas. Likewise in his literary oeuvre, the majority of Tolkien’s inspirations are of indisputably medieval character, from the more topical concerns, such as the quest to reclaim the lost treasure in The Hobbit, to the recurrent puns and word-plays in Farmer Giles of Ham.

Sub-Creating Arda: World-Building In J.R.R. Tolkien's Work, Its Precursors And Its Legacies, Edited By Dimitra Fimi And Thomas Honegger. Reviewed By Phillip Fitzsimmons., Phillip Fitzsimmons

Mythprint Book Reviews

Sub-creating Arda: World-building in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Work, its Precursors and its Legacies is a substantial anthology of works by contemporary Tolkien scholars about sub-creation, as described by J.R.R. Tolkien, and fantasy world-building in general. This collection of papers is often demanding, but well worth pursuing and can be read for pleasure or studied fruitfully by scholars at all levels. Dimitra Fimi and Thomas Honegger, the editors, summarize the scope of the book in their introduction...

Fantasy And Faith: Lewis And Tolkien On Magic In Fantastical Literature, Zion Lang

Senior Honors Theses

Despite biblical warnings against the occult, Christian authors C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien incorporated many kinds of magic into their works of fantasy. These authors had an orthodox view of the occult, but they also believed that fantasy magic differs from the esoteric: its purpose is imaginative, rather than power-seeking, and it is usually part of the imagined laws of the fantasy world. Lewis focused on the mythic side of fantasy and included more ambiguous magic. Tolkien focused on fantasy as eucatastrophic fairy tale, and his works include somewhat divine supernatural forces. Nonetheless, both authors saw fantasy …

Interview With Professor John Mckinnell Concerning Tolkien’S Lectures On Beowulf, Łukasz Neubauer

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

Professor John McKinnell attended his classes on Beowulf as a student in the early 1960s. The interview sheds more light on Tolkien as a lecturer.

Gazing Queerly: The Art And Text Around Saruman’S Non-Normativity, Christopher Vaccaro

Mythopoeic Society Seminar Proceedings

Saruman is an example of a an outsider character in relation to the normative communities in The Lord of the Rings; he serves as a repository for a stigmatized eros, a non-normative desire, a repressed sexuality, and even an orcish sadomasochism simmering just below the narrative’s surface. This paper examines the representation of this queer relationship in several artists’ depictions of Saruman, focusing in particular on three works by Donato Giancola.

Pity, Power, And Tolkien’S Ring: To Rule The Fate Of Many, By Thomas P. Hillman, Giovanni Carmine Costabile

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

No abstract provided.

Vol. 60 No. 4 - Whole No. 407, Megan Abrahamson

Mythprint

Mythprint is the quarterly bulletin of the Mythopoeic Society, a nonprofit educational organization devoted to the study, discussion, and enjoyment of myth and fantasy literature, especially the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams. To promote these interests, the Society publishes three magazines, maintains a World Wide Web site, and sponsors the annual Mythopoeic Conference and awards for fiction and scholarship, as well as local discussion groups.

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 …

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.

Uprooting Medievalism: Ya And The Future Of Fantasy, Zoe Phillips

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This thesis looks at the development of the young adult neo-medieval fantasy genre, measuring famous works from the Medieval period against works such as Tolkien's, to examine the impact of female protagonists and female authors on the genre and readers alike as neo-medieval fantasy continues to gain in popularity. Works examined include: Beowulf, Lanval, Le Roman de Silence, The Hobbit, Uprooted, and The Hero and the Crown.

Enchantment: A Teleology, Nathanael S. Toth

Senior Honors Theses

Despite the highly developed nature of his fictional world, Middle-earth, Tolkien never formally laid out a tabulated magic system for his fantasy creation. Nevertheless, unlike many stories by others in the fantasy genre, the magic he does include is far from just a shallow, world-building mechanism. Instead, it encapsulates the core theme of his fiction and the purposes which Ilúvatar (the God of Middle-earth) has given to the story’s many characters.

This paper will examine the nature and function of this magic from many angles: the identification of good magic with art and evil magic with domination; the delineation between …

"Tolkien: Maker Of Middle Earth." Exhibition, Bodleian Library (Oxford University). Reviewed By Robin Anne Reid., Robin Anne Reid

Mythprint Book Reviews

Mythprint is the quarterly bulletin of the Mythopoeic Society, a nonprofit educational organization devoted to the study, discussion, and enjoyment of myth and fantasy literature, especially the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams. To promote these interests, the Society publishes three magazines, maintains a World Wide Web site, and sponsors the annual Mythopoeic Conference and awards for fiction and scholarship, as well as local discussion groups.

A Merrier World:' Small Renaissances Engendered In J. R. R. Tolkien's Legendarium, Dominic Dicarlo Meo

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

After surviving the trenches of World War I when many of his friends did not, Tolkien continued as the rest of the world did: moving, growing, and developing, putting the darkness of war behind. He had children, taught at the collegiate level, wrote, researched. Then another Great War knocked on the global door. His sons marched off, and Britain was again consumed. The "War to End All Wars" was repeating itself and nothing was for certain. In such extended dark times, J. R. R. Tolkien drew on what he knew-language, philology, myth, and human rights-peering back in history to the …

Tolkien, By Raymond Edwards. Reviewed By Katherine Neville., Katherine Neville

Mythprint Book Reviews

Mythprint is the quarterly bulletin of the Mythopoeic Society, a nonprofit educational organization devoted to the study, discussion, and enjoyment of myth and fantasy literature, especially the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams. To promote these interests, the Society publishes three magazines, maintains a World Wide Web site, and sponsors the annual Mythopoeic Conference and awards for fiction and scholarship, as well as local discussion groups.

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.

Parma Eldalamberon Vol. 1 No. 5, Paula Marmor

Parma Eldalamberon

The Journal of The Mythopoeic Linguistic Fellowship

Parma Eldalamberon/The Book of the Elven Tongues is the journal of the Mythopoeic Linguistic Fellowship, a Special Interest Group of the Mythopoeic Society, interested in imaginary fantasy languages and all matters linguistic and philosophical, especially the diverse tongues of Middle-earth and the Low Worlds.

Parma Eldalamberon Vol. 1 No. 4, Paula Marmor

Parma Eldalamberon

The Journal of The Mythopoeic Linguistic Fellowship

Parma Eldalamberon/The Book of the Elven Tongues is the journal of the Mythopoeic Linguistic Fellowship, a Special Interest Group of the Mythopoeic Society, interested in imaginary fantasy languages and all matters linguistic and philosophical, especially the diverse tongues of Middle-earth and the Low Worlds.

Parma Eldalamberon Vol. 1 No. 3, Paula Marmor

Parma Eldalamberon

The Journal of The Mythopoeic Linguistic Fellowship

Parma Eldalamberon/The Book of the Elven Tongues is the journal of the Mythopoeic Linguistic Fellowship, a Special Interest Group of the Mythopoeic Society, interested in imaginary fantasy languages and all matters linguistic and philosophical, especially the diverse tongues of Middle-earth and the Low Worlds.

Parma Eldalamberon Vol. 1 No. 2, Paula Marmor

Parma Eldalamberon

The Journal of The Mythopoeic Linguistic Fellowship

Parma Eldalamberon/The Book of the Elven Tongues is the journal of the Mythopoeic Linguistic Fellowship, a Special Interest Group of the Mythopoeic Society, interested in imaginary fantasy languages and all matters linguistic and philosophical, especially the diverse tongues of Middle-earth and the Low Worlds.

Parma Eldalamberon Vol. 1 No. 1, Paula Marmor

Parma Eldalamberon

The Journal of The Mythopoeic Linguistic Fellowship

Parma Eldalamberon/The Book of the Elven Tongues is the journal of the Mythopoeic Linguistic Fellowship, a Special Interest Group of the Mythopoeic Society, interested in imaginary fantasy languages and all matters linguistic and philosophical, especially the diverse tongues of Middle-earth and the Low Worlds.