Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons^™

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.

Recollections Of J.R.R. Tolkien, George Sayer

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

Reminiscences of walking with Tolkien around Malvern and of visits to his house in Sandfield Road. What he said and what our mutual friend, C.S. Lewis, said about him.

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.

Tolkien's Revision Of The Romantic Tradition, Chris Seeman

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

This paper explores Tolkien’s vision of fantasy within the broader historical context of Romanticism, clarifying the ways in which he inherits and revises Romantic views of the creative imagination via the concept of “sub-creation”. Possible links with Coleridge’s thought are considered, especially with respect to the uses of Romanticism in the context of Christianity.

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.

Tolkien As Reviser: A Case Study, Gloriana St. Clair

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

The publication of drafts of The Lord of the Rings allows scholars to assess Tolkien as a reviser. A comparison of the early presentations of Gondor in The History of “The Lord of the Rings”, with the finished scenes indicates the nature and direction of Tolkien’s changes. This paper will discuss how the process of revision contributed to the overall effect of the work.

The Moral Epiphanies In The Lord Of The Rings, Joe R. Christopher

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

The topic of this study is not entirely new - other critics have written about the visionary moments in The Lord of the Rings that show various types of insights - but the author is interested in a modem context for those which are most psychologically orientated, suggested by Ashton Nichols’ Poetics of Epiphany, and also in their use in the genre of the prose romance.

Aspects Of The Fall In The Silmarillion, Eric Schweicher

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

This paper begins with an analysis of the evolution of the Fall in the Western tradition, which will be compared with its image in Middle-earth. The Ainulindalë and the Quenta Silmarillion will be examined to show how Vala, Elf, Dwarf, and Man fall into corruption, and the consequences of this fall.

Historical Bias In The Making Of The Silmarillion, Alex Lewis

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

Biases due to the point of view from which The Silmarillion is narrated are discussed. These biases are compared with those found in primary world histories.

Eating, Devouring, Sacrifice, And Ultimate Just Desserts, Marjorie Burns

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

Bilbo’s fear of being eaten is expanded in The Lord of the Rings to include the Dark Lord’s “devouring”. In both the nursery sense of being “eaten up” and in the more sophisticated sense of enslavement, Tolkien uses this theme to discuss selfhood and free will, and to separate those who serve from those who consume and possess.

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 …

Good Guys, Bad Guys, Fantasy And Reality, Helen Armstrong

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

This paper begins by considering the nature of some of the stylised “evil” and “good” character types employed by J.R.R. Tolkien in his Middle-earth works, and their relationship both with folklore and with related character types appearing in the contemporary world (in Tolkien’s time and in our own). The paper then goes on to consider the role of women in Tolkien’s fictional world, with particular reference to their status as mothers (particularly as absent mothers), and as heroic figures, and looks at the victimisation of the woman/wife/mother in the Biblical tradition of the Book of Genesis, and its possible relation …

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.

At The Wordface: J.R.R. Tolkien's Work On The Oxford English Dictionary, Peter M. Gilliver

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

A description of J.R.R. Tolkien’s time working on the Oxford English Dictionary together with a detailed analysis of the evidence for his contribution to the entries for individual words.

Power In Arda: Sources, Uses And Misuses, Edith L. Crowe

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

Power and renunciation of power has long been recognised as an important theme in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. This paper will examine the issue of power with particular attention to Riane Eisler's dominator/partnership model of power relations and the power within/power over dichotomy. It will consider the sources of power: spiritual, political, physical; and how these are wielded by the various peoples and individuals of 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 The Anti-Totalitarian, Jessica Yates

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

A number of critics have looked for a political message in The Lord of the Rings, their dislike of the work, in some cases, apparently leading them to accuse Tolkien of holding extreme, usually right- wing, political views and making The Lord of the Rings a vehicle for them. These critics are particularly vehement about the danger of young people emerging from a reading of Tolkien’s book with extreme right-wing views. I select some examples from my collection of political views, including the opinions of Robert Westall, E.P. Thompson, and Fred Inglis, together with a viewpoint from a member …

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.

J.R.R. Tolkien And The Clerihew, Joe R. Christopher

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

The clerihew, a form of light verse, is part of Tolkien's oeuvre. This study offers (1) a brief history and an elaborate definition of the genre, (2) a discussion of the clerihews that have been written about Tolkien or his works, and (3) an analysis of the clerihews that Tolkien wrote.

Explorations Into The Psyche Of Dwarves, David A. Funk

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

An attempt to explain the characters of the roles played by, and the major reasons for the creation of, Dwarves as presented in Tolkien’s three major works of fiction concerning Middle-earth. The argument is heavily biased in favour of Dwarves’ indispensability.

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.

The Geology Of Middle-Earth, William Antony Swithin Sarjeant

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

A preliminary reconstruction of the geology of Middle-earth is attempted, utilizing data presented in text, maps and illustrations by its arch-explorer J.R.R. Tolkien. The tectonic reconstruction is developed from earlier findings by R.C. Reynolds (1974). Six plates are now recognized, whose motions and collisions have created the mountains of Middle-earth and the rift structure down which the River Anduin flows. The stresses involved in the plate collisions have produced patterns of faults, whose lines have determined the courses of the other rivers and the occurrence of the richest ore deposits. However, the time of Bilbo and Frodo is a period …