J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the world’s most celebrated fantasy writers, was inspired by time spent on the bloodsoaked…
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J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the world’s most celebrated fantasy writers, was inspired by time spent on the bloodsoaked battlefield. John Garth, author of Tolkien and the Great War reports.
A world away from subtle, magnificent Smaug of The Hobbit, Tolkien’s first dragons are surreal hybrids of beast and machine. They lumber against the elf-city of Gondolin, spouting fire and clanking, with orctroops hidden inside. Continue reading “The Somme and the ‘animal horror’ that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien”
When exactly is Durin’s Day? For various reasons, including the non-exact correlation of the Shire Calendar and our modern Gregorian calendar, it’s quite hard to know for certain.
In this extensively researched piece, DarkJackal uses Tolkien’s notes as published in John D. Rateliff’s The History of the Hobbit to explains why there are conflicting theories… and, in a very Tolkienian fashion, no definitive or easily settled upon answer.
Continue reading “When exactly is Durin’s Day in The Hobbit?”
With the human face of Beorn finally revealed (Warning: visual spoilers on that link!), I thought readers might be interested in a little bit of book character history and background.
The most common questions that people ask concern his ability to change shape. Is it magical? Is he cursed? Does he have control over it? Did Tolkien mean Beorn to be some kind of beserker?
Here, Tolkien scholar Michael Martinez has a quick look at the evidence available. Continue reading “Was the Beorn of The Hobbit a were-bear?”
Earlier today, the second (third, if you count the abbreviated international trailer shown in some regions) trailer for the Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug debuted internationally.
If you haven’t already seen it, you can check it out here. If you have, then here’s five things that we particularly loved about this trailer. Have a read, then let us know whether you agree? What were your favourite moments?
Dragonfire and ruin. That is what you will bring upon us! He cannot see beyond his own desire! Bard the Bowman
Continue reading “Five things we loved about the second The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug trailer”
Garth introduces the feature as follows: A salutary lesson in his youth taught Tolkien that fairy-stories are not only or mainly for children. Here I uncover the who, the where and the when. Continue reading “Tolkien and the boy who didn’t believe in fairies”
In this new TORn Library piece, our newest feature writer Gibbelins examines the difference between skill and knowledge and whether the former has an unjustly sullied reputation in Middle-earth as a result of the rash and self-seeking acts of craftsmen such as Saruman and Fëanor.
by Gibbelins
The concepts I wish to discuss are best expressed with the Quenya roots ‘curu-‘ and ‘nolo-‘, but I will try not to subject you to the Elvish for the entire essay. Both of these roots have at times been translated as ‘wisdom’, and yet they represent different sides of wisdom and different inclinations. I’ll use the English glosses ‘skill’ and ‘knowledge’ as reasonable approximations. The contrast between the two ideas is, I think, fundamental to Tolkien’s understanding of how to live righteously. Continue reading “On Tolkien’s two paths of wisdom”
