J.R.R. Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, Orania, now South Africa. He died on September 2, 1973, in Bournemouth, England. He was a British writer and philologist, one of the precursors of modern fantasy literature. Among his greatest works are: "The Hobbit" (published in 1937), "The Lord of the Rings" (published in 1954-1955), on which I based my presentation, and "Sirmarillion" (released in 1977 after his death by his son Christopher Tolkien).
He published over 100 works in the field of early philology and literature, and collaborated on the creation of the largest dictionary of the English language, published immediately after the First World War (Oxford English Dictionary).
He knew, to varying degrees, over 30 languages, mainly extinct, Germanic and Celtic. They can include, among others. Latin, Old Irish, Old Irish. Tolkien also learned Polish, but considered it a difficult language and could not speak it well.
For his work, he received the highest state decoration - the Order of the British Empire, a decoration awarded to the most outstanding British artists and the most famous personalities, the idea, and name of which, however, were not close to him at all. He condemned imperialism and superpower ambitions and personally felt more of an English than a British citizen. At the time of the award, he complained about the words "British" and "empire."
"In the realm of magic there are seas, the sun, the moon, the earth, and everything in it: therefore trees and birds, water and stones, bread and wine, and we mortals, if we are charmed."
These are the words of J.R.R. Tolkien, who in his literary creation included all the essential elements of our world: landscapes, minerals, climate, vegetation, political units, races, languages, and trade routes. However, he did not stop at the description, he combined them masterfully, achieving an effect that he considered particularly important for the credibility of the imaginary scenery - "internal coherence that characterizes reality". In this respect, Tolkien's success is complete: his landscapes seem to belong to the real world, where we can wander with the Fellowship of the Ring and breathe the air of Middle-earth ... if only we find our way to it.
Tolkien's mythology took years to shape, consciously drawing from the world's treasury of myths. But Tolkien not only created the mythology of Middle-earth but separate languages as well. The famous principle of the Logical-Philosophical Treaty says that the limits of the world are defined by the limits of language. If we were to agree with this statement, it would mean that when we get to know a language, we get to know the world it describes. That is why I will mention the languages created by Tolkien at the beginning. The author experimented with many language systems, as a result of which two related languages were created, one strongly finalized and the other based on the Welsh pronunciation. Then, Tolkien looked for people with separate mythology who could use these languages. Ultimately, he awarded them to the elves, which he created inspired by Peter Pan, the hero of the books
J. M. Barrie. Tolkien continued to build his mythology abundantly from the traditions of many cultures.
Further analyzing his work, one can notice a fascination with Scandinavian mythology. The characters of the dwarves were created on the basis of the Scandinavian dwarfs. Not only that, their names were borrowed from the "Elder Edda", the oldest monument of Icelandic literature, dating back to the 9th century AD. Here is a quote from Song XI of this work:
“Nyi and Nidi, Nordri and Suduri
Austri and Westri, Athjof, Dwalin
Nar and Nain, Niping and Dain
Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Nori
An i Onar, Ai Mjodwitnir. "
These names, taken from this work (Dwalin, Dain, Bifur, Buford, Bombur, Nori), were given by Tolkien to the heroes of his novels. Many plots have been borrowed from such works as the great Old English epic "Beowulf" and the German "Song of the Nibelungen".
As I mentioned earlier, Tolkien created new races of beings by using the traditions of different cultures. Good and bad, powerful and seemingly harmless. The appropriate races symbolize human attitudes. For example, Elves, the good, the noble, and the just symbolize all good. In addition to the elves, in Tolkien's novels, we also find humans, hobbits, dwarves, Majars, Balrogs, Dragons, Istari, Ents, orcs, and many other, larger or smaller, races.
It is also worth mentioning the personification of the Ring of Sauron. Tolkien describes him as a separate hero from the novel, listening only to the one lord trying to seize power over beings whose hands the ring fell into, just as he did with Smeagul. This ring symbolizes power. This power is disastrous, destructive, and the most dangerous for the people who succumb to it most quickly. They then become terrifying beings, wraiths of the ring, known as Nazguls. Therefore, the ring was carried by Frodo, a hobbit who was more resistant to his temptation.
Mood, weather, and time of day are very important elements of mood
fantastic in Lord of the Rings. When there is peace, it is bright and sunny. On the other hand, as Sauron's power grows and his advantage grows, darkness and gloom fall.
In the case of this novel, as well as of Tolkien's other works, the construction of the whole world is based on fantasy. Thanks to this, the author can present the aspect of the fight between good and evil in an alternative world. As a result, this theme, as well as other problems raised in the novel, such as sacrifice for the sake of friends, risking your own life for the health of others, or even the power and greatness of true love, acquire a universal character.
The basic feature of the world presented, both in The Lord of the Rings and in other works of Tolkien related to Middle-earth, is its enormous development. Many races, with different languages, traditions, and beliefs, and many lands with different topography, climate, and creatures living in them are just a few of the many unique elements described by the author. The action itself takes place in a fantastic world invented by the author - the same in which the novel "The Hobbit, or there and back" takes place. We also meet some of the heroes of this book and visit the same places. In Tolkien's novels, time other than realistic is also very important, it can be called "magical time", it is completely different from the known one, divided according to Er. The action begins in the fall of Middle-earth, in Hobbiton during the birthday of Bilbo Baggins. From there, a journey will begin to destroy the Ringworld. The heroes will have to get to the distant realm of Mordor, where Sauron is located.
In The Lord of the Rings, there are threads analogous to the theses proclaimed by the Christian religion. For example, a ring that is to be destroyed can be equated with sin, because just as it can enslave a person, direct his mind, and lead him to evil deeds. Sauron, who wants to possess the ring and take over the world, can be associated with Satan, his main strength is sin, which he would like to taint the whole world. The main character, The Hobbit Frodo, who carries the burden of the mission of destroying the ring and protecting it from falling into the wrong hands, is the unit chosen to save the world from the deluge of evil. Frodo sacrifices himself for the good of mankind. The entire journey of the "team of the ring" and the difficulties that accompany it symbolize the age-old struggle between good and evil. This is one of the literary motifs found in almost every work of Tolkien. sinners damned.
Another motif is the theme of wandering or a journey, contained - like the motif previously presented - in almost every work of Tolkien. The main character of the novel, Frodo, embarks on a journey through Middle-earth with Sam, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Boromir, Gandalf, Gimli, and Legolas. They fulfill the mission assigned to them by representatives of all races. Their task is to destroy the One Ring of Power in the Rifts of Doom, forged by Sauron, who in the novel is the embodiment of evil.
So they travel, going through various adventures and fighting many battles. The main character changes as he travels. At first, he is clumsy and requires the care of his companions. Gradually, he begins to understand his duty and that he must cope with it himself. At one point, she disconnects from her friends because she doesn't want to put them in danger. He only takes his best friend, Sam, with him. Eventually, they reach the Rifts and destroy the ring. During this time, however, their friends also have interesting adventures. There is a great war going on between the forces of good and evil.
Frodo from a carefree young man who cares about his own pleasures turns into a serious and courageous inhabitant of Middle-earth. With unprecedented effort, she fulfills her duty to others. Frodo turns into an adventurous, proactive, martial artist, and from a hobbit insignificant to the world, he turns into someone who will go down in the history of Middle-earth forever and whom the elves will sing songs about until the end of the world. He becomes a hero.
Although Middle-earth is often considered a different world, it is in fact a literary vision of a period in the history of our planet. Not - as many critics and readers believe - of the Second World War, but a period in history that takes place about six or seven thousand years ago. Tolkien himself made this clear in several of his letters. The action of the books takes place mainly in the north-western part of the continent, corresponding to today's Europe. He says that the action of the novel has nothing to do with the reality of the author's modern times. Tolkien, in the preface to The Lord of the Rings, writes that "If reality had inspired and shaped the legend, Sauron's opponents would surely have seized the Ring and would have used it as a weapon in battle; instead of destroying the Ring, they would force it to serve their interests, and instead of destroying Barad-Dur, they would occupy this stronghold. Unable to get the Ring, Saruman could, amid the turmoil of a treacherous age, find in Mordor the missing links that would fill the gaps in his own study of the mysteries of the Rings, and would soon be able to create his own Great Ring that would allow him to challenge the new self-proclaimed Ruler of Middle-earth. Both warring sides would hate and despise Hobbits. Even by making slaves of them, they would not have allowed them to survive long in the world. "
An important element in Tolkien's novels is the detailed descriptions of each part of the world presented, which allows the reader to reconstruct the environment in which the action is taking place. Of course, this reconstruction depends to a large extent on his knowledge, sensitivity or ability to think abstractly and the imagination of the reader, and as we know, our imagination helps us see all the secrets of the presented world and, with the help of guides, will lead us into its fascinating interior. When reading "The Hobbit" for the first time I used my imagination in such a spontaneous and unprecedented way. Tolkien's novel was similar to a dream from which we would not want to wake up. As if a dose of spells, magic was injected into the bloodstream of the imagination ...
Honestly, I reached for "The Lord of the Rings" right away. The novel is divided into three volumes (originally six), 1,200 pages of adventure. The first volume, entitled "The Expedition" (translated by Maria Skibniewska) did not impress me that much at first. The plot, compared to the one in The Hobbit, seems dark, written - it seems - under the influence of the war period. After briefly examining the book, I put it aside, thinking it was not worth the trouble. Nothing could be more wrong. Once, maybe half a year, maybe a whole year, I used "Lord of the Rings" for the second time. Then it took hold. Fascination. Complete fantastic paranoia.
I was amazed by the world of Middle-earth, so painstakingly created by Tolkien. However, it is not an ordinary world like many. Reading this novel, it is as if I would close my eyes and somewhere in my head begin my own journey to Mordor. And I am glad as a child that I am given the opportunity to walk across the meadow with the Hobbits and run away through the mushroom field with them. Or to experience fascination with beautiful elves, walk through the Old Forest, suffer from Frodo when he is wounded, die of fear when the Fellowship passes through Moria ...
Perhaps this is the genius of Tolkien's novel - the world of Middle-earth - even though it is a fantasy of ours - EXISTS. It exists on a different plane, it is a slightly different dimension of our world.
Tolkien, a master of fantasy literature, has created a true literary masterpiece. He built a world so rich and full of life that no other fantasy writer has ever created. Comprehensive descriptions of the well-crafted world attracted millions of readers around the world. Every year in the world there are newer and newer publications about the world of J.R.R. Tolkien and to this day unable to grasp in full the extensive literary legacy of the master. But if the Lord of the Rings novel talks about "anything" (except its content), it is certainly not, as is supposed, about power. The pursuit of power is only the driving force of events and is of relatively little importance. The story is mainly about Death and Immortality and "escapes" from them: longevity and the accumulation of memories. Ultimately, The Lord of the Rings says that if mortals are allowed to find true happiness, they will find it not in time, but in eternity. The author of The Lord of the Rings has already moved there. And this awaits us too.
Bibliography
- Subject literature:
- Tolkien J.R.R .. The Lord of the Rings: The Quest.
- Tolkien J.R.R .. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
- Tolkien J.R.R .. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
- Literature:
- Fonstad Karen Wynn. Atlas of Middle-earth.
- Aldrich Kelvin. The Sense of Time in The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien [in:] edited by Joseph Pearce. Tolkien: Memorial Book: Studies on Literary Heritage.
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