Although J.R.R. Tolkien avoided taking inspiration from classical Greek mythology, there is one aspect of his writing which I cannot help but see as being influenced by Homer. Never yet in all my reading of mythology have I encountered an epic as vast and complete as the Iliad and the Odyssey. Many mythologies, though extensive … Continue reading Similarities Between the Dissimilar, or What Happens When You Read Homer and Tolkien at the Same Time
Category: Mythlore
The Unexpected Value of Rereading the Iliad
My first reading experience with Homer’s Iliad was the equivalent of hauling a boulder along a gravel track by a piece of string. I was unused to the weight of classical literature and my mind was exhausted by the long-winded descriptions and detail, excessive slaughter, and exasperating characters. I found great comfort in the thought … Continue reading The Unexpected Value of Rereading the Iliad
Yet Another Translation of Beowulf
I very recently finished reading John Lesslie Hall’s translation of Beowulf. Several months ago I shared my reflections on Seamus Heaney’s and J.R.R. Tolkien’s translations of Beowulf in Beowulf: Seamus Heaney vs. J.R.R. Tolkien. It feels appropriate to share my thoughts on Hall’s translation as well. Hall’s translation is a verse translation which, to the … Continue reading Yet Another Translation of Beowulf
Raised in the Wild
In various mythologies, there is a recurring theme of the main hero being raised in the wild apart from civilization. Two particular heroes are Jason of the Greek Argonautica and Sigurd of the Norse Völsunga Saga, though others abound in Western myth and legend. Why would the creators of these ancient tales take such care … Continue reading Raised in the Wild
Finn MacCumhal as the Best of Men
Although I have read but one translation of Irish mythology, it was lengthy and complete and gave me a decent picture of the scope of Irish myth. I am not an expert in this realm in the slightest, but I am a ponderer, which counts for something---especially when that pondering mind has been marinated in … Continue reading Finn MacCumhal as the Best of Men
The Wearing of Time on Mortal-Immortal Relationship
Sometimes, in reading a work of literature, I encounter a snippet of wording which illuminates a previously unnoticed pattern in another work. This was the case with a particular reference in W.B. Yeats’ preface to Lady Gregory’s translation of the Finn Cycle to the degradation of the mortal-immortal relationship over the course of Irish mythology. … Continue reading The Wearing of Time on Mortal-Immortal Relationship
Beowulf: Seamus Heaney vs. J.R.R. Tolkien
Beowulf was my first major introduction to original myth.1 The translation I read was a bilingual edition by Seamus Heaney which I had purchased at the gift shop in the British Library in London, England. Some years later I also read J.R.R. Tolkien’s translation. I now lay before you, briefly, my reflections on the two … Continue reading Beowulf: Seamus Heaney vs. J.R.R. Tolkien
