Back in November I shared the “Lament for the Rohirrim,” by J.R.R. Tolkien on Remembrance Day. Tolkien was a gifted poet, but because much of his poetry as we know it is contained in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, it tends to be overshadowed by his substantial prose. However, a decade spent … Continue reading Tolkien & The Wanderer
Category: Neo-Mythlore (i.e. Tolkien, et al.)
Eärendil the Sky-Mariner
The Wordstapas are currently reading The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien. In the latest meeting we spoke briefly of Eärendil the Mariner, and his origin in the Old English poem Christ. As we had little time left in the meeting to discuss this at length, and lack of resources at hand, I have taken the opportunity … Continue reading Eärendil the Sky-Mariner
Is Anodos Naïve or Immature?
This past spring I audited a Socratic dialogue class on the literature that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s imagination. Among the many works explored and discussed, we spent two weeks reading Phantastes, by George MacDonald. The students in the class were discussing the character of Anodos and his seeming inability to make reliable decisions and follow the … Continue reading Is Anodos Naïve or Immature?
More on the Influence of Freedom on Character in The Horse and His Boy
I wrote last week about the influence freedom has on the Narnians’ actions toward their fellow men (and animals). However, what I did not have time to write about was how this freedom influences their attitudes as well. If one reads enough C.S. Lewis, it becomes clear that the Narnians are Lewis’s interpretation of a … Continue reading More on the Influence of Freedom on Character in The Horse and His Boy
The Influence of Freedom on Character in The Horse and His Boy
In The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis portrays the Narnians as being honourable, gracious, and genuine people. This is especially evident in The Horse and His Boy owing to its Calormen setting. The customs and culture of Calormen are placed beside those of Narnia; and the Narnians are seen from the perspective of Calormenes, or … Continue reading The Influence of Freedom on Character in The Horse and His Boy
Courage in Spite of Ignorance
As far as Middle-earth and our world are concerned, Hobbits are uneducated. They are the personification of country-bumpkins, with little or no knowledge of math and science (outside of what is required for farming and marketing), literature (save their own tales and ditties), or history. Yet in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the … Continue reading Courage in Spite of Ignorance
Lake-town & Narrowhaven: Monetary Gain and Unbelief
In some ways, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien differ greatly in their approach to stories. However, in many other aspects the two share very similar ideas. One example is in their depictions of the towns of Narrowhaven in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Lake-town in The Hobbit. The leaders of both towns are … Continue reading Lake-town & Narrowhaven: Monetary Gain and Unbelief
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
Rereading The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, Part 4: The Return of the King (Raw Reflections)
It appears that The Return of the King is the hardest book in the trilogy for me to put down or, more accurately, the hardest for me to resist picking up. This may be because of the many day-spring moments in The Return of the King: flashes of incredible beauty...
Rereading The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, Part 3: The Two Towers (Raw Reflections)
Do you remember your first reading of The Lord of the Rings? What was your reaction when you discovered Gandalf was not dead, as you and the members of the Company believed, but fully alive? ...
Remembered Lore 