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
Tag: The Hobbit
A Reflection on “Good Morning”
“Good morning!” said Bilbo, and he meant it. The sun was shining, and the grass was very green. But Gandalf looked at him from under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat. “What do you mean?” he said. “Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that … Continue reading A Reflection on “Good Morning”
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
On “Skrike”
Here, friends, is the post on skriking, which I mentioned bore writing in Rereading The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, Part 1. Prior to writing this post, I had not the faintest idea of what skrike meant, though I could glean a general sense from its context in The Hobbit. As for its etymology ...
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 Feminine Principle in Tolkien,” by Melanie Rawls
“The Feminine Principle in Tolkien” is an essay I happened upon about a month ago. I was meandering through various byways---an article to a book to an article on that book which mentioned this essay---and discovered it like one finds a pretty pebble on the road. It appeared at a particularly timely moment, as in … Continue reading “The Feminine Principle in Tolkien,” by Melanie Rawls
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? ...
Rereading The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, Part 2: The Fellowship of the Ring (Raw Reflections)
The book begins in Hobbiton with much the same lively writing style found in The Hobbit. You can tell that neither Tolkien nor the Hobbits realise the dark roads they will travel in this sequel...
Rereading The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, Part 1: The Hobbit (Raw Reflections)
Hello, my friends, This fall I have been re-treading the paths of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. My brother is taking a Socratic discussion course on these works and I leapt at the opportunity to reread them. As I finish each book, I will share with you the thoughts that come to … Continue reading Rereading The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, Part 1: The Hobbit (Raw Reflections)
