Talking about Tolkien

I have just done an interview for the archives of Marquette University about my thoughts on Tolkien. This is a great project where they are collecting fan responses to Tolkien and his work. Anyone who considers themself a Tolkien fan can take part (see the FAQ).

The interviewer will record only the three minutes devoted to the interview itself. Only the audio is recorded. The interviewer will not make any comments, but will use a timer to silently cue the fan when the three minutes are nearing their end. Each fan is asked to begin by stating name, age, and place of origin. Then, in whatever way the fan feels appropriate, he/she addresses the following three questions: (1) When did you first encounter the works of J.R.R. Tolkien? (2) Why are you a Tolkien fan? (3) What has he meant to you? All interviews end at the three-minute mark.

Why only three minutes?

Three reasons. It compels the fan to be succinct and not to ramble. It allows time for more interviews. It encourages fans to share only what is most important to them.

When did you first encounter the works of JRR Tolkien?

The first Tolkien book that I read was The Hobbit when I was 10 or 11, and I deciphered the runes from the endpapers, which started a lifelong fascination with the runes and mythology. I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy when I was 12, and The Silmarillion a few years after that. I love The Lord of the Rings so much that I re-read it very frequently.

Why are you a Tolkien fan?

The world of Middle Earth is so rich: there’s all the languages (I think I was a language nerd before I read Tolkien, but I definitely was after I had); the botany (I love all the references to elanor, niphredil, simbelmynë, mallorn trees, the forest of Fangorn, and kingsfoil being used to heal the effects of the Black Breath); and the mythology and descriptions of landscape.

I love the depth of the Elvish and human cultures in the story, and the sense of depth conveyed by a casual reference like “he can see in the dark like the cats of Queen Beruthiel” which is not explained in LoTR. I love the innocent rural lifestyle of the hobbits. I love the friendships between the characters, especially Legolas and Gimli, Sam and Frodo.

Legolas and Gimli’s friendship shows that people who thought of themselves as enemies can be friends, even if their tastes and interests are very different. Sam and Frodo’s friendship shows the depth of love and tenderness between friends.

Each time I read the books, I notice something different, like the quiet way that Frodo appreciates a sunrise on one of his last mornings in the Shire before setting off on the Quest.

Another thing that is very important to me is the way that the light of the numinous (of Eru Ilúvatar, perhaps) shines through the prose and the descriptions of Middle Earth. This quality is hard to define but it’s also the way that even mountains and woods have agency in the books, which suggests a world where the divine is immanent as well as transcendent.

What has he meant to you?

Because of the beauty of the books and the influence that they have had on me, I am also interested in Tolkien as a person. He is one of the influences that pointed me towards Paganism, the Runes, Norse mythology, language, etymology, history, folklore, and mythology.

I appreciate the mystery that it was Bilbo and Frodo’s mercy towards Gollum that eventually enabled the Ring to be destroyed.

I appreciate the way that despite talk of the “races” of Elves, men, orcs, dwarves, and hobbits, Tolkien’s vision is one of harmony and reconciliation.

I think that Tolkien’s political stance was instinctively against anything “orcish” whether that is racism, fascism (see his letter repudiating the “wholly pernicious and unscientific race-doctrine” to a German publisher in WW2 when they asked if he had Jewish ancestry), industrialisation, cutting down trees, or wanton destruction of Nature.

My favourite characters in the books are Faramir and Éowyn, and I note that Tolkien’s favourite character was Faramir too, because he loved books, learning, and Nature, and did not love bright swords except for what they protect. I love Éowyn because she is a shield maiden and kind to hobbits.

Tolkien with the pine tree in Oxford Botanical Gardens (photo: The Tolkien Trust)

Dowsing for Divinity