All Questions
Tagged with tolkiens-legendarium j-r-r-tolkien
90
questions
30
votes
2
answers
7k
views
Did Tolkien give his son explicit permission to publish all that unfinished material?
As I've been reading the books/stories published by his son after his death, which are very much unfinished, I can't help but think of how embarrassing I would find it if somebody managed to dig up ...
- 325
9
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Is the term "Hobbit Village" ever used canonically by Tolkien?
In November 6th, 2023's New York Times Crossword Puzzle, there was a theme answer of "HOBBIT VILLAGE" for the clue "Home for Tolkien's Bilbo and Frodo". (Spoiler for the full ...
- 25.4k
9
votes
3
answers
8k
views
Were Bilbo, Frodo, or Samwise Tolkien's self-inserts?
Were Bilbo, Frodo, or Samwise Tolkien's self-inserts? Which one(s) and why?
I would accept an answer based either on Word of God or on a reasonable analysis by a third-party.
(The question arose out ...
- 343k
21
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Tolkien's art - Lake Mithrim
Scratching my head here trying to work out what object or event is represented by the bright golden triangle in the background.
Any ideas? Please don't tell me it is Thangorodrim! Perhaps it is the ...
- 288
12
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What Old English works did Tolkien write?
In addition to being a fantasy author, Tolkien worked professionally as a linguist. His background in Old English found its way into many different aspects of the main books in the Lord of the Rings, ...
- 23k
11
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Did Tolkien use Mont Saint-Michel as the inspiration for Minas Tirith
I am aware that Peter Jackson used Mont Saint-Michel as the inspiration of Minas Tirith, within the Return of the King movie.
If there any evidence that Tolkien used the same place as inspiration for ...
- 5,907
0
votes
0
answers
133
views
As of now, who determines what is canon in the Tolkien universe? [duplicate]
With the debut of “Rings of Power,” I want to know whether the idea of “canon” exists in the Tolkien universe, and if so, who determines canon at this point in time?
- 741
7
votes
1
answer
966
views
Where has Tolkien's Second Age material been published?
A new Tolkien collection, The Fall of Númenor, is due to be published in a few months. It will contain all of the second age material. I believe this will all be reprints. Aside from The Silmarillion ...
- 451
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Did Sam really plan to attack the orcs in Shelob's lair in the very end of The Two Towers?
‘He’s going out of harm’s way, I tell you,’ answered Shagrat. ‘See? He’s precious. I don’t trust all my lads, and none of yours; nor you neither, when you’re mad for fun. He’s going where I want him, ...
- 91
6
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Is there a longer audio clip than this where Tolkien discusses the Eagles?
I was linked to this today:
At first, I assumed that it was faked/cut together, but now I think it's real, and that he really did say this while alive. I never knew ...
- 133
-3
votes
1
answer
297
views
What exactly did Galadriel fear/know/assume would happen if she had accepted the Ring? [duplicate]
A frustrating part is where Frodo actually (sort of) offers the Ring to Galadriel. She appears to laugh and find it almost funny, and fight some internal battle against herself, until her "good ...
- 15
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Did Bag End have a second door?
This is a map of Bag End from The Atlas of Middle-earth (found here.)
There's a door at the end of the tunnel. Is it mentioned in the books? Or is the map not accurate?
- 2,201
25
votes
3
answers
4k
views
How can the bear-man refer to a "Jack-in-the-box" in The Hobbit?
The Hobbit is supposedly set waaay back in our world. Yet, Beorn refers to "jack-in-the-box" as in the toy, when the dwarves show up in pairs.
How can this be? How can anyone in that world/...
- 277
41
votes
1
answer
7k
views
Looking for a picture of the doll that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien to invent Tom Bombadil
English Literature Professor Jane Beal, in her article "Who is Tom Bombadil?: Interpreting the Light in Frodo Baggins and Tom Bombadil's Role in the Healing of Traumatic Memory in J.R.R. Tolkien'...
- 7,318
13
votes
3
answers
978
views
Did Tolkien actually use asterisms in the Lord of the Rings?
I own a version of The Fellowship of the Ring that I'm enjoying a lot, and now that I'm nearing the end I thought I might as well buy an ebook on Amazon containing all three books so I can go on with ...
- 231
8
votes
1
answer
962
views
Are elves born in Valinor after the year of the trees Calaquendi?
Calaquendi are the group of elves in Tolkien’s Legendarium that beheld the light of the two trees in Valinor. It consists of the Vanyar, Noldor, Falmari, and Thingol out of all Umanyar.
Can the status ...
- 361
19
votes
8
answers
14k
views
Why is the number of orcs thousands instead of millions in "The Lord of the Rings"?
I know that Tolkien served in World War I, in which more than 20 million died. And he also witnessed World War II, in which more than 70 million people died.
So why did Tolkien limit the number on ...
- 413
6
votes
1
answer
568
views
Does The Nature of Middle-Earth contain new stories or just lore?
Recently a new book containing material by J. R. R. Tolkien was published, edited by Carl F. Hostetter.
From looking at the table of contents in the Amazon preview, it seems the book contains mostly ...
- 5,592
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What did Tolkien really mean by "we being in 1960 of the 7th Age"?
The quote is from the Nature of Middle Earth p39.
since that is only - we being in 1960 of the 7th Age - 16000 years ago: total about 80,000
It appears the editor dates the text from 1960 A.D. ...
- 2,201
9
votes
1
answer
676
views
Has Tolkien ever commented on the similarity between the name "Baggins" and the French word for "ring"?
There is some discussion on the origins of the name Baggins in this question. However, it only revolves around whether or not it is related to Bilbo being a thief, and I am interested in something ...
- 5,592
5
votes
1
answer
411
views
When does Tolkien use "is come" and when does he use "has come"?
I've noticed that sometimes Tolkien uses the older version "is come" (i.e. replacing the auxiliary verb "to have" with the auxiliary verb "to be", as was the custom for ...
- 5,592
16
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Why is Bilbo's door and Hobbit house so incredibly oversized in Tolkien's own final illustration in The Hobbit?
Tolkien was a good artist to say the least. He did not have problems with perspective and whatnot in the other illustrations he made for The Hobbit, so that can't really be the explanation.
Yet, the ...
- 185
12
votes
1
answer
698
views
Why did Tolkien italicise ‘cram’?
In The Hobbit (or at least in my edition, HarperCollins 2011), the word ‘cram’ is italicised wherever it appears. Cram is (as according to Chapter XIII, Not at Home)
biscuitish, keeps good ...
- 1,743
2
votes
0
answers
99
views
Did J. R. R. Tolkien actually use to say that "Middle-earth was really the ancient history of the real planet Earth"? [duplicate]
There was the also the fact that Tolkien, in later years, apparently gave up the conceit that Middle-earth was really the ancient history of the real planet Earth.
This was said in a comment/answer ...
- 21
22
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Are Hobbits related (distant or no) to Elves?
I have read the LOTR trilogy more than once. I feel (from many nuances and some plain text of Tolkien's) that halflings are distantly related to Elves, perhaps descending from common lineage. Whether ...
- 347
4
votes
0
answers
119
views
How clear is it that Tolkien chose the 25th of March for the downfall of Sauron because of its Christian significance? [duplicate]
The downfall of Sauron and the end of the War of the Ring occurred on the 25th of March in the year 3019 of the Third Age. Many scholars and critics have speculated that Tolkien chose this date ...
- 135k
6
votes
1
answer
935
views
Did Tolkien ever discuss why rings were chosen? [duplicate]
With years of reading the books and watching movies, especially with the success of the Peter Jackson movies, the fact the main magical items of The Lord of the Rings are the rings seems ...
- 14.5k
36
votes
2
answers
12k
views
Why are Hobbits so fond of mushrooms?
In both the book and the movie it would seem that Hobbits are especially fond of mushrooms, sometimes braving dangers to harvest them.
I have seen somewhere an interview in which Tolkien claimed he ...
41
votes
1
answer
9k
views
How can these unlicensed books about Middle Earth get published legally?
Octopus Books publishes a range of books that are set in the Tolkien legendarium, from coloring books through to a range of books by David Day. They are widely available online and through retail ...
- 543
15
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Where does Tolkien discuss his bafflement at fans wearing One Ring replicas?
I'm certain that I read a passage from Tolkien somewhere expressing how disturbed/confused he was that anyone would want to make or possess a replica of the One Ring, being as it is a symbol of evil. ...
- 329