JRR Tolkien (1892 – 1973) is famous for writing “The Hobbit” “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Silmarillion.” Other published completed stories include “Roverandom,” “Farmer Giles of Ham,” “Smith of Wootton Major,” and “Leaf by Niggle.” In this vid…
JRR Tolkien (1892 – 1973) is famous for writing “The Hobbit” “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Silmarillion.” Other published completed stories include “Roverandom,” “Farmer Giles of Ham,” “Smith of Wootton Major,” and “Leaf by Niggle.” In this video, we go over his life, with a focus on factors that motivated/inspired his writing. The Middle Earth universe, created by JRR Tolkien, has inspired many other stories and franchise, including (but not limited to) Warcraft, Elder Scrolls (all games), Dungeons & Dragons, Raid Shadow Legends, Babylon 5, and pretty much anything where you see elves, dwarves, humans, and orcs sharing a world.
This video is on the long side because JRR Tolkien is my (Ivor Kovac) favorite author. I could actually talk about him much longer than I did, but in the interests of time I refrained. I discovered Tolkien when I was 13 and he has remained at the top of my list since then. Some of my own stories were inspired by his work. In doing this research, and over the course of years, I have found some of his sources of inspiration. These include, but are not limited to:
The Kalevala
Sigurd and Fafnir
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The Voyage of Saint Brendan
Prose Edda
Elder Edda
Sources:
“JRR Tolkien A Biography” by Humphrey Carpenter
“The Letters of JRR Tolkien” edited by Humphrey Carpenter & Christopher Tolkien
Additional Information:
Examples of Barrows in England: https://www.heritagedaily.com/2017/11/seven-must-see-long-barrows-in-england/100889
The Quenya Language: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR7pg3ucnpc
Connla and the Fairy Maiden: https://www.luminarium.org/mythology/ireland/fairymaiden.htm
