In the foreword to the second edition, Tolkien affirmed The Lord of the Rings “was primarily linguistic in inspiration and was begun in order to provide the necessary background or ‘history’ for Elvish tongues” (Tolkien 2004:xxii). Without a doubt, language is the foundation upon which Tolkien defines cultures and individuals: Tolkien’s invented languages, particularly those wholly alien to the Westron or ‘Common Speech,’ vividly reveal and reflect cultural differences in Middle-earth, but it is the manner in which an individual utilizes language that sets him apart from his contemporaries. Complicating Tolkien’s process in the fiction of translation is the need to distinguish closely related language groups; nevertheless, Tolkien adeptly weaves his linguistic web by varying the kind of English used.
Assuming his role as ‘translator’ of the Red Book, Tolkien declares, “Only the languages alien to the Common Speech have been left in their original form; but these appear mainly in the names of persons and places” (Tolkien 2004:1133). Considering Tolkien’s statement, is the reader to presume these ‘alien’ languages serve no other role than to lend an aura of authenticity and suspend disbelief? Absolutely not! Instead, utilizing a variety of tongues and maintaining them in their original form, Tolkien crafts a complex mythology composed of unique races and people groups; more importantly, Tolkien’s use of these languages reveal and reflect cultural differences in Middle-earth. By way of illustration, consider the Elves who, besides the Westron, employ two native tongues: Quenya, an ancient tongue or ‘Elven latin’ used for ceremony, lore and song and Sindarin, a tongue for daily use, in origin akin to Quenya (Tolkien: 2004 1127-1128)...
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...ien’s use of non-standard English forms and constructions Johannesson concludes that Hobbit speech reveals “social stratification” and “linguistic accommodation” (Johannesson 2004:55). Without a doubt, “the whole of the linguistic setting has been translated as far as possible” (Tolkien 2004:1133).
In a letter to Houghton Mifflin Tolkien wrote, “The invention of languages is the foundation. The ‘stories’ were made rather to provide a world for the languages than the reverse. To me a name comes first and the story follows … But there is a great deal of linguistic matter (other than actually ‘elvish’ names and words) included or mythologically expressed in the book. It is to me, anyway, largely an essay in ‘linguistic aesthetic’, as I sometimes say to people who ask me ‘what is it all about?’” (Letters #164, pp 219-220).
Works Cited
Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
In order to understand the “center” of the Iliad, one must first recognize that the Iliad started as a “Lyrical,” or oral poem and was written down much later in history, becoming a “Narrative,” or literate poem. The Iliad began as a poem that was strictly part of an oral culture, its transition into a written work for a literate culture brought complexities and complications that are often overlooked when examining this poem on its surface. Walter J. Ong explained this phenomenon best when he described the psychodynamics of an oral society. His explanations concerning these particular societies’ psychologies and social dynamics are often times lost on the Iliad’s modern-day reader. Therefore, when reading a piece of literature, one must first take into account how the text has arrived to him through the passage of time and history. So, before we are to examine the modern critics’ interpretations and analyses of Homer’s Iliad, we must first look to Ong’s claims concerning oral societies.
Bjerre, Thomas Ærvold. “The Natural World Is The Most Universal Of Languages”: An Interview with Ron Rash.” Appalachian Journal 32.2 (2007): 216-227. Literary Reference Center. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.
· Urang, Gunnar. "J. R. R. Tolkien: Fantasy and the Phenomenology of Hope" Religion and Fantasy in the Writing of C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and J. R. R. Tolkien. United Church Press, 1971
The film goes into basic information about many of the worlds’ countless distinct languages and language families and how they are diversified throughout the world. The film highlights how a single ancestor language can evolve into a variety of unique languages. These languages divide and change until eventually they become mutually. Many of these languages can be traced back and included in language families. Not all languages can be traced back so easily and because the mutually unintelligibility is so high, similarities to other languages cannot be found.
Tolkien, J. R. R., and Alan Lee. The hobbit ; The Lord of the Rings. London: HarperCollins, 2010. Print.
The paper will begin with a look at the life of Tolkien. This will serve the purpose of providing some context for the novel. Looking into the life of Tolkien will also serve to give the reader some insight into the mind that gave birth to such a rich land and why the novel may have some importance for sufferers of mental illness. Next will likely be a short summation of the
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit, Or, There and Back Again. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996. Print.
Tolkien, J. R. R., and Douglas A. Anderson. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
Print. The. Tolkien, J. R. R. The Fellowship of the Ring. First Ballantine Books Ed.
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit, Or, There and Back Again. New York: Ballantine, 1982. Print
Tolkien, J. R. R., and Christopher Tolkien. The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. Print.
he Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring is a fantasy novel set in an entirely different time period and in an extraordinarily different world. This story is part of a trilogy that transitions seamlessly into the ending of the prequel book, “The Hobbit.” At the end of “The Hobbit,” Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, a hobbit is a half-sized human, comes home from an adventure and during his journey, he manages to obtain a magical ring. This ring is magical because when you happen to wear it, you turn invisible. It also had the power to prolong the life of the wearer. The start of the Fellowship begins with Bilbo's 111th birthday and Bilbo is getting ready to leave the Shire. The Shire is the region of Middle-Earth where the hobbits reside. Middle-Earth is the continent in which this story takes place. So Bilbo is looking to leave the Shire and wants to leave his possessions with his cousin, Frodo Baggins, who is much younger then he is. Amongst these possessions is the magical ring. Bilbo has second thoughts about giving Frodo the ring but is talked into doing so by his good friend Gandalf the Grey. Gandalf the Grey is one of a few powerful wizards that inhabit Middle-Earth.
J.R.R Tolkien’s work of fiction The Lord of the Rings, have with the advent of Peter Jackson’s film adaptation brought the series to newfound heights of fame. As with many works of it’s kind, The Lord of the Rings depicts a battle between good and evil, with the main characters in the books striving to thwart evil’s plan. In many other works, the author’s personal belief system or worldview drives the narrative, with the message being paramount and the characters the vehicles of conveyance for the point of the story. C.S Lewis, a friend and contemporary of Tolkien’s, is a prime example of this. Lewis’ popular series The Chronicles of Narnia is an allegorical work, teaching Christian principles through the use of fiction. While raised as a Catholic himself, Tolkien does not explicitly promote his religious background, nor does he engage in allegory. However, Tolkien’s views of morality can be found throughout the work, specifically in the way in which evil is portrayed, the use of power and moral freedom of choice. Randel Helms writes in his book, Tolkien’s World, “Tolkien’s particular myth parallels his Christianity, … positioning a malevolent and corrupting outside influence, spiritual and probably eternal, against which man is doomed to fight, but which he has no hope of conquering” (67).
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 epic fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson. The film is an adaptation of a volume of the same name by J.R.R. Tolkien published in 1954. This is the first film of Peter Jackson’s trilogy that adapted J.R.R. Tolkien’s entire Lord of the Rings series into screenplay.
Urang, Gunnar. "J. R. R. Tolkien: Fantasy and the Phenomenology of Hope" Fantasy in the Writing of J. R. R. Tolkien. United Press, 1971