Facts about Tolkien and Mythology

1. 06

   Tolkien's Morgoth character embodies the archetype of the Norse frost giant Surtr, a destructive force opposing creation itself in both mythological traditions.

   Tolkien and MythologyJul 13shareliteraturemythologycharacter
2. 05

   Tolkien explicitly described his mythological project as an attempt to create a mythology for England, which he felt lacked a native equivalent to Norse or Greek myth.

   Tolkien and MythologyJun 6sharemythologyliteraturefolklore
3. 04

   In creating his cosmological mythology, Tolkien drew on the classical concept of a music-based creation, paralleling the role of divine song found in various world mythologies.

   Tolkien and MythologyJun 6sharemythologyliteratureworldbuilding
4. 03

   Tolkien's mythology of Middle-earth was deeply influenced by the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, which he famously defended as a serious literary work in his 1936 essay.

   Tolkien and MythologyJun 6shareliteraturemythologymedieval
5. 02

   The character of Beorn in The Hobbit reflects the ancient Germanic and Norse tradition of berserkers and shape-shifters found in Old Norse sagas.

   Tolkien and MythologyJun 6sharemythologyfolkloreliterature
6. 01

   Tolkien drew heavily on Norse and Finnish mythology, using the Finnish Kalevala as a primary inspiration for his invented Elvish language and legends.

   Tolkien and MythologyJun 6sharemythologyliteraturelanguage