If
it weren't for Tolkien, there wouldn't be nearly so many geeky jokes
about rings (precious rings), nor so many Halloween costumes with big
feet or pointy ears. Our birthday boy's books, The Hobbit and
The Lord of the Rings, have been popular since their original
publication. They rank among the most popular books of the twentieth
century, and they have famously inspired movies and even tourism in
New Zealand to see where the movies were (are being) filmed.
I'm
looking forward to Part 1 of The Hobbit (the
movie), due to be out at the end of this year. Here is a
preview.
The
books inspired more than just movie adaptations: they inspired an
entire genre. Tolkien is considered the father of modern fantasy
literature – high fantasy, which takes place in an invented world
and in which large themes of Good and Evil shake the very foundations
of that world – and the popularity of The Lord of the Rings
led to many more volumes of fantasy being written and published. Two
good examples of high fantasy series include Lloyd Alexander's
Prydain Chronicles and the Eragon books by Christopher Paolini
(the Inheritance Cycle).
The
Lord of the Rings also inspired adaptations for radio and
theatre, plus artwork, music, video games, and many cultural
references.
John
Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on this date in 1892 in South Africa.
When he was little, he was bitten by a large baboon spider and was
also briefly kidnapped by a house-boy who just wanted to show the
beautiful baby off to his kraal. (The house-boy returned the
baby the next morning, safe and sound!) When he was just three years
old, Tolkien went to England with his mother and brother, just for a
family visit – but his father died in South Africa, so the Tolkiens
stayed in England. When J.R.R. was 12 years old, his mother died; she
left guardianship of him and his brother to a Catholic priest.
Tolkien
grew up to become a writer, a university professor, and a philologist
(one who studies written languages). Tolkien learned Latin, French,
and German from his mother at home, and during his schooling and
career, he also learned Welsh, Finnish, and Old Norse. He made up
whole languages for his invented Middle-earth, setting of The
Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings,
including Elvish (both Quenya and Sindarin), Dwarvish (Khuzdul),
Entish, and Black Speech. Many fantasy
and science fiction books and movies have, since Tolkien's time, also
included invented languages such as Fremen from Frank Herbert's Dune
and Klingon from the Star
Trek universe.
Celebrate
by reading and watching high fantasy today!
Also
on this date:
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