John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is the author of one of the most famous stories ever told, The Lord of the Rings. There is nothing simple about this unique epic; it is riddled with appendices, contains detailed maps, and contains languages with multiple dialects that Tolkien did not always feel the need to translate. While this epic has many idiosyncrasies found nowhere else, the most unique thing about the epic is the way it was written.
Rather than start with the plot line and develop the details, Tolkien began his writings with one of his most famous details, the languages and alphabets.Although J. R. R. Tolkien is famous for the intricate plot lines he created, his linguistic passion is the true motivation reason behind his writing. From the time Tolkien was a boy, he showed a passion for philology, even if he did not yet know it.
As a child, Tolkien and his cousins invented a language they named “Anamalic” (Tolkien and Anderson, 4). By the time Tolkien was old enough to go to University, he had identified his love for language and pursued it. He studied Comparative Philology, Finnish, and Welsh at Exeter College in Oxford England.While studying, Tolkien began “...
creating a personal language that he would later call ‘Quenya’ or Elvish,” (Tolkien and Anderson, 2). After graduating, Tolkien helped edit and publish the Oxford English Dictionary. Of his time on staff there, Tolkien said, “I learned more in those two years than in another equal period of my lifetime,” (Oldsey, 3). Tolkien was also one of the publishers of A Middle English Vocabulary and co-edited a version of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a popular book translated from Middle English using the dictionary Tolkien helped publish.After this, he returned to Oxford to teach and was “elected the Rawlinson and Bonsworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford,” (Tolkien and Anderson, 2). Near the end of his teaching career Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings, which eventually were considered some of the most popular books of the twentieth century.
Clearly, as Tolkien’s life went on, he only became more and more invested in philology because he knew it was his true passion in life. Most people are fans of Tolkien’s work for the detailed plot line he took the time to create.Rather than creating a world, Tolkien liked to believe that he was instead reconstructing one that had previously existed, but had long since been forgotten (Shippey, xv), languages and all. “Tolkien’s love for and fascination with languages is well known, and Tolkien even explained and justified this love in essays,” (Drout and Wynne, 118). Another widely known fact about Tolkien’s writing is that “The invention of the languages is the foundation. The ‘stories’ were made.
. . to provide a world for the languages rather than the reverse. ” (Shippey, xiii).In other words, Middle Earth revolves around the invention of Tolkien’s languages. Many of the languages Tolkien invented, like “Anamalic” (Tolkien and Anderson, 4) never made it into his stories.
The languages that Tolkien chose were very specific. He believed that languages could either be inherently “attractive,” or inherently “repulsive,” (Shippey, xiv). In both The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, this belief is reflected by looking at and hearing the languages and songs of the elves compared to the languages and songs of the orcs (Tolkien and Anderson 107-108).If the reader looks at the elvish language in any of Tolkien’s stories, the reader can see that Tolkien accentuates the letters “A”,“I”, and “N”.
When combined with other letters, Tolkien creates a language that’s light, feathery, and pleasant to listen to. Since Elvish is inherently beautiful, Tolkien takes care to include a multitude of Elvish songs. Despite never hearing the language spoken aloud, the reader can see it’s easy how the words flow together, as if one could speak in script: A Elberonth Gilthoniel silivren penna miriel o menal aglar elenath! Na-chaeved palan-diriel galadhremmin ennoath, Fanuilos, le linnathen nef aear, si nef aearon! For contrast, Tolkien invented the language of Mordor.The language of Mordor emphasizes guttural, ugly sounding words and sounds. To create ugly sounds, Tolkien emphases “G”, “K”, “U”, and “Z” Tolkien uses accents in a completely different way when it comes to the language of Mordor.
“‘Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatuluk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul. ’ The change in [Gandalf’s] voice was astounding. Suddenly it became menacing, powerful, harsh as stone. A shadow seemed to pass over the igh sun” (Tolkien, 267).The language above translates to the inscription on the inside of the One Ring: “‘One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them,” (Tolkien, 267). Even without hearing the language translated, one does not get the same feeling from the language of Mordor as one does from Elvish.
The language of the elves sounds like music and sunshine while the language of the orcs is raspy, sharp, and guttural. For this reason, Tolkien did not always translate the languages that he invented to his audience.Tolkien strongly believed that “the point is made by the sound alone,” (Shippey, xiv) and a translation was unnecessary for the author to convey to his audience how he wanted them to feel. “Flieger’s attention to Tolkien and language is not merely abstract; she is one of the few critics to discuss style and its relation to the larger themes of Good and Evil” (Drout and Wynne, 118). Tolkien’s linguistic passion not only influenced his own writing but how he viewed the writings of others. He often wrote essays and critiqued both modern and ancient works.
Of his essays, the most famous one was about Beowulf. Tolkien’s essay is considered the “most significant single essay on the poem out of the (literally) thousands written,”. While Tolkien did believe that people were able to “detect historical strata in language,”he also believed that Beowulf shouldn’t only be viewed as a “historical document,” but as a poem as well, if not primarily: “In them there is well-wrought language, weighty words, lofty sentiment, precisely that which we are told the real story of Beowulf,”.After years of studying Old English, Middle English, and Modern English, Tolkien made an important connection: the essence of words was the same over time.
While the alphabet and vocabulary has changed over time, the parts of words that proliferated were the parts that defined the word, like roots and prefixes. Word roots that existed in ancient languages like Latin and Greek are still used by linguists and students alike to determine the meanings of modern words.Our language is not exactly the same as it once was and philologists like Tolkien are able to see where and how our language did change. Like language, Tolkien’s stories are timeless. This is evident from the major theme of Good versus Evil down to the details of his stories.
In The Hobbit when Bilbo is lost in the Gollum’s caves, Gollum makes a deal with him. The two decide to engage in a riddle battle. If Bilbo is victorious, Gollum must show him the way out. However, if Gollum wins, Gollum gets to eat Bilbo.Like the epic and language itself, the riddles that Tolkien includes are timeless: “Thirty white horses on a red hill, First they champ, Then they stamp, Then they stand still,” (Tolkien and Anderson, 121); “Voiceless it cries, Wingless flutters, Toothless bites, and Mouthless mutters,”; “Alive without breath, As cold as death, Never thirsty, ever drinking, All in mail and never clinking. “This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays King, ruins town; And beats high mountain down,”.
All of the riddles could be answered by anyone of any time period. However, the riddles serve a more important purpose. There’s a specific reason Bilbo chose to engage Gollum in a game of riddles and not a fight to the death: “He knew of course, that the riddle-game was sacred and of immense antiquity, and even wicked creatures were afraid to cheat when they played at it,”. Tolkien valued the importance and beauty of language, as did the characters in his epic.No matter what evil may or may not reside in Gollum or any other strange creature Bilbo meets along his journey, he knows that they will stay true to a simple game of riddles because of the value of language. In The Fellowship of the Ring, the game of riddles is mentioned once more.
Gandalf is speaking with Frodo about Bilbo’s encounter with Gollum. Gandalf believes that Gollum used to be part of a species similar to that of the modern day hobbit because of how easily and similarly Bilbo and Gollum communicated.He specifically mentions the riddles they told each other recognizing that the style of the riddles is similar and that there was a good chance Bilbo had heard them while still in the Shire (Tolkien, 63-64). In The Fellowship of the Ring, Tolkien uses riddles in a different, more sophisticated format. Rather, The Fellowship of the Ring is riddled with songs and poetry. One of the most important poems of the epic comes at the end of a letter in a PPS from Gandalf, The Hobbits receive the letter from Butterbur the Inn-keeper at the Inn of the Prancing Pony: All that is gold does not glitterNot all those who wander are lost; That old that is strong does not wither Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring Renewed shall be blade that was broken The crownless again shall be King (Tolkien, 182). The only part of the poem that the Hobbits definitely understand are the first two lines. The first two lines directly apply to Strider, the Ranger they have just met and aren’t sure whether or not to trust him (Tolkien, 184). However, Gandalf sees him as something valuable and purposeful as evident by the aforementioned lines.The Hobbits are currently unaware, but the poem basically outlines what is to come of the journey they’re soon to embark on. The most well-known riddle in The Fellowship of the Ring is introduced when the Fellowship is outside the mines of Moria.
On a door, a riddle is inscribed in Elvish: “‘The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter,’” (Tolkien, 318). If this isn’t an explicit enough linguistic allusion, Gandalf says, “‘. .
. These doors are probably governed by words. I shall not have to call on Gimli for words of the secret dwarf-tongue that they teach to none.The opening words were Elvish, like the writing on the arch [around the door]. After failing to pass over the mountain, the success of the Fellowship’s journey depends on them figuring out the answer to the riddle and going under the mountain through Moria.
Had language not been the driving element behind Tolkien’s writing, he easily could have made the doors open with a spell from Gandalf or a password in the vernacular from Gimli. Throughout The Fellowship of the Ring, some of the main characters share a linguistic quirk. Whenever Mordor, Wraiths, or Sauron comes up in onversation, they avoid saying Sauron’s name. It’s as if speaking of evil will draw it. The characters in Tolkien’s stories understand the power of the language they speak.
Between Bree and Weathertop, Strider prevents the Hobbits from speaking of such things multiple times: “‘Very odd,’ said Frodo, tightening his belt, ‘considering that there is actually a good deal less of me. I hope the thinning process will not go on indefinitely, or I shall become a Wraith! ’ ‘Do not speak of such things! ’ said Strider quickly, and with surprising earnestness. ” (Tolkien, 196-197).Earlier in the epic, the four Hobbits had had an encounter with such a creature.
Luckily, Tom Bombadil was there to save them from their peril. While Tolkien was studying stories written in Old English, he discovered that the Wraith was usually a “pale, insubstantial being” that authors used as a symbol of evil (Shippey, xxxi). Another occasion Strider reprimanded the Hobbits was after Sam had sung a verse of The Fall of Gil-Galad. “‘Going to Mordor! ’ cried Pippen.
‘I hope it won’t come to that! ’ ‘Do not speak that name so loudly! ’”.The next time, Strider does not even allow the name to be spoken: “‘With Elendil, the Elf-friend, he went to the land of --’ ‘No! ’ said Strider interrupting, ‘I do not think that tale should be told now with the servants of the Enemy at hand. If we win through to the house of Elrond, you may hear it there, told in full. ’” (Tolkien, 203).
While the languages do draw evil, Strider was also worried about the spies of Mordor. In Middle Earth, different species are able to communicate. Crows from Mordor could fly about looking and listening and report back to Mordor.Every species has at least one language of its own if not multiple. Throughout both The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, the characters and the narrator correct themselves on word choices.
Usually, if authors find that a word a character is using isn’t quite right, they change it and move on. Tolkien takes a different approach. “‘I am glad,’ said Frodo. ‘For I have become very fond of Strider. Well, fond is not the right word. I mean he is dear to me’ though he is strange, and grim at times,’” (Tolkien, 232).
Tolkien has the characters obviate their word choice to draw out the linguistic themes.It also makes the characters more human. Who knows exactly what they want to say all of the time? Even Gandalf, who some critics speculate to be a symbol for God (Oldsey, 6) is not perfect when he speaks. “‘Do not worry! Though I said “absurd” just now, I did not mean it. I think well of you -- and of the others. ’” (Tolkien, 232).
Gandalf says this to Frodo when he is lying in bed in the House of Elrond after being stabbed by the dagger of a Ringwraith. Gandalf reminds Frodo of the “‘absurd adventures’” he had been on. While reading a book authored by Tolkien, one may feel they are not reading a fictional story at all.Instead, one may feel as if they’re reading a history book. A history book is never able to give you the complete story, but rather the important points.
Tolkien’s stories feel the same way: small tales a part of some much bigger tale. His plot line is so intricate many colleges offer courses on the subject. However, professors with doctorate degrees have spent years studying Tolkien’s languages and the languages they were inspired by. Tolkien’s passion for linguistics and philology really takes on a life and story of its own inside of Middle Eart
