Perilous Realms

by Burns, Marjorie

• ISBN13: 9780802038067
• ISBN10: 0802038069
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-08-06
• Publisher: Univ of Toronto Pr

Summary

J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) is increasingly recognized as the most influential writer of the twentieth century. Sales of his books remain exceptionally high, and Middle-earth fan clubs flourish around the world. The film versions made of The Lord of the Rings, released between 2001 and 2003, have only added to his popularity. Throughout his life, Tolkien was acutely aware of the power of myth in shaping society; so much so, that one of this earliest ambitions as a writer was to create a mythology for England. The Middle-earth of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit was to serve as a stand-in for Britain and northwestern Europe and is strongly based on a variety of influential literatures and beliefs, particularly the Celtic and Horse. Perilous Realms in the first book to focus consistently on the ways in which Tolkien balances these two ancient cultures and unites them in a single literature. Renowned Tolkien scholar Marjorie Burns also investigates the ways Tolkien reconciled other oppositions, including paganism and Christianity, good and evil, home and wayside, war and peace, embellishment and simplicity, hierarchy and the common man. Even those who do not know Beowulf, the Arthurian tales, or northern European mythology come away from The Lord of the Rings with a feeling for Britain's historical and literary past. Those who recognize the sources behind Tolkien - and the skill with which he combines these sources - gain far more. Perilous Realms gives this advantage to all readers and provides new discoveries, including material from obscure, little-known Celtic texts and a likely new source for the name 'hobbit.' It is truly essential reading for Tolkien fans.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
A Note on Spelling	ix
Abbreviations	xi
Introduction	3	(9)
1. Two Norths and Their English Blend	12	(18)
2. Skin-Changing in More than One Sense: The Complexity of Beorn	30	(14)
3. Bridges, Gates, and Doors	44	(31)
4. Iceland and Middle-earth: Two Who Loved the North	75	(18)
5. Spiders and Evil Red Eyes: The Shadow Sides of Gandalf and Galadriel	93	(35)
6. Wisewomen, Shieldmaidens, Nymphs, and Goddesses	128	(28)
7. Eating, Devouring, Sacrifice, and Ultimate Just Deserts
(Why Elves Are Vegetarian and the Unrefined Are Not)	156	(16)
8. Three Questions by Way of Conclusion	172	(7)
Notes	179	(22)
Bibliography	201	(8)
Index	209