Influence from Greek mythology is apparent in the disappearance of the island of Númenor, recalling Atlantis. Tolkien's Elvish name "Atalantë" for Númenor resembles Plato's Atlantis, furthering the illusion that his mythology simply extends the history and mythology of the real world.
Tolkien was influenced by Germanic heroic legend, especially its Norse and Old English forms. During his education at King Edward's School in Birmingham, he read and translated from the Old Norse in his free time.
However, much like Middle-earth, the answer is complicated. While Tolkien's influences span across both mythology and Christianity, with Beowulf being a notable inspiration, he also drew upon his own life experiences from his childhood, profession in philology and his time serving in World War I.
Undoubtedly, despite his linguistic interest in the Germanic languages, Tolkien regarded his early introduction to ancient Greek works as intrinsic to the formation of his literary aesthetics.
Tolkien use any elements from Norse mythology in creating the Lord of the Rings trilogy? Yes, Elves, Dwarves, and dragons are all mythological creatures found in Norse mythology. His “gods,” however, are different from the Nordic pantheon. His Elves also ended up being different from the Nordic ones.
The Norse myth that inspired “The Lord of the Rings” - Iseult Gillespie
Is LOTR based on Celtic mythology?
J. R. R. Tolkien derived the characters, stories, places, and languages of Middle-earth from many sources. Among these are the Celtic legends and languages, which for Tolkien were principally Irish and Welsh.
Gandalf (Old Norse: Gandálfr [ˈɡɑndˌɑːlvz̠]) is a Dvergr (Norse dwarf) in Norse mythology, appearing in the so-called 'Tally of the Dwarves' within the poem Völuspá from the Poetic Edda, as well as in the Prose Edda.
Tolkien could also have chosen one of the English Bible, among others, until the publication of the Jerusalem Bible, the Douay-Rheims or even the Wycliffe Bible. There is no doubt that Tolkien had a personal knowledge of these three translations.
Eru is introduced in The Silmarillion as the supreme being of the universe, creator of all existence, including the world, Arda, and its central continent, Middle-earth. In Tolkien's invented Elvish language Quenya, Eru means "The One", or "He that is Alone" and Ilúvatar signifies "Allfather".
By comparing the overall structure of both books, specific similar scenes that take place, and the characteristics of Bilbo and Odysseus, it will become apparent that not only did Tolkien look to The Odyssey for inspiration while writing The Hobbit, but also that his respect and knowledge of literature is part of the ...
All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. Not all those who wander are lost. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.
In June 1916 Tolkien went to France and was posted to the 11th Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers. From July onwards his battalion went in and out of the line along the northern sector of the Somme. He occupied front line trenches in Beaumont-Hamel, Serre and the Leipzig Salient.
Elvish languages are constructed languages used by Elves in a fantasy setting. The philologist and fantasy author J. R. R. Tolkien created the first of these languages, including Quenya and Sindarin.
Beowulf's eotenas [ond] ylfe [ond] orcneas, "ogres [and] elves [and] devil-corpses" helped to inspire Tolkien to create orcs, Elves, and other races. Tolkien was an expert on Old English literature, especially the epic poem Beowulf, and made many uses of it in The Lord of the Rings.
The Lord of the Rings is one of Tolkien's popular works that analyze power, choice, and morality through imagination. It seems to have drawn the theme of self-chosen invisibility from Plato's Ring of Gyges.
This sounds familiar to Icelanders and those who know Icelandic folklore and Middle Earth. Tolkien was inspired by Icelandic books written by both known and unknown Icelandic authors, such as the Sagas and Prose Edda. As an Icelander myself, I love Icelandic sagas, Norse Mythology and Tolkien's work.
Aragorn was the son of Arathorn II and his wife Gilraen. Gilraen's mother, Ivorwen, prophesied that if Arathorn II and Gilraen "wed now, hope may be born for our people; but if they delay, it will not come while this age lasts". Aragorn was the heir to the throne of Gondor and of the lost realm of Arnor.
In many ways, the novel's charm and humor lie in transplanting a simple, pastoral Englishman of the 1930s into a heroic medieval setting. Tolkien acknowledged that his hero, Bilbo Baggins, was patterned on the rural Englishmen of his own time.
J. R. R. Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic from boyhood, and he described The Lord of the Rings in particular as a "fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision". While he insisted it was not an allegory, it contains numerous themes from Christian theology.
Tolkien belonged to the Roman Catholic Church. Raised in the church by his mother Mabel, he would remain a devout Catholic till his death. His faith was an essential part of his life, which formed an aspect of his writings.
Odin is supposed to be a powerful god-king who dwells in Asgard. He rules, he does not conjure magic tricks. Gandalf is a wizard - he is the typical mentor type figure. He aids the heroes, and does not fight Sauron directly, as a king would be expected to do.
Like many characters in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf was known by multiple names, but why Gandalf is called Mithrandir isn't completely clear. Starting in his teens, The Lord of the Rings author J. R. R. Tolkien enjoyed creating fictional languages with their own histories and grammar systems.
If this wizard is Gandalf, the fact that he was saved by and fought alongside a harfoot when he first arrived in Middle-earth could explain why Gandalf is so fond of hobbits, descendants of the harfoots, and often travels to the Shire to visit them.
