Reception of J. R. R. Tolkien

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The works of J. R. R. Tolkien, most notably The Lord of the Rings (1954/55) have exerted considerable influence since their publication. A culture of fandom sprang up in the 1960s, but reception by the establishment of literary criticism has been more slow. Nevertheless, academic studies on Tolkien's works have been appearing at an increasing pace since the mid 1980s.

[edit] Literary criticism

Main article: Tolkien studies

The works of Tolkien have generated a body of academic research, studying different facets such as

• Tolkien as a writer of fantasy literature
• Tolkien's invented languages

A first avenue towards literary respectability of Tolkien's works was opened by Tom Shippey's 1982 The Road to Middle-earth. The pace of scholarly publications on Tolkien has increased dramatically in the early 2000s. The dedicated journal Tolkien Studies has been appearing since 2004.

Lobdell (2006) evaluating the reception of Tolkien in mainstream literary establishment (as opposed to dedicated Tolkien scholarship) cites the widely quoted negative critique Edmund Wilson and the partly favourable one by Edwin Muir and conclues that

"no 'main­stream critic' appreciated The Lord of the Rings or indeed was in a position to write criticism on it — most being unsure what it was and why readers liked it"

Richard C. West compiled an Annotated Checklist of Tolkien Criticism (2nd ed., Kent State University Press, 1981)

Marxist critics vilified Tolkien for his social conservativism, and for the "veiled geopolitics" implied in readings that interpret Sauron's Mordor and Sharkey's dictatorship in the Shire are parodies of Soviet Com­munism (Oberhelman 2006). E.P. Thompson in 1981^[1] blames the cold warrior mentality on "too much early reading of The Lord of the Rings". Inglis (1983) modifies earlier accusation of fascism against Tolkien, but still maintains that the novel is an "political fantasy" for escapist middle-class readers in modern capitalist society. Griffin (1985) examines Tolkien in relation to Italian neofascism, again suggesting a proximity of Tolkien's ideals to those of the radical right. Ironically, these interpretations run directly counter to the adoption of The Lord of the Rings into alternative "hippie" counter-culture and the environmental movement.

[edit] Reception of non-fiction works

Tolkien was an accomplished philologist of Anglo-Saxon, but has left a comparatively meagre output of academic publications. His works on Anglo-Saxon philology which have received the most recognition is Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics, a 1936 lecture on the interpretation of the Beowulf epic, and his identification of what he termed the "AB language", an early Middle English literary register of the West Midlands. Outside Anglo-Saxon philology, his 1939 lecture On Fairy Stories is of some importance to the literary genres of fantasy or mythopoeia. His 1930 lecture A Secret Vice addressed artistic languages at a time when the topic was of very limited visibility compared to the utilitarian projects of auxiliary languages. His 1955 valedictory lecture English and Welsh expounds his philosophy of language, notably his notion of native language and his views on linguistic aesthetics (c.f. cellar door). Smith (2007) is a monograph on Tolkien's philosophy of language.^[2]

[edit] Fandom

Main article: Tolkien fandom

Tolkien fandom is an international, informal community of fans of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially of the Middle-earth legendarium which includes The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.

Tolkien's The Hobbit, a children's book, was first published in 1937, and it proved popular. However, The Lord of the Rings, first published in 1954 through 1955, would give rise to the fandom as a cultural phenomenon.

Bootleg paperbacks published by Ace Books eventually found their way into colleges in the U.S.A. in the 1960s. In response, a revised, authorised edition was published by Ballantine Books. The "hippie" following latched onto the book, giving its own spin to the work's interpretation, such as the Dark Lord Sauron representing the United States military draft during the Vietnam War, to the chagrin of the author who stated that "Many American fans enjoy the books in a way which I do not". Many fantasy series written in the period were created by fans of The Lord of the Rings, such as the Shannara books by Terry Brooks.

Although there were active Tolkien enthusiasts within science fiction fandom from the mid-1950s, true organized Tolkien fandom only took off with the publication of the second hardcover edition and the paperbacks in the 1960s. Articles on The Lord of the Rings appeared regularly in the 1960s fanzine Niekas, edited by Ed Meskys. The first organized Tolkien fan group was "The Fellowship of the Ring", founded by Ted Johnstone at Pittcon, the 1960 Worldcon.

The Tolkien Society (U.K.) was founded in the U.K. in 1969, and remains active as a registered charity. The society has two regular publications, a bi-monthly bulletin of news and information, Amon Hen, and an annual journal, Mallorn, featuring critical articles and essays on Tolkien's work. They host several annual events, including a conference held at Oxford, Oxonmoot.

The Mythopoeic Society held its first Mythcon conference in 1970, which featured readings, a costume competition, an art show, and other events typical of science fiction conventions of the day.

[edit] Influence

Main article: Works inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien

The works of Tolkien have served as the inspiration to many painters, musicians, film-makers and writers, to such an extent that Tolkien is sometimes seen as the "father" of the entire genre of "high fantasy.^[3] The production of such derivative works is sometimes of doubtful legality, because Tolkien's published works will remain copyrighted until 2043. The film, stage and merchandise rights of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are owned by Tolkien Enterprises, while the rights of The Silmarillion and other material remain with The J.R.R. Tolkien Estate Ltd.

[edit] By region

Outside the Anglosphere, The Lord of the Rings has to a significant extent been received in in translation. The J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia dedicates separate entries to the reception of Tolkien in various European linguistic spheres of influence, viz. Germanic (Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, German, Dutch), Slavic (Russian, Polish; Hooker (2003) is a monograph on the history of reception in Russia in particular), Romance (French, Italian, Spanish), Greek, Finnish and Hungarian translation, besides reception in Japan. A separate entry is dedicated to the reception of Tolkien in technological subcultures.

A number of dedicated Tolkien Societies provide platforms for a combination of fandom and academic literary study in various countries. The most notable societies in the Anglosphere are The Tolkien Society (UK) and the Mythopoeic Society (USA).

[edit] German-speaking Europe

The German translation of the The Hobbit appeared in 1957 (translated by Walter Scherf), and that of The Lord of the Rings in 1972 (translated by Margaret Carroux and Ebba-Margareta von Freymann).

The Deutsche Tolkien Gesellschaft (DTG) is a German association dedicated to the study of the life and works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Founded in 1997, it is based in Cologne. The DTG has more than 500 members (as of 2005) and is organised in a widespread network of local chapters. It is the main driving force of Tolkien reception in the German speaking countries (c.f. Honegger (2006); a Swiss Tolkien Society was founded in 1986, but dissolved in 2006; an Austrian Tolkien Society was founded in 2002). The DTG organized a seminar on Tolkien studies in Cologne in 2004, in Jena in 2005 and in Mainz in 2006. The conference proceedings are published in their Hither Shore yearbook.

[edit] Scandinavia

[edit] Sweden

The Tolkien Society of Sweden is world's first J. R. R. Tolkien society started in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1968 by members of Club Cosmos. They published the member magazine Långbottenbladet. Originally it was just called "The Tolkien Society" but when the British society of the same name was created the members added "of Sweden" to its name.^[4][5]

The Tolkien Society Forodrim was founded in Sweden in 1972 and is one of the oldest Tolkien fan organizations. Forodrim was founded in a public toilet during a science fiction convention (possibly SF-Kongressen 1973) as a name change of Sam J Lundwall's Hyboria. Co-founders were Jörgen Peterzén and Anders Palm.[1]

Forodrim has an especially active group interested in Tolkienian linguistics, Mellonath Daeron.

Forodrim is Sindarin for "People of the North". The society is based in Stockholm, but has spawned daughter-organizations in Gothenburg and Malmö.

[edit] Denmark

In Denmark, Tolkien became well known in the 1970s and has considerably influenced Danish language fantasy literature since. In 1977, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark illus­trated The Lord of the Rings.

[edit] Norway

A The Hobbit appeared in Norwegian translation in 1972, and The Lord of the Rings followed in 1973 to 1975 (Tiden Norsk Forlag). Both translations were harshly criticized for errors and inconsistencies, and complaints resulted in a new translation of LotR, published 1980/81. By the late 1980s, Tolkien's works were well known to the Norwegian public. A translation of the Silmarillion appeared in 1994. The unsatisfactory Hobbit translation was replaced only in 1997. By the mid 1990s, the popularity of Tolkien had risen to a level that made viable translations of his minor works. The Tolkien Society of Norway was founded in 1981.

[edit] Finland

Kontu Internet Community (Verkkoyhteisö Kontu ry in Finnish) is a registered society based in Finland, founded in December 19, 2006. The main focus of the society is to improve the knowledge of J. R. R. Tolkien and his works in Finland as well as maintain the virtual community and thus the website the society originated from. The many parts of the website contains a discussion forum, a wiki and an irc channel. KontuWiki has been credited in several Finnish Tolkien related publications since 2007. The society also organises meetings and other events for Tolkien fans from all over the country, one of these being The Children of Húrin releasing party in Tampere, Finland in May 25, 2007.

Kontu^[6] is the Finnish translation of "The Shire".

[edit] Russia

Further information: Russian translations of The Lord of the Rings

Interest in Russia awoke soon after the publication of The Lord of the Rings in 1955, long before the first Russian translation. A first effort at publication was made in the 1960s, but in order to comply with literary censorship in Soviet Russia, the work was considerably abridged and transformed. The ideological danger of the book was seen in the "hidden allegory 'of the conflict between the individualist West and the totalitarian, Communist East.'" (Markova 2006), while, ironically, Marxist readings in the west conversely identified Tolkien's anti-indus­trial ideas as presented in the Shire with primitive communism, in a struggle with the evil forces of technocratic capitalism. Russian translations of The Lord of the Rings were published only after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but then in great numbers, no less than ten official Russian translations appeared between 1990 and 2005 (Markova 2006). Tolkien fandom in Russia grew especially rapidly during the early 1990s at Moscow State University. Many unofficial and partly fragmentary translations are in circulation. The first translation appearing in print was that by Kistyakovskij and Muraev (volume 1, published 1982).

[edit] Japan

The Hobbit appeared in Japanese translation in 1965 (Hobitto no Boken) and The Lord of the Rings from 1972 to 1975 (Yubiwa Monogatari), both translated by Teiji Seta (1916-1979), in 1992 revised by Seta's assistant Akiko Tanaka. In 1982, Tanaka translated the Silmarillion (Sirumariru no Monogatari). Teiji Seta was an expert in classical Japanese literature and a haiku poet, and Arduini (2006) regards the Seta and Tanaka translations as "almost perfect".

Shiro No Norite ("The White Rider") is a Tokyo-based group of fans, established in 1981. But reception of Tolkien's work among the Japanese public remained rather limited until the appearance of Jackson's films, after which there was a surge of interest.

[edit] Greece

The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were published in Greek language by Kedros during the 1970s, each by different translators. In the mid-90s Aiolos published Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.

In 2001, shortly before the release of the movies, the first Greek on-line community was formed in a promotional web site[2] which in 2002 founded an official group of fans under the name The Prancing Pony. The group is unofficially divided in two 'smials', in Athens and Thessaloniki.

During and after the release of the movies, further Tolkien-related literature was published in Greek language (both original and translations) including biographies, reading companions etc.

[edit] References

• The J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia (2006), Routledge, Drout (ed.) has entries:
  • Mike Foster: America in the 1960s: Reception of Tolkien
  • Jared Lobdell: Criticism of Tolkien, Twentieth Century
  • Anna Skyggebjerg: Denmark, Reception of Tolkien
  • Finland, Reception of Tolkien
  • France, Reception of Tolkien
  • Thomas Honegger: Germany, Reception of Tolkien
  • Greece, Reception of Tolkien
  • Hungary, Reception of Tolkien
  • Italy, Reception of Tolkien
  • Roberto Arduini: Japan, Reception of Tolkien
  • Rene van Rossenberg: Netherlands, Reception of Tolkien
  • Nils Ivar Agøy: Norway, Reception of Tolkien
  • Poland, Reception of Tolkien
  • O. Markova: Russia, Reception of Tolkien
  • Spain, Reception of Tolkien
  • Sweden, Reception of Tolkien
  • Lisa L. Spangenberg: Technological subcultures, Reception of Tolkien
  • Jared Lobdell: Lord of the Rings: Success of
  • David D. Oberhelman: Marxist readings of Tolkien
• Mark T. Hooker, Tolkien Through Russian Eyes, Walking Tree Publishers (2003), ISBN 3-9521424-7-6.
• Tolkien in Translation, Walking Tree Publishers (2003), ISBN 3-9521424-6-8.
• Thomas Honegger and Frank Weinreich (eds.), Tolkien and Modernity, 2 vols., Walking Tree Publishers (2006), ISBN 978-3-905703-02-3, ISBN 978-3-905703-03-0
• Adam Lam and Nataliya Oryshchuk (eds.), How We Became Middle-earth, Walking Tree Publishers (2007), ISBN: 978-3-905703-07-8.
• Allan Turner (ed.), The Silmarillion: 30 years on, Walking Tree Publishers (2007), ISBN: 978-3-905703-10-8.
• Tolkien Studies (ISSN 1547-3155)
• Ross Smith, Inside Language, Walking Tree Publishers (2007).
• The Rise of Tolkienian Fantasy Open Court: Chicago (2005).
• Isaacs and Zimbardo, Tolkien and the Critics
• Robert Giddings (ed.) J.R.R. Tolkien: This Far Land, London: Vision Press, 1983.
  • Otty, Nick. "A Structuralist's Guide to Middle-earth.", 154-78
  • Walmsley, Nigel. "Tolkien and the '60s", 73-86.
  • Inglis, Fred. "Gentility and Powerlessness", 25-41.
• Griffin, Roger. "Revolts against the Modern World: The Blend of Literary and Historical Fantasy in the Italian New Right." Literature & History 11, no. 1 (1985): 101-23.