Norse roots in LOTR

[Muffled]

I am reading a book on Norse Mythology and find it populated with many of the races described in Lord of the Rings. There are elves and dwarfs and giants which you don't find in LOTR. There is also magic. Loki is a shape shifter and there is even a story about Odin turning himself into a hawk. Then I found a character named Frodi, known as Frotho by the old English and Frodo instantly came to mind. There are also stories about rings and cursed objects.

It appears to me that JRR Tolkien was well read up on Norse Mythology and used it as background to create his stories.

 

[science_is_my_god]

I am reading a book on Norse Mythology and find it populated with many of the races described in Lord of the Rings. There are elves and dwarfs and giants which you don't find in LOTR. There is also magic. Loki is a shape shifter and there is even a story about Odin turning himself into a hawk. Then I found a character named Frodi, known as Frotho by the old English and Frodo instantly came to mind. There are also stories about rings and cursed objects.

It appears to me that JRR Tolkien was well read up on Norse Mythology and used it as background to create his stories.

Hmmmm.... makes me almost want to convert to Norse Mythology. I'm a HUGE Tolkien fan! Anyways, I bet you would be surprised just how many movies/books are loosly based on some kind of religion or mythology. Heck, even Harry Potter could be considered loosly based on Wiccan spellcasting.

 

[Muffled]

Hmmmm.... makes me almost want to convert to Norse Mythology. I'm a HUGE Tolkien fan! Anyways, I bet you would be surprised just how many movies/books are loosly based on some kind of religion or mythology. Heck, even Harry Potter could be considered loosly based on Wiccan spellcasting.

I can't wait for "Eye of the World" to come out in 2011. I am a big Robert Jordan/ Wheel of Time fan (WoT). I wonder what his relgious beliefs were. In the end the hero is supposed to sacrifice his life to save the world in the final book due in late 2009. This parallels the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to save the world. Then there are other things like rebirth and magic that seem to come from a different set of beliefs. Of course an author doesn't necessarily have to believe in the things he writes about.

 

[Green Gaia]

From the Wikipedia gods:


The Lord of the Rings developed as a personal exploration by Tolkien of his interests in philology, religion (particularly Roman Catholicism[12]), fairy tales, Norse and general Germanic mythology,[13][14] and also Celtic[15] and Finnish mythology.[16] Tolkien acknowledged, and external critics have verified the influences of William Morris[17] and the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf.[18]

 

[science_is_my_god]

I can't wait for "Eye of the World" to come out in 2011. I am a big Robert Jordan/ Wheel of Time fan (WoT). I wonder what his relgious beliefs were. In the end the hero is supposed to sacrifice his life to save the world in the final book due in late 2009. This parallels the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to save the world. Then there are other things like rebirth and magic that seem to come from a different set of beliefs. Of course an author doesn't necessarily have to believe in the things he writes about.

Actually, I'm currently in the wheel of time series (book six-Lord of Chaos) and I like it very much (a touch drawn out though) but so far, I've seen almost a Christian-Zorostrianism-Taoism hybrid. I dunno though, I think it's stretching it. I think Jordan is good at making things up as he goes along, the quality of any good author. I think the most blatently obvious religion reference in a book I've ever read is (my favorite fantasy series by far) The Green Angel Tower series by Tad Williams. The religion states that Usires Aedon was hung on the Udun Tree to pay for humankinds blasphemy. He was then ressurected and now resides in all that who believe in him.
Main characters always say stuff what to them are curses: "Bloody Aedon" and "Aedon on the Tree." Gee, I wonder what religion this reminds you of? What's ironic though, is that Williams offers a LOT of philosophy/logic that rufutes this religion, so to me he was either a Christian-gone-atheist, or just an atheist with basic Christianity knowledge. Or maybe agnostic?

 

[painted wolf]

Tolken was very honest about the influence of Norse and other European mythologies in his crafting LOTR. It also influenced his hobby/obsession with/of linguistics.

No true Tolken fan would be surprised by this in the slightest.

wa:do

 

[Caladan]

It appears to me that JRR Tolkien was well read up on Norse Mythology and used it as background to create his stories.

Actually, that is common knowledge. not only did Tolkien use his affection for Norse mythology to paint his own stories, world and mythology, but as a philologist who gave courses on Germanic languages, the languages he invented were inspired by Old Norse, Old English, and the Elvish language of Quenya was inspired by Finnish.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

Wasn't LOTR also written in the Scandinavian Saga style?

 

[Mike182]

You will also notice that most of the dwarf names in The Hobbit are in fact taken directly from the Norse Sagas.

 

[YmirGF]

As others have mentioned it is a well known fact that Tolkien was deeply influenced by Nordic mythology.

When I first went online in approximately 1994, I quickly determined that I needed an online "handle". I trotted over to my bookcase and sat down for an hour or two with four books. The Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson, The Poetic Edda, The Eldar Edda and a very old copy of The Nibelungenlied. After some time I zeroed in on the character of Ymir and decided that my search was over and so I have been known ever since.

 

[Allfather]

I can't wait for "Eye of the World" to come out in 2011. I am a big Robert Jordan/ Wheel of Time fan (WoT). I wonder what his relgious beliefs were. In the end the hero is supposed to sacrifice his life to save the world in the final book due in late 2009. This parallels the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to save the world. Then there are other things like rebirth and magic that seem to come from a different set of beliefs. Of course an author doesn't necessarily have to believe in the things he writes about.

Wait.....Eye of the World is being made into a movie?! how did I miss that....

 

[Zephyr]

The man was a professor of Old English, so it really shouldn't come in any surprise. LotR is just flooded with Germanic mythology. Something that caught my eye was that when my dad and I were watching the movies, I noticed that many of the letters in the dwarfish writing were from the elder futhark too.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Tolkien was well read in general, so I'd imagine you would find a mixture of alot of stuff in his works.

 

[gnomon]

I am reading a book on Norse Mythology and find it populated with many of the races described in Lord of the Rings. There are elves and dwarfs and giants which you don't find in LOTR. There is also magic. Loki is a shape shifter and there is even a story about Odin turning himself into a hawk. Then I found a character named Frodi, known as Frotho by the old English and Frodo instantly came to mind. There are also stories about rings and cursed objects.

It appears to me that JRR Tolkien was well read up on Norse Mythology and used it as background to create his stories.

You can check out the Kalevala from Finnish mythology.

I recommend the Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien by Christopher Tolkien and Humphrey Carpenter. A book no budding Tolkien geek should be without.

Wait.....Eye of the World is being made into a movie?! how did I miss that....

I've missed this as well. But I stopped reading after Book 6 and refused to continue reading until the series was complete. Hurry it up, Sanderson!

And for other fantasy news.......going to have to break down for an extended cable package to watch "Game of Thrones" on HBO but so far all I know is that a pilot is in the works with the script still being worked on.

 

[Muffled]

You can check out the Kalevala from Finnish mythology.

I recommend the Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien by Christopher Tolkien and Humphrey Carpenter. A book no budding Tolkien geek should be without.



I've missed this as well. But I stopped reading after Book 6 and refused to continue reading until the series was complete. Hurry it up, Sanderson!

And for other fantasy news.......going to have to break down for an extended cable package to watch "Game of Thrones" on HBO but so far all I know is that a pilot is in the works with the script still being worked on.

I am not familiar with Game of Thrones. Who is the author?

I have been watching (partially because it is on late) The Legend of the Seeker which is based on Terry Goodkind's books. I don't care for the author that much but the films are fun. (ABC 11:30PM EST, Sat and repeat Sun).

 

[Muffled]

Wait.....Eye of the World is being made into a movie?! how did I miss that....

I own stock in the conglomerate that owns Universal Studios and NBC. My stock site provides news, so I probably saw it there.

 

[Muffled]

As others have mentioned it is a well known fact that Tolkien was deeply influenced by Nordic mythology.

When I first went online in approximately 1994, I quickly determined that I needed an online "handle". I trotted over to my bookcase and sat down for an hour or two with four books. The Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson, The Poetic Edda, The Eldar Edda and a very old copy of The Nibelungenlied. After some time I zeroed in on the character of Ymir and decided that my search was over and so I have been known ever since.

Ah, the cosmic progenitor. Thats one of the cool things about Norse mythology, some of it predates the creation of our planet. I enjoy Sci-fi. What is scary is the fact that Christians authored the writings from local folk lore but we all know how Christians like to editorialize.