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Tolkien On Fairy-stories
J.R.R. Tolkien's
On Fairy-stories
is his most-studied and most-quoted essay, an exemplary personal statement of his own views on the role of imagination in literature, and an intellectual tour de force vital for understanding Tolkien's achievement in writing
The Lord of the Rings
.
Contained within is an introduction to Tolkien's original 1939 lecture and the history of the writing of On Fairy-stories, with previously unseen material. Here, at last, Flieger and Anderson reveal the extraordinary genesis of this seminal work and discuss how the conclusions that Tolkien reached during the composition of the essay would shape his writing for the rest of his life.
Contained within is an introduction to Tolkien's original 1939 lecture and the history of the writing of On Fairy-stories, with previously unseen material. Here, at last, Flieger and Anderson reveal the extraordinary genesis of this seminal work and discuss how the conclusions that Tolkien reached during the composition of the essay would shape his writing for the rest of his life.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2008
186 people are currently reading
43154 people want to read
About the author
J.R.R. Tolkien
786 books77.3k followersJohn Ronald Reuel Tolkien: writer, artist, scholar, linguist. Known to millions around the world as the author of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien spent most of his life teaching at the University of Oxford where he was a distinguished academic in the fields of Old and Middle English and Old Norse. His creativity, confined to his spare time, found its outlet in fantasy works, stories for children, poetry, illustration and invented languages and alphabets.
Tolkien’s most popular works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set in Middle-earth, an imagined world with strangely familiar settings inhabited by ancient and extraordinary peoples. Through this secondary world Tolkien writes perceptively of universal human concerns – love and loss, courage and betrayal, humility and pride – giving his books a wide and enduring appeal.
Tolkien was an accomplished amateur artist who painted for pleasure and relaxation. He excelled at landscapes and often drew inspiration from his own stories. He illustrated many scenes from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sometimes drawing or painting as he was writing in order to visualize the imagined scene more clearly.
Tolkien was a professor at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford for almost forty years, teaching Old and Middle English, as well as Old Norse and Gothic. His illuminating lectures on works such as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, illustrate his deep knowledge of ancient languages and at the same time provide new insights into peoples and legends from a remote past.
Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892 to English parents. He came to England aged three and was brought up in and around Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1915 and saw active service in France during the First World War before being invalided home. After the war he pursued an academic career teaching Old and Middle English. Alongside his professional work, he invented his own languages and began to create what he called a mythology for England; it was this ‘legendarium’ that he would work on throughout his life. But his literary work did not start and end with Middle-earth, he also wrote poetry, children’s stories and fairy tales for adults. He died in 1973 and is buried in Oxford where he spent most of his adult life.
Tolkien’s most popular works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set in Middle-earth, an imagined world with strangely familiar settings inhabited by ancient and extraordinary peoples. Through this secondary world Tolkien writes perceptively of universal human concerns – love and loss, courage and betrayal, humility and pride – giving his books a wide and enduring appeal.
Tolkien was an accomplished amateur artist who painted for pleasure and relaxation. He excelled at landscapes and often drew inspiration from his own stories. He illustrated many scenes from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sometimes drawing or painting as he was writing in order to visualize the imagined scene more clearly.
Tolkien was a professor at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford for almost forty years, teaching Old and Middle English, as well as Old Norse and Gothic. His illuminating lectures on works such as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, illustrate his deep knowledge of ancient languages and at the same time provide new insights into peoples and legends from a remote past.
Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892 to English parents. He came to England aged three and was brought up in and around Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1915 and saw active service in France during the First World War before being invalided home. After the war he pursued an academic career teaching Old and Middle English. Alongside his professional work, he invented his own languages and began to create what he called a mythology for England; it was this ‘legendarium’ that he would work on throughout his life. But his literary work did not start and end with Middle-earth, he also wrote poetry, children’s stories and fairy tales for adults. He died in 1973 and is buried in Oxford where he spent most of his adult life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 240 reviews
September 25, 2020
Tolkien first defines “Faerie” as a place, and a type of story. According to him, fairies are not required, but a belief in the other world typifies “Faerie.” This belief is not a mock-reality, of what he calls our “Primary Reality,” but a secondary reality, just as real. This is not a place to make-believe, but to truly believe, and here you find the reason children are more apt to like these stories. Children trust, and believe, without the complication of big words and deeper meanings to hide simple truth. However, Tolkien argues these stories are for adults too. This secondary world brings the person out of time here in this reality and into another, perhaps into a timeless reality (which we all may have experienced when we’ve had to go about our business after an hour of great fiction). He cites many stories, of which King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table resonate in my memory and familiarity.
He argues we are all “sub-creators,” created in the image of a Maker. Herein lies an argument for the existence of God, of which I’m not familiar in philosophical and apologetic circles, since I haven’t a clue of apologetics and philosophy. Imagine the implications of this though. Do you write, create people and worlds? What if they really exist? Are they real enough, or are they flat personalities in their world? Does their world have three dimensions? Four? Two? One? Are you taking care of your creation?
Tolkien offers criticism of many stories and authors, including Chesterton and Shakespeare. Drama, he says, diametrically opposes Fantasy. He writes, “…tragedy is the true form of drama,” but refers to Fantasy as “Eucatastrophe,” which somehow means a happy ending always comes about. He also argues against the critics who call Fantasy an “escapist” practice. He says many other ways exist of escape that seem much more ridiculous, such as the escape into scientific endeavors leading to the creation of weapons of war, leading to destruction.
Finally, in the last few pages, he comes to the crux of his argument, the final point, which centers on his Christian faith. He says all stories of fantasy and of Fairy (In German referred to as “Elf”) represent a deeper story, a real story of the Christ and his incarnation and death on the cross. He ends in beautiful words, which I took to mean Fantasy reveals the bliss and wonder of eternity in heaven as the understanding of the human race foreshadows what humanity will be like in heaven with resurrected bodies: “All tales may come true; and yet, at the last, redeemed, they may be as like and as unlike the forms that we give them as Man, finally redeemed, will be like and unlike the fallen that we know.”
Tolkien’s essay helps me understand why The Lord of The Rings remains my favorite of all time. I share a spiritual world-view with Tolkien, and his trilogy strengthens me and gives me hope. I see warnings against evil choices in the person of Smeagol, who became corrupted and pitiful Gollum. I see greatness in smallness, a promise of honor in humility and denying personal dignity in Frodo, a tiny Hobbit, who carries the fate of the world around his neck. I see the true hero in the end, who remained invisible with Frodo and Sam both throughout their journey. I see Providence in the destruction of the ring (one of the best climaxes, if not the best climax ever!). I see the final victory of all good over all evil. Whenever I despair, I think of the Hobbits, and Tolkien’s world, and find comfort in, as Tolkien puts it, “the underlying reality.”
Although I’d find great pleasure in studying Tolkien, and learning of him that I may learn to be a better rookie writer, he tells (warns rather) writers to learn more from stories themselves than the analysis of the stories. This could also be phrased as, “you learn better by doing than talking,” or “experiencing rather than reading about it.”
I love the way Tolkien writes; how exquisite the language he uses. I appreciate his heart, his mind, and his faith. I can’t wait to meet him in the “secondary world” of Middle Earth when it becomes “Primary.”
I plan to read this essay again, many times over.
He argues we are all “sub-creators,” created in the image of a Maker. Herein lies an argument for the existence of God, of which I’m not familiar in philosophical and apologetic circles, since I haven’t a clue of apologetics and philosophy. Imagine the implications of this though. Do you write, create people and worlds? What if they really exist? Are they real enough, or are they flat personalities in their world? Does their world have three dimensions? Four? Two? One? Are you taking care of your creation?
Tolkien offers criticism of many stories and authors, including Chesterton and Shakespeare. Drama, he says, diametrically opposes Fantasy. He writes, “…tragedy is the true form of drama,” but refers to Fantasy as “Eucatastrophe,” which somehow means a happy ending always comes about. He also argues against the critics who call Fantasy an “escapist” practice. He says many other ways exist of escape that seem much more ridiculous, such as the escape into scientific endeavors leading to the creation of weapons of war, leading to destruction.
Finally, in the last few pages, he comes to the crux of his argument, the final point, which centers on his Christian faith. He says all stories of fantasy and of Fairy (In German referred to as “Elf”) represent a deeper story, a real story of the Christ and his incarnation and death on the cross. He ends in beautiful words, which I took to mean Fantasy reveals the bliss and wonder of eternity in heaven as the understanding of the human race foreshadows what humanity will be like in heaven with resurrected bodies: “All tales may come true; and yet, at the last, redeemed, they may be as like and as unlike the forms that we give them as Man, finally redeemed, will be like and unlike the fallen that we know.”
Tolkien’s essay helps me understand why The Lord of The Rings remains my favorite of all time. I share a spiritual world-view with Tolkien, and his trilogy strengthens me and gives me hope. I see warnings against evil choices in the person of Smeagol, who became corrupted and pitiful Gollum. I see greatness in smallness, a promise of honor in humility and denying personal dignity in Frodo, a tiny Hobbit, who carries the fate of the world around his neck. I see the true hero in the end, who remained invisible with Frodo and Sam both throughout their journey. I see Providence in the destruction of the ring (one of the best climaxes, if not the best climax ever!). I see the final victory of all good over all evil. Whenever I despair, I think of the Hobbits, and Tolkien’s world, and find comfort in, as Tolkien puts it, “the underlying reality.”
Although I’d find great pleasure in studying Tolkien, and learning of him that I may learn to be a better rookie writer, he tells (warns rather) writers to learn more from stories themselves than the analysis of the stories. This could also be phrased as, “you learn better by doing than talking,” or “experiencing rather than reading about it.”
I love the way Tolkien writes; how exquisite the language he uses. I appreciate his heart, his mind, and his faith. I can’t wait to meet him in the “secondary world” of Middle Earth when it becomes “Primary.”
I plan to read this essay again, many times over.
September 16, 2022
It's hard to imagine a more thorough and accessible critical treatment of a single work than Flieger & Anderson put together here. There are not many short works so robust as Tolkien's original essay as to deserve a book-length treatment, and few of those have authors so popular that a mainstream publisher would take on the commercial risk of supporting such a book.
Having grown up reading an oddly truncated (and partly incomprehensible) early draft version of the essay misprinted in an ancient copy of The Tolkien Reader, it was a joy to me to read the final version of "On Fairy-Stories" (included here and in The Monsters and the Critics), which turned out to be far clearer and more systematic than I thought. Flieger & Anderson demonstrate that this work is not the lucky product of a brilliant but scattered mind - an impression one easily derives from exposure to Tolkien's drafts - but a fully-formed contribution to literary and folklore studies, deserving of its watershed status in those fields. And of Flieger & Anderson's own contribution, nothing can be better said than this back-cover quote from the Cambridge Review: "It goes far to explain the nature of [Tolkien's] art and justify his success."
Having grown up reading an oddly truncated (and partly incomprehensible) early draft version of the essay misprinted in an ancient copy of The Tolkien Reader, it was a joy to me to read the final version of "On Fairy-Stories" (included here and in The Monsters and the Critics), which turned out to be far clearer and more systematic than I thought. Flieger & Anderson demonstrate that this work is not the lucky product of a brilliant but scattered mind - an impression one easily derives from exposure to Tolkien's drafts - but a fully-formed contribution to literary and folklore studies, deserving of its watershed status in those fields. And of Flieger & Anderson's own contribution, nothing can be better said than this back-cover quote from the Cambridge Review: "It goes far to explain the nature of [Tolkien's] art and justify his success."
Read
December 2, 2020I read this for my Tolkien University class. That class was so much fun and I will never forget it.
April 26, 2020
Vidis li onaj uzan puteljak
Sto uz planinu vjuga tamo
To je put u carstvo vila majusnih
kud ti i ja nocas tumaramo <3
Sto uz planinu vjuga tamo
To je put u carstvo vila majusnih
kud ti i ja nocas tumaramo <3
November 8, 2022
Loved it! I'm pleased to remark that our class readings for this semester are surprisingly interesting and enjoyable. This is something I would choose to read in my free time as well. Although I've never read Tolkien (just not my cup of tea), I found his musings on fairy tales very captivating and thought-provoking.
March 31, 2021
Well, this the first time I can say that an academic essay has made me cry. As Tolkien would say, it has whet my desire.
(Floats away dreamily into a fantasy world)
(Floats away dreamily into a fantasy world)
January 8, 2016
This is a really dense essay, and Tolkien has a habit of following intellectual rabbit trails. If you don't mind taking a long time to read a short piece, it is definitely worth the effort. He discusses not only the history, purpose and misconceptions of fairy tales, he also discusses with great passion and importance how they relate to the nature and soul of man.
September 22, 2024
The original essay continues to be absolutely brilliant every time I read it. Tolkien applied clear thinking that makes his critique and proposals resonate decades later—in fact, some of his points feel more relevant now. I would like to ask him about his views on theater, as that's the one moment in the essay when I feel a disconnect. Tolkien clearly did not have a high regard for theater (or at least, for fantasy and fairy-story presented in live theater), and I wonder what he had seen in that domain. Would he enjoy current theater, now that the mechanics the distracted him have advanced technologically to become somewhat more integrated and invisible? I presume that he would not at all care for the musical based on The Lord of the Rings, so it may be for the best that he's not here to give an opinion.
Some readers, even some Tolkien fans, might wonder whether an essay of under 20,000 words merits a 320-page book. It does. It really does. This edition, presented by leading Tolkien scholars Verlyn Flieger and Douglas A. Anderson (editor of the wonderful annotated edition of The Hobbit) includes the full text of the original essay, with notes that give the background of all of Tolkien's many references to other works, writers, and critical approaches. Reading the essay this way, taking time to look at all the notes and annotations, is the best way to understand Tolkien's thought. The early versions of the lecture/essay manuscript, it's true, are only for readers who have a particular reason to dig into the earlier drafts. But it's grand to have everything in one volume, ready to meet any curiosity or research need.
Some readers, even some Tolkien fans, might wonder whether an essay of under 20,000 words merits a 320-page book. It does. It really does. This edition, presented by leading Tolkien scholars Verlyn Flieger and Douglas A. Anderson (editor of the wonderful annotated edition of The Hobbit) includes the full text of the original essay, with notes that give the background of all of Tolkien's many references to other works, writers, and critical approaches. Reading the essay this way, taking time to look at all the notes and annotations, is the best way to understand Tolkien's thought. The early versions of the lecture/essay manuscript, it's true, are only for readers who have a particular reason to dig into the earlier drafts. But it's grand to have everything in one volume, ready to meet any curiosity or research need.
May 20, 2015
A must read for anyone who loves fairy stories or tales of enchantment. An essay on the craftsmanship, delights and misapprehensions we have about tales in this genre. I particularly liked his evocation and description of 'eucatastrophe'.
But the “consolation” of fairy-tales has another aspect than the imaginative satisfaction of ancient desires. Far more important is the Consolation of the Happy Ending. Almost I would venture to assert that all complete fairy-stories must have it. At least I would say that Tragedy is the true form of Drama, its highest function; but the opposite is true of Fairystory. Since we do not appear to possess a word that expresses this opposite—I will call it Eucatastrophe.The
eucatastrophic tale is the true form of fairy-tale, and its highest function. The consolation of fairy-stories, the joy of the happy ending: or more correctly of the good catastrophe, the sudden joyous “turn” (for there is no true end to any fairy-tale): this joy, which is one of the things which fairy-stories can produce supremely well, is not essentially “escapist,” nor “fugitive.” In its fairy-tale—or otherworld—setting, it is a sudden and miraculous grace.....
Tolkien's love for magical stories pulsates through this essay. Why only two stars? Well, I don't share his enthusiasm for the subject. I know, I should have been able to enjoy his essay purely on the merits of his writing, but I wasn't prepared to put the work in to do so. The subject just didn't appeal enough. My bad.
But the “consolation” of fairy-tales has another aspect than the imaginative satisfaction of ancient desires. Far more important is the Consolation of the Happy Ending. Almost I would venture to assert that all complete fairy-stories must have it. At least I would say that Tragedy is the true form of Drama, its highest function; but the opposite is true of Fairystory. Since we do not appear to possess a word that expresses this opposite—I will call it Eucatastrophe.The
eucatastrophic tale is the true form of fairy-tale, and its highest function. The consolation of fairy-stories, the joy of the happy ending: or more correctly of the good catastrophe, the sudden joyous “turn” (for there is no true end to any fairy-tale): this joy, which is one of the things which fairy-stories can produce supremely well, is not essentially “escapist,” nor “fugitive.” In its fairy-tale—or otherworld—setting, it is a sudden and miraculous grace.....
Tolkien's love for magical stories pulsates through this essay. Why only two stars? Well, I don't share his enthusiasm for the subject. I know, I should have been able to enjoy his essay purely on the merits of his writing, but I wasn't prepared to put the work in to do so. The subject just didn't appeal enough. My bad.
November 24, 2021
“The Recovered Thing is not quite the same as the Thing-never-lost. It is often more precious. As Grace, recovered by repentance, is not the same as primitive Innocence, but is not necessarily a poorer or worse state.”
January 17, 2024
Mucho tiempo queriendo leer este ensayo. Las ideas de Tolkien sobre la construcción de los cuentos de hadas son, en su conjunto: fantásticas. Muy recomendado.
August 8, 2012
A great essay on why those who think fairy-stories are for children are highly mistaken.
July 7, 2025
(reread) brilliant argument / apologetics for myth, contemporary with lots of other work on storytelling and narration eg at swim-two-birds, the storyteller etc
January 26, 2019
Read chunks in preparation to give a guest lecture in Michael Elam's course on Tolkien (January 2019). I read OFS for the first time about 10 years ago, probably in The Tolkien Reader.
February 5, 2020
I was incredibly excited to read this and was not in the least disappointed. It was delightful to look at fairy stories through the eyes of Tolkien. This is definitely not the last time I will read this essay.
February 5, 2022
本体部分读得很痛苦，尽管有后面非常详尽的注解和梳理，论文本体还是只理解了个囫囵吞枣，我的垃圾洋文实在看不醒豁，尤其是起源那一部分，希望这本书能快点有译本，关于托尔金的研究最近几年稍微引进了一些了，但是托尔金自身的论文却几乎还没有看到，关于这本书也还没有听到引进的风声。
February 27, 2024
4,5
Tolkiens kjærlighetsbrev og forsvarstale til fantasyen ❤️
Tolkiens kjærlighetsbrev og forsvarstale til fantasyen ❤️
December 31, 2020
5/5
A linguist's (more precisely, a philologist's) take on "Fair Tales".
Mr. Tolkien's legendarium needs no defending, however fantasy as a genre often quite discarded as "serious literature". It's quite refreshing to get into the mind of the man himself on how he viewed fantasy.
"Though fairy stories are of course by no means the only medium of Escape, they are today one of the most obvious and (to some) outrageous forms of "escapist" literature: and it is thus reasonable to attach to a consideration of them some considerations of this term "escape" in criticism generally."
A linguist's (more precisely, a philologist's) take on "Fair Tales".
Mr. Tolkien's legendarium needs no defending, however fantasy as a genre often quite discarded as "serious literature". It's quite refreshing to get into the mind of the man himself on how he viewed fantasy.
"Though fairy stories are of course by no means the only medium of Escape, they are today one of the most obvious and (to some) outrageous forms of "escapist" literature: and it is thus reasonable to attach to a consideration of them some considerations of this term "escape" in criticism generally."
November 25, 2017
Essentially, Lewis, Tolkien and Chesterton viewed fairy stories not as "untrue," but as stories within which the greatest truths are hidden. That is why Chesterton calls the gospel "The Truest Fairy Tale" and why Tolkien writes, "The Gospels contain a fairy-story, or a story of a larger kind which embraces all the essence of fairy stories. They contain many marvels - peculiarly artistic, beautiful and moving; 'mythical' in their perfect self-contained significance; and among the marvels is the greatest and most complete conceivable eucatastrophe [Christ's resurrection]." (p. 78)
This book is not light reading. Because Tolkien invents various words to describe his ideas, you are literally working your way through new language. But it's a worthy endeavor. The intro by editors Flieger and Anderson was very helpful.
This book is not light reading. Because Tolkien invents various words to describe his ideas, you are literally working your way through new language. But it's a worthy endeavor. The intro by editors Flieger and Anderson was very helpful.
January 15, 2024
“But this story is supreme; and it is true. Art has been verified. God is the Lord, of angels, of men—and of elves. Legend and history have met and fused.”
This is one of the most poignant and beautiful essays I’ve read. Tolkien explores what makes a fairy story. He examines the qualities they possess, and makes a very convincing argument of the truth of them all that makes them so appealing to those who posses the quality of loving them.
I’ll be studying this one for a while.✨
Re-read 1/14/24 - still love this one so much. I feel like I got even more out of it the second time around. Very deep essay that gives you A LOT to think about.
This is one of the most poignant and beautiful essays I’ve read. Tolkien explores what makes a fairy story. He examines the qualities they possess, and makes a very convincing argument of the truth of them all that makes them so appealing to those who posses the quality of loving them.
I’ll be studying this one for a while.✨
Re-read 1/14/24 - still love this one so much. I feel like I got even more out of it the second time around. Very deep essay that gives you A LOT to think about.
September 6, 2018
Lijepo istkano štivo, ali nije donijelo ništa posebno novo u mome proučavanju bajki i usmene književnosti.
June 10, 2022
This was another one I had my senior read. As I preread her other books, they were all on the heavy side. I wanted to remind her of fairy tales and wonder, so I put together a little Fairytale 101 class where I had her compare and contrast Lang and Grimm, read this essay and do a research paper on the history of fairies, and then she read Phantasies. She had a lot of fun with that.
I found bits and pieces of this essay reminded me of what I’ve come to love about nature study. Those connections were fun.
I found bits and pieces of this essay reminded me of what I’ve come to love about nature study. Those connections were fun.
December 5, 2023
A pokud necháme “fantazii” chvilku stranou, nemyslím si, že by se čtenář či tvůrce pohádkových příběhů měl kdy stydět za to, že “unikne” do starých časů: že bude dávat přednost nejen drakům, ale i koním, hradům, plachetnicím, lukům a šípům, nejen elfům, ale i rytířům a králům a kněžím.
Jsou věci, a věřím, že jich bude málo, ke kterým se u Tolkiena vracet nebudu, tohle je pravděpodobně jedna z nich… Ale pár krásných myšlenek jsem si v ní našla.
Jsou věci, a věřím, že jich bude málo, ke kterým se u Tolkiena vracet nebudu, tohle je pravděpodobně jedna z nich… Ale pár krásných myšlenek jsem si v ní našla.
October 8, 2025
I rlly recommend any lover of literature this piece
It is i will say very difficult to read his writing is slightly old fashioned and hard but he is very insightful.
I would love to know how he would think of books now and i love how brutally honest he was cause fair cop alice in wonderland aint a fairie story and all the others they are just stories and do not venture into the specific fairy land
He was so interesting tho and very truthfull most of this held up today so considering this was like nearly 100 years ago id say Tolkien was pretty smart and knew what he was talking about
It is i will say very difficult to read his writing is slightly old fashioned and hard but he is very insightful.
I would love to know how he would think of books now and i love how brutally honest he was cause fair cop alice in wonderland aint a fairie story and all the others they are just stories and do not venture into the specific fairy land
He was so interesting tho and very truthfull most of this held up today so considering this was like nearly 100 years ago id say Tolkien was pretty smart and knew what he was talking about
April 2, 2024
I understand that Tolkien wrote this as a kind of advance defence of his project of writing The Lord of the Rings. In it He defends fairy-stories as serious literature. I needed no convincing. He was preaching to the choir.
He gives us some nice samples of poetic writing, but I can’t honestly say I learned much new here.
Still, this was a classic and well worth my time.
He gives us some nice samples of poetic writing, but I can’t honestly say I learned much new here.
Still, this was a classic and well worth my time.
August 12, 2024
And now all I want to do is sit down to read some fairy tales
March 1, 2021
Absolute genius and an inspiring piece that examines many important aspects of human life that are often swept aside: fairy tales, escapism, fantasy, and the lot. Clear and beautifully written by one of the great fantasy writers of our time.
June 17, 2025
I picked it up as a fun Spring Break read, and I did not expect to be moved so deeply by an analysis of the genre. It gave me a deeper appreciation for Fantasy, generally, and Tolkien, in particular. It also inspired me to read the Silmarillion.
The Epilogue on the Great Eucatastrophe is alone worth the price of admission.
The Epilogue on the Great Eucatastrophe is alone worth the price of admission.
October 8, 2020
Ak chcete, aby sa vo vás opäť prebudila túžba čítať si s nadšením rozprávky ako malé dieťa (alebo ako hovorí Chesterton a Tolkien so srdcom malého dieťaťa), tak si musíte prečítať túto esej. Je krásna, inšpiratívna a veľmi poučná. Pri jej čítaní som sa cítil ako keď som dlho do paradajkovej omáčky dával uhorku, za čo ma druhí považovali za blázna. Prečo? Pretože som netušil, čo je na tom zlé, až som to pochopil. Áno, ja som osamelý jazdec, ale Tolkien tu hovorí o probléme oveľa väčšom.
Existuje tu totiž predstava, že rozprávky sú pre deti. Nie sú a nikdy pre ne neboli určené. To až dospelí prišli s tým, že by to tak malo byť. Práve pojednávanie o tejto téme je podľa mňa najkrajšou časťou eseje, kedy si človek začne uvedomovať, že o čom to vlastne celé je. Áno, celé je to o rozprávkach a o čom sú, odkiaľ pochádzajú a načo sú. Ale je to aj o tom, ako k rozprávkam pristupovať, ako ich čítať, na čo dbať. Je to o tom, čo rozprávka je a čo nie je. Je to o tom, čo rozprávka musí obsahovať, inak nie je rozprávkou. Dávno som nebol taký nadchnutý ako počas čítania tejto eseje. Odporúčam čítať v angličtine práve kvôli dôležitosti slovného spojenia "fairy-story" a Tolkienovou prácou s ním, ale aj pre jazyk, s ktorým Tolkien nádherné narába. Ja som to síce musel čítať dvakrát, ale čo tam po tom.
Okrem iného táto edícia obsahuje veľmi dobré úvodné slovo od Verlyn Flieger a Douglasa A. Andersona, v ktorom rozoberajú kontext eseje, jej históriu a vplyv. Taktiež obsahuje rozsiahle komentáre a poznámky, dva rukopisy, kde môžete pozorovať, ako Tolkien tvoril a esej upravoval, ale aj bibliografiu diel, ktoré Tolkien v eseji spomína. Vyčerpávajúce spracovanie eseje, ktorá sama o sebe nemá ani sto strán. Vrelo odporúčam.
Základné otázky, ktoré si Tolkien v eseji kladie sú, že čo sú to rozprávky, odkiaľ pochádzajú, aký je ich zmysel.
Tolkien hovorí, že “fairy stories” sú v podstate príbehy, pochádzajúce zo sveta Faerie, teda z rozprávkového sveta. Nie sú to príbehy o vílach, pretože rovnako ako víly, do rozprávkového sveta patria stromy či slnko. Najzaujímavejšie rozprávky ani nie sú tie, kde vystupujú víly či draci, ale tie, kde človek zažíva dobrodružstvo v tomto čarovnom svete.
Definícia rozprávky teda závisí od popisu tejto krajiny, ktorá však nemôže byť popísaná. Rozprávka je teda príbeh, ktorý sa dotýka alebo je súčasťou Faerie, pričom jeho hlavný cieľ môže byť čokoľvek - pobaviť, poučiť atď. Slovo Faerie možno nahradiť slovom Magic, ide však o špeciálne kúzlo. V prípade rozprávky sa môže robiť sranda zo všetkého len nie z tohto Kúzla.
Kúzlo Faerie nie je cieľom osobe, jej cnosť je v jej účinnosti - uspokojenie istých prvotných ľudských túžob. Jednou z takých je preskúmať hĺbku času a priestoru. Ďalšou je napríklad spolužitie a porozumenie iným živým bytostiam.
Tolkien teda odmieta “Cestovateľské príbehy” ako rozprávky. Teda Guliverova cesta nie je rozprávkou, pretože je satirická a takých malých ľudí možno reálne vo svete nájsť. Ďalej odmieta “Snové rozprávky”, ako je napríklad Alica v krajine zázrakov, pretože tu sa v istom momente jasne povie, že “to bol len sen”, ale rozprávky jednoducho musia byť “pravdivé” a nie len “snom”. Ďalej odmieta taktiež “Zvieracie príbehy”, zrejme niečo ako bájky, pretože túžbou nie je, aby zvierata vedeli rozprávať a žili svoj “príbeh”. Túžbou človeka je, aby sa so zvieratami zhováral on. Ak nie je súčasťou príbehu, nie je to rozprávka.
Pôvod rozprávok
Tolkien ponúka metaforu (od Dasenta) s polievkou a kosťami, pričom podľa neho sa treba zamerať na polievku (príbeh) ako na kosť, z ktorej je polievka uvarená.
Tolkien polemizuje o troch spôsoboch, ako sa mohli rozprávky šíriť a vznikať - nezávislý vznik, dedenie (požičiavanie v čase) a difúzia (požičiavanie v priestore). V podstate však všetky mali nejaký nezávislý vznik.
Ďalšej v eseji rozoberá mytológiu, ktorú Muller označil za chorobu jazyka. S tým Tolkien nesúhlasí, ba obracia - moderný jazyk je chorobou mytológie. Vyzdvihuje vynález prídavných mien, schopnosť generalizovať a abstrakcie. Človek vďaka používaniu adjektív v príbehu dokáže kúzliť. Stáva sa sub-kreátor.
Esenciálnou silou Faerie je teda schopnosť konať okamžite efektívne vízie fantázie len vďaka vôli. Tolkien chápe mytológiu ako ľudskú tvorbu a vyššie popísaný efekt je teda ľudským pričinením.
Tolkien polemizuje o prírodných mýtoch - tých, ktoré popisovali astronomické alebo meteorologické javy. Z nich vraj potom vzišli reálne mýty, pripísali sa im ľudské vlastnosti, reálne miesta v čase atď. S týmto však Tolkien nesúhlasí - aj keby to tak bolo, musel tam byť predsa človek, ktorý im vložil osobný zmysel, lebo zosobnenie môže pocházdať jedine od osoby. Čo bolo skôr, prírodný príbeh o hrome alebo príbeh o človeku, ktorý pripomínal hrom a blesk (Thor). Tolkien hovorí, že oba príbehy vzájomne.
Ďalej Tolkien popisuje tri tváre/podoby príbehov - Tajomná podoba voči Nadprirodzenému, Magická podoba voči prírode a podoba Zrkadla, ktoré odráža posmech a ľútosť, voči človeku. Základná je tá prostredná - Magická.
Tolkien sa vracia k metafore o polievke, kedy hovorí, že do veľkej polievky sa prilievali stále nové a nové ingrediencie a nikdy to pod pokrievkou neprestalo vrieť. Tolkien upozorňuje na fakt, že rozprávky majú zvláštny sugestívny vzťah s bohmi, kráľmi, ale aj prostými ľuďmi, rozprávkový prvok nemizne ani nevzniká, ale ostáva v kotle príbehov, kde je prihodený ďalší príbeh, tentokrát historický. Tolkien veľmi pekne popisuje, ako sa v tomto kotle varia mnohé príbehy - významné aj bezvýznamné - a v momente, keď sa ukáže, že nejaký mýtus je nepravdivý, neznamená to, že napríklad láska, ktorá bola v mýte popisovaná, je nepravdivá. Zrejme tomuto mýtu prepožičal prvok lásky (na prvý pohľad) iný, menej významný príbeh, ktorý sa stal. Keby sa nestal, nikdy by žiaden mýtus nevznikol.
Deti
Podľa Tolkien prevláda medzi ľuďmi predstava, že rozprávky sú pre deti, s ktorou on však nesúhlasí. Hovorí, že to môže byť len predstava človeka, ktorý považuje deti za dajaké zvláštne stvorenia, inú rasu od človeka.
Najkrajšia časť eseje podľa mňa - Je pravda, že sa rozprávkové príbehy adaptujú pre deti. Podobne aj hudba, poézia, romány, dejiny, vedecké príručky. Je to nebezpečné i vtedy, keď to je nutné. Skaza je odvrátená (zatiaľ)) len vďaka tomu, že umenie a veda ešte neboli odhodené do detskej izby úplne. Deťom sa dostávajú len také záblesky záležitostí dospelých, len to, čo je “vhodné” podľa mienky dospelých, ktorú Tolkien považuje za mylnú.
Tolkien taktiež rozlišuje medzi túžbou a vierou v zázraky. Hovorí o dobrovoľnom potlačení neviery, s ktorým sa počíta pri rozprávkach a dôverčivosti detí. V rozprávkach nejde o to, že by sa mohli stať, ale o to, že túžime, aby sa stali. Pokiaľ prebúdzali túžbu a uspokojovali ju, a zas ju znova podnietili, mali úspech. Je však pravda, že rozprávky môže človek čítať iba ako má srdce malého dieťaťa.
Rozprávky, podľa Tolkiena ponúkajú tieto veci: Fantáziu, Obnovu, Únik, Útechu.
Fantázia
Mentálna schopnosť vytvárať predstavy je jedna vec a mala by sa nazývať imaginácia. Fantázia je podľa Tolkiena vyššia forma umenia, vďaka ktorej je človek schopný vytvárať predstavy, ktoré možno ani v reálnom svete nenájde (čo im však neberie na reálnosti). Fantázia dokáže upútať, čo je pre ňu nebezpečné - ľudia ju zamieňajú za snívaním a bláznovstvom. Fantáziu je ťažké uskutočniť. Cieľom je vytvoriť druhotný svet, v ktorom by zelené slnko pôsobilo vierohodne a prebúdzalo by druhotnú vieru. Komukoľvek sa toto podarí, vytvára skutočný príbeh. Fantázii sa najviac darí v slovách, v literatúre. Tolkien je zásadne proti tomu, aby sa používala Fantázia v Dráme a aby sa dráma spájala s literatúrou. Fantázia je prirodzená ľudská činnosť.
Obnova, Únik a Útecha
Rozprávky pomáhajú k obnov - spozorujeme kentaura, aby sme boli schopný opäť vnímať koňa. Obnova znamená znovunájdnie istej predstavy - vidieť veci tak, ako ich vidieť máme. Tvorca príbehu, ktorý si dopraje slobodne zaobchádzať s Prírodou, sa totiž stáva jej obdivovateľom a nie otrokom.
Únik je pre Tolkiena jednou z hlavných funkcii rozprávky. Únik pred svetom, pred Smrťou atď.
Útecha neuspokojuje túžbu. Zabezpečuje šťastný koniec. Eukatastrofa ako pravá forma rozprávky.
Existuje tu totiž predstava, že rozprávky sú pre deti. Nie sú a nikdy pre ne neboli určené. To až dospelí prišli s tým, že by to tak malo byť. Práve pojednávanie o tejto téme je podľa mňa najkrajšou časťou eseje, kedy si človek začne uvedomovať, že o čom to vlastne celé je. Áno, celé je to o rozprávkach a o čom sú, odkiaľ pochádzajú a načo sú. Ale je to aj o tom, ako k rozprávkam pristupovať, ako ich čítať, na čo dbať. Je to o tom, čo rozprávka je a čo nie je. Je to o tom, čo rozprávka musí obsahovať, inak nie je rozprávkou. Dávno som nebol taký nadchnutý ako počas čítania tejto eseje. Odporúčam čítať v angličtine práve kvôli dôležitosti slovného spojenia "fairy-story" a Tolkienovou prácou s ním, ale aj pre jazyk, s ktorým Tolkien nádherné narába. Ja som to síce musel čítať dvakrát, ale čo tam po tom.
Okrem iného táto edícia obsahuje veľmi dobré úvodné slovo od Verlyn Flieger a Douglasa A. Andersona, v ktorom rozoberajú kontext eseje, jej históriu a vplyv. Taktiež obsahuje rozsiahle komentáre a poznámky, dva rukopisy, kde môžete pozorovať, ako Tolkien tvoril a esej upravoval, ale aj bibliografiu diel, ktoré Tolkien v eseji spomína. Vyčerpávajúce spracovanie eseje, ktorá sama o sebe nemá ani sto strán. Vrelo odporúčam.
Základné otázky, ktoré si Tolkien v eseji kladie sú, že čo sú to rozprávky, odkiaľ pochádzajú, aký je ich zmysel.
Tolkien hovorí, že “fairy stories” sú v podstate príbehy, pochádzajúce zo sveta Faerie, teda z rozprávkového sveta. Nie sú to príbehy o vílach, pretože rovnako ako víly, do rozprávkového sveta patria stromy či slnko. Najzaujímavejšie rozprávky ani nie sú tie, kde vystupujú víly či draci, ale tie, kde človek zažíva dobrodružstvo v tomto čarovnom svete.
Definícia rozprávky teda závisí od popisu tejto krajiny, ktorá však nemôže byť popísaná. Rozprávka je teda príbeh, ktorý sa dotýka alebo je súčasťou Faerie, pričom jeho hlavný cieľ môže byť čokoľvek - pobaviť, poučiť atď. Slovo Faerie možno nahradiť slovom Magic, ide však o špeciálne kúzlo. V prípade rozprávky sa môže robiť sranda zo všetkého len nie z tohto Kúzla.
Kúzlo Faerie nie je cieľom osobe, jej cnosť je v jej účinnosti - uspokojenie istých prvotných ľudských túžob. Jednou z takých je preskúmať hĺbku času a priestoru. Ďalšou je napríklad spolužitie a porozumenie iným živým bytostiam.
Tolkien teda odmieta “Cestovateľské príbehy” ako rozprávky. Teda Guliverova cesta nie je rozprávkou, pretože je satirická a takých malých ľudí možno reálne vo svete nájsť. Ďalej odmieta “Snové rozprávky”, ako je napríklad Alica v krajine zázrakov, pretože tu sa v istom momente jasne povie, že “to bol len sen”, ale rozprávky jednoducho musia byť “pravdivé” a nie len “snom”. Ďalej odmieta taktiež “Zvieracie príbehy”, zrejme niečo ako bájky, pretože túžbou nie je, aby zvierata vedeli rozprávať a žili svoj “príbeh”. Túžbou človeka je, aby sa so zvieratami zhováral on. Ak nie je súčasťou príbehu, nie je to rozprávka.
Pôvod rozprávok
Tolkien ponúka metaforu (od Dasenta) s polievkou a kosťami, pričom podľa neho sa treba zamerať na polievku (príbeh) ako na kosť, z ktorej je polievka uvarená.
Tolkien polemizuje o troch spôsoboch, ako sa mohli rozprávky šíriť a vznikať - nezávislý vznik, dedenie (požičiavanie v čase) a difúzia (požičiavanie v priestore). V podstate však všetky mali nejaký nezávislý vznik.
Ďalšej v eseji rozoberá mytológiu, ktorú Muller označil za chorobu jazyka. S tým Tolkien nesúhlasí, ba obracia - moderný jazyk je chorobou mytológie. Vyzdvihuje vynález prídavných mien, schopnosť generalizovať a abstrakcie. Človek vďaka používaniu adjektív v príbehu dokáže kúzliť. Stáva sa sub-kreátor.
Esenciálnou silou Faerie je teda schopnosť konať okamžite efektívne vízie fantázie len vďaka vôli. Tolkien chápe mytológiu ako ľudskú tvorbu a vyššie popísaný efekt je teda ľudským pričinením.
Tolkien polemizuje o prírodných mýtoch - tých, ktoré popisovali astronomické alebo meteorologické javy. Z nich vraj potom vzišli reálne mýty, pripísali sa im ľudské vlastnosti, reálne miesta v čase atď. S týmto však Tolkien nesúhlasí - aj keby to tak bolo, musel tam byť predsa človek, ktorý im vložil osobný zmysel, lebo zosobnenie môže pocházdať jedine od osoby. Čo bolo skôr, prírodný príbeh o hrome alebo príbeh o človeku, ktorý pripomínal hrom a blesk (Thor). Tolkien hovorí, že oba príbehy vzájomne.
Ďalej Tolkien popisuje tri tváre/podoby príbehov - Tajomná podoba voči Nadprirodzenému, Magická podoba voči prírode a podoba Zrkadla, ktoré odráža posmech a ľútosť, voči človeku. Základná je tá prostredná - Magická.
Tolkien sa vracia k metafore o polievke, kedy hovorí, že do veľkej polievky sa prilievali stále nové a nové ingrediencie a nikdy to pod pokrievkou neprestalo vrieť. Tolkien upozorňuje na fakt, že rozprávky majú zvláštny sugestívny vzťah s bohmi, kráľmi, ale aj prostými ľuďmi, rozprávkový prvok nemizne ani nevzniká, ale ostáva v kotle príbehov, kde je prihodený ďalší príbeh, tentokrát historický. Tolkien veľmi pekne popisuje, ako sa v tomto kotle varia mnohé príbehy - významné aj bezvýznamné - a v momente, keď sa ukáže, že nejaký mýtus je nepravdivý, neznamená to, že napríklad láska, ktorá bola v mýte popisovaná, je nepravdivá. Zrejme tomuto mýtu prepožičal prvok lásky (na prvý pohľad) iný, menej významný príbeh, ktorý sa stal. Keby sa nestal, nikdy by žiaden mýtus nevznikol.
Deti
Podľa Tolkien prevláda medzi ľuďmi predstava, že rozprávky sú pre deti, s ktorou on však nesúhlasí. Hovorí, že to môže byť len predstava človeka, ktorý považuje deti za dajaké zvláštne stvorenia, inú rasu od človeka.
Najkrajšia časť eseje podľa mňa - Je pravda, že sa rozprávkové príbehy adaptujú pre deti. Podobne aj hudba, poézia, romány, dejiny, vedecké príručky. Je to nebezpečné i vtedy, keď to je nutné. Skaza je odvrátená (zatiaľ)) len vďaka tomu, že umenie a veda ešte neboli odhodené do detskej izby úplne. Deťom sa dostávajú len také záblesky záležitostí dospelých, len to, čo je “vhodné” podľa mienky dospelých, ktorú Tolkien považuje za mylnú.
Tolkien taktiež rozlišuje medzi túžbou a vierou v zázraky. Hovorí o dobrovoľnom potlačení neviery, s ktorým sa počíta pri rozprávkach a dôverčivosti detí. V rozprávkach nejde o to, že by sa mohli stať, ale o to, že túžime, aby sa stali. Pokiaľ prebúdzali túžbu a uspokojovali ju, a zas ju znova podnietili, mali úspech. Je však pravda, že rozprávky môže človek čítať iba ako má srdce malého dieťaťa.
Rozprávky, podľa Tolkiena ponúkajú tieto veci: Fantáziu, Obnovu, Únik, Útechu.
Fantázia
Mentálna schopnosť vytvárať predstavy je jedna vec a mala by sa nazývať imaginácia. Fantázia je podľa Tolkiena vyššia forma umenia, vďaka ktorej je človek schopný vytvárať predstavy, ktoré možno ani v reálnom svete nenájde (čo im však neberie na reálnosti). Fantázia dokáže upútať, čo je pre ňu nebezpečné - ľudia ju zamieňajú za snívaním a bláznovstvom. Fantáziu je ťažké uskutočniť. Cieľom je vytvoriť druhotný svet, v ktorom by zelené slnko pôsobilo vierohodne a prebúdzalo by druhotnú vieru. Komukoľvek sa toto podarí, vytvára skutočný príbeh. Fantázii sa najviac darí v slovách, v literatúre. Tolkien je zásadne proti tomu, aby sa používala Fantázia v Dráme a aby sa dráma spájala s literatúrou. Fantázia je prirodzená ľudská činnosť.
Obnova, Únik a Útecha
Rozprávky pomáhajú k obnov - spozorujeme kentaura, aby sme boli schopný opäť vnímať koňa. Obnova znamená znovunájdnie istej predstavy - vidieť veci tak, ako ich vidieť máme. Tvorca príbehu, ktorý si dopraje slobodne zaobchádzať s Prírodou, sa totiž stáva jej obdivovateľom a nie otrokom.
Únik je pre Tolkiena jednou z hlavných funkcii rozprávky. Únik pred svetom, pred Smrťou atď.
Útecha neuspokojuje túžbu. Zabezpečuje šťastný koniec. Eukatastrofa ako pravá forma rozprávky.
June 15, 2013
The realm of fairy-story is wide and deep and high and filled with many things: all manner of beasts and birds are found there; shoreless seas and stars uncounted; beauty that is an enchantment, and an ever-present peril; both joy and sorrow as sharp as swords. In that realm a man may, perhaps, count himself fortunate to have wandered, but its very richness and strangeness tie the tongue of a traveller who would report them. And while he is there it is dangerous for him to ask too many questions, lest the gates should be shut and the keys be lost.
The original essay on fantasy writing. Mostly discussing actual fairy tales.
It opens with an excursion into what the -- ehem -- Fair Folk are like, before pulling back to treat with the actual subject matter of fairy tales, which is Faerie. He has some legitimate complaints about stories Andrew Lang included. (Though I note that some unquestionable fairy tales -- Catskin , anyone? -- are scarce on magic.) He brushes off the question of origins with some observations about how irrelevant they are, and how the folk tale types can be dangerous, by omitting all that makes one tale differ from the next, and observes that there was always a story, as long as humans actually were involved. (With a comment that when a legend is attached to a historical figure, that doesn't prove it didn't really happen; you need evidence that it was otherwise, or internal reasons that make the story fantastic.) He discusses how things get into the Cauldron, and how the Cooks, not at random, stick in their ladles to draw a story from the soup.
The subject of whether they are for children, of course, gets discussed at length.
Then he gets into the matter so crucial for later fantasy, with his discussion of secondary worlds, and the necessary details, and how it produces an arresting strangeness. And his discussion of the Eucatastrophe, the happy ending.
The original essay on fantasy writing. Mostly discussing actual fairy tales.
It opens with an excursion into what the -- ehem -- Fair Folk are like, before pulling back to treat with the actual subject matter of fairy tales, which is Faerie. He has some legitimate complaints about stories Andrew Lang included. (Though I note that some unquestionable fairy tales -- Catskin , anyone? -- are scarce on magic.) He brushes off the question of origins with some observations about how irrelevant they are, and how the folk tale types can be dangerous, by omitting all that makes one tale differ from the next, and observes that there was always a story, as long as humans actually were involved. (With a comment that when a legend is attached to a historical figure, that doesn't prove it didn't really happen; you need evidence that it was otherwise, or internal reasons that make the story fantastic.) He discusses how things get into the Cauldron, and how the Cooks, not at random, stick in their ladles to draw a story from the soup.
The subject of whether they are for children, of course, gets discussed at length.
Then he gets into the matter so crucial for later fantasy, with his discussion of secondary worlds, and the necessary details, and how it produces an arresting strangeness. And his discussion of the Eucatastrophe, the happy ending.
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