The Evolution of Tolkien's Mythology: A Study of the History of Middle-earth

Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy #7

by Elizabeth A. Whittingham

The History of Middle-earth traces the evolution of J.R.R. Tolkien's literary world, stories, and characters from their earliest written forms to the final revisions Tolkien penned shortly before his death in 1973. Published posthumously by Tolkien's son Christopher, the detailed 12-volume work allows readers to follow the development of the texts that eventually became Tolkien's classics. This work provides a thorough study of Tolkien's life and influences through an analysis of The History of Middle-earth. It begins with a brief biography and an analysis of the major influences in Tolkien's life. Following chapters deal with elements common to Tolkien's popular works, including the cosmogony, theogony, cosmology, metaphysics, and eschatology of Middle-earth. The study also reviews some of the myths with which Tolkien was most familiar?Greek, Roman, Finnish, and Norse?and reveals the often overlapping relationship between mythology, biblical stories, and Tolkien's popular works.

Genres: Nonfiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 2007

Reviews

[Marko Vasić · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an remarkable textbook concerning the nascence of all pivotal phases of Tolkien’s mythology: cosmogony, theogony, cosmology, metaphysics and eschatology. I daresay that is perfect guide to the readers that haven’t yet dare to step into the twelve tomes of “The History of Middle-Earth” and fancy to scrutinise merely facts regarding the mythology but not the “The Lord of the Rings” history, as well as Tolkien’s researchers (in which I reckon myself) and scholars. Considering that I’ve previously read all parts of “The History of the Middle-Earth” concerning the history of The Silmarillion, this book was an excellent matter to refresh some “silenced” data. Content is quite dense, condensed on scarcely 200 pages, yet comprehensive and well organised into six parts: Influences in Tolkien’s Life, Tolkien’s Mythology of Creation, Tolkien’s Mythology of Divine Beings, The Physical World of Middle-earth and of Ea, Death and Immortality among Elves and Men, The Last Days of Middle-earth. Hence, the author discussed and compared the parts of Tolkien’s mythology with its match in Greek, Roman, Celtic, Norse and Finnish mythologies which is paramount for complete understanding of some universal mythological elements. The special chapter was dedicated to the death and resurrection of the Elven souls and Elven matrimonial matters as was enclosed in Morgoth's Ring, and even discussed Dagor Dagorath battle. Of uttermost importance is cross-referencing with all paramount textbooks that are discussing the same matter (The Road to Middle-earth: How J. R. R. Tolkien created a new mythology, J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century, Interrupted Music: The Making of Tolkien's Mythology, Tolkien: Man and Myth: A Literary Life etc.). Nonetheless Tolkien tales are full of inconsistencies (as well as in many aforementioned mythologies), interruptions, incompatibilities and many were abandoned never to be finished, Tolkien managed, to create unique, recognisable and original secondary world as he intended to. If one remembers how Tolkien’s lifeway was uneven, turbulent and precarious, it is quite clear why his tales are enshrouded with grim, gloomy atmosphere, yet with a scarce beams of uttermost hope that will prevail at length. The only complaint is excessive repetition of some parts previously discussed, but that can be useful to fortify the knowledge of that matter.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anticipates the work of Dimitri Fimi a decade-plus later, as Whittingham's tackling the vexing tangle of texts edited by Christopher Tolkien of his father's uncompleted legendarium. Spanning of course decades, its extant documents underwent revision, abandonment, incorporation and elision.

Full of contradictions, suppositions, and suggestions, their necessarily disparate and confusing state means scholars left with the published Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and History of Middle-earth (the latter added to since the 2007 publication of this overview) must sift through dense material. She therefore helps us who, like me, admittedly haven't yet made our way through all of the still-increasing terrain as it comes into print, and Whittingham manages in thematic chapters to map out the territory. While she spends perhaps more time than needed on the Jewish, Christian, and Greek-Roman antecedents, these do make sense within Professor Tolkien's thinking and his influences, as well as the Norse, Germanic, and to a lesser extent, Celtic material which blends into the Angl0-Saxon core of the tales which most directly entered into his own evolving story universe.

I'm not sure if the opening chapter on Tolkien's life was necessary, but as a standalone work, I guess the introduction fits for an audience with a few readers coming to this subject without any clue. But given the specialized niche this contribution fills, I doubt many of those consulting this would be entirely uninformed. Whittingham manages to compress a lot into this relatively brief survey, in an effort that required a lot of collating, careful observation, and detective work as, for instance, how Christopher Tolkien and Tom Shippey differed on what "presentation" of the 1977 Silmarillion really meant. While more of a compendium of what's already been documented and argued rather than original research per se, nevertheless, Whittingham offers us a valuable study for those advanced enough in Tolkien to appreciate the heavy lifting she's done to balance the load.

Her conclusion, after drawing on Marjorie Burns' and especially Verlyn Flieger's criticism, argues that Tolkien shifted in six stages of his career towards a fourfold articulation of hope and indeed grace that infused Middle-earth with his Christian confidence that after "long defeat," the arrival of a renewed cosmos would supplant the failed state of our fall. Although not explicitly, Whittingham affirms that Tolkien moved away from a rather inchoate jumble of mythic inspiration into a more coherent, if never fully organized, approach that suited his belief in the Incarnation, Resurrection, and salvation.

However, the style sheet of this academic press, which probably required in-text citations, clutters the presentation. I wish the references had been instead moved to the end of the book, and short keywords or phrases then linked to titles of sources. As it is, the look is that of a dissertation. While luckily not as arcane, and free of jargon, contrasted with a monograph, nevertheless it daunts the reader opening this reference. By the by, she skips over the HoMe volumes directly concerned with LotR, as she states her intention to focus on the mythic backstory flowing into Arda and its beings.

[Mary Foxe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skimmed.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like reading college papers, complete with in-text citations, this is the book for you. But if you're looking for Tolkien scholarly writing that holds your interest, you'd best keep looking.