JRR Tolkien and the Tolkien Society
JRR Tolkien and the Tolkien Society
Most people in the literate world know what a hobbit is. Fifty years ago author JRR Tolkien unleashed the first book in his trilogy Lord of the Rings. His classic tale of good versus evil, friendship in the face of adversity, small hobbits and mighty magic was an immediate success.
The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King are enjoying a renaissance. A new generation of Middle Earth fans is discovering the tales in spectacular blockbuster style.
Ian Collier, Tolkien Society publicity officer, said: "John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was a major scholar of the English language. He was twice Professor of Anglo-Saxon at the University of Oxford. He began constructing Elvish in his teens and felt that an invented language needed a place with a history and background, so he created Middle-earth. The world of the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings gave him far more fame than his groundbreaking academic works."
Tolkien's popular works were not written with his highbrow colleagues in mind. Ian said: "He wrote for his children's amusement. One of his bedtime stories became The Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings character Tom Bombadil was based on one of his boy's toy figures and the short story Roverandom was written to make up for the loss of a toy dog at the beach."
Tolkien's own childhood was a different experience from the stable family he endeavoured to foster. His early pain and grief were major influences on his later writing. Ian said: "Ronald, as he was generally known, and his brother Hilary were orphaned. Their father Arthur died in 1896. His mother Mabel converted to Catholicism after Arthur's death, which caused an estrangement from her family and a life of genteel poverty. Tolkien's life was split between living in rural hamlets like Sarehole and commuting into schools in darkly urban Birmingham."
Tolkien was 12 years old when Mabel died of diabetes in 1904. Catholic priest, Francis Morgan, became guardian to the boys and cared for Tolkien until he left the West Midlands to study at Oxford. Ian said: "He went up to Oxford to study Classics but transferred to the English school where he shone. Although World War One started during his studies, he stayed on to complete his degree, taking a First in 1915. Tolkien married his childhood sweetheart before his battalion shipped out for the Somme Offensive."
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Ian continued: "The offensive went on for several months and Tolkien saw action repeatedly before falling ill with trench fever. The scenes of carnage can be seen in Lord of the Rings quite clearly. The dead marshes and blasted earth before the gates of Mordor are examples."
Tolkien's first child John was born in 1917, followed by Michael in 1920, Christopher in 1924 and Priscilla in 1929. Tolkien returned to Oxford during the early parenting years. Ian said: "As a professor he gave at least twice more than the expected number of lectures, often making the lecture hall seem like a Saxon mead hall. When he was not working he socialised with CS Lewis and other dons in a writers group known as the Inklings. Tolkien was writing from at least 1915 up until his death 1973."
The Hobbit was published in 1937. The eagerly awaited follow up, The Lord of the Rings, took 17 years to arrive. It has sold more than 150 million copies in the last 50 years. Ian said: "Both books have never been out of print since publication. Lord of the Rings has been translated into more than 40 languages. Aspects of his writings still intrigue old and new readers alike, provoking discussion in pubs, libraries and online chatrooms around the world. His works had a huge effect on fantasy fiction, roleplaying games and music, including Led Zepplin."
The Tolkien Society was formed in 1969 with Tolkien himself as President. Ian said: "Author Vera Chapman and Tolkien founded the society after talking about the fannish reception of his works. It was set up to further interest in his life and works. We're based in the UK, registered as an education charity, but we have members in more than 40 countries. We have regular publications and meetings. There are several major events throughout the year including Oxonmoot a weekend convention held on the dates closest to September 22, Bilbo and Frodo's birthday. Oxonmoot 2003 is longer than usual to mark Tolkien's 111th birthday and the society's 33rd – significant dates for hobbits."
Picture credits:
Thanks to the Tolkien Society for providing the following images
- Photograph of Tolkien by Pamela Chandler, copyright Diana Willson
- Tolkien Society badge: Two Trees, a service mark of the society
- The Lord of the Rings published by George Allen Unwin one volume paperback (1968), 17th impression (1977), Cover illustration by Pauline Baynes
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