Tolkien was both fascinated and influenced by a range of ancient mythologies, particularly the Nordic brand. If you are looking for sources, you could start with Wagner's Ring Cycle, itself a Germanic derivation of Norse myths, and work back.
The Grimm Brothers' fairy tales referred to are also often seen as part of a conscious attempt to revive a particular national (cultural) identity through the rooting of society in moral fable (and many of the original Grimm stories are dark and violent), and thus contain episodes, symbols and creatures from ancient folklore.
There is in fact a certain parallel here with Tolkien's expressed desire to (re)create an essentially English mythos, but I don't believe this is the defining issue behind his eclectic use of older mythic elements.
The point in answer to the post is that Tolkien's mythic archetypes were not 'original'. His sources and symbolism were eclectic but again not original. And the Christian sensibility of the tale was and is not unique.
His achievement, and the real "originality", in my view, is the binding of his personal passions, spiritual convictions and academic discipline into a genuinely epic narrative. First and foremost Tolkein was a storyteller - and LotR is his great story, it's scale and ambition matched and justified in its execution.
Peace [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
Kalessin
[ January 05, 2003: Message edited by: Kalessin ]
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