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Priya · 10-12-2025, 12:11 PM

The Way into Middle-earth Faërie

Now Wilfred Rowland Childe, a poet and critic, was a family friend of the Tolkiens – and indeed Christopher’s godfather. However, as far as I can tell, he had nothing to do with our story of interest: Childe Rowland. Regarded by the great folklorist Joseph Jacobs as his favorite tale, its salubrious historical significance was not passed over but instead emphasized:

“ … ‘Childe Rowland,’ is mentioned by Shakespeare in King Lear*, and is probably, as I have shown, the source of Milton’s Comus. … Certainly no other folk-tale in the world can claim so distinguished an offspring.”
 – English Fairy Tales, Childe Rowland, Preface (pg. x) & Notes and References (pg. 239), J. Jacobs, 1890

The story centers around a quest by the youngest son (Childe Rowland) of a widow to bring back his missing sister, Burd Ellen**, to the mortal world. Two of his brothers failed and during the process of trying had been captured by an Elf king in Elfland (also called the ‘Land of Faery’***). Merlin, the famous wizard in Arthurian lore, features prominently in relating the cause behind the mysterious disappearance of the young girl; furthermore, advice is provided to all three brothers on how to win her back. In the end it is Childe Rowland who rescues his sister and saves his other siblings too.

There are a number of points in the tale which directly interest us when it comes to The Lord of the Rings. These include a mention of ‘Middle-earth’, a ‘Dark Tower’, the hero being a ‘widows’ son’, a variant of the famous giant refrain: ‘fe-fi-fo-fum’****, as well as a ‘restoration of souls’. However, I will not dwell on these further – except to reiterate (what scholars have already noted) that here we see yet more examples of links to Tolkien’s novel involving classic fairy tale. Instead, what I want to focus on is the way Burd Ellen inadvertently entered Elfland and then relate that back to The Lord of the Rings.

There are several recorded ways for mortals to stumble into the fabled realm of the fairies, and Tolkien mulled upon them - in all probability long before writing Smith of Wootton Major:

“There must be some way or ways of access from and to Faery …”.
– Smith of Wootton Major: Extended Edition, Tolkien Essay, Edited by V. Flieger, 2005

Tolkien’s mention of ‘Child Rowland’ in his 1955 essay English and Welsh - means one can reasonably assume that he knew of this fairytale. I have a feeling Tolkien was intrigued by Burd Ellen’s accidental entry method in chasing a ball around a sacred site. Childe Rowland seeking an explanation is informed by the ‘Warlock Merlin’ that she:

“… ‘must have been carried off by the fairies, because she went round the church ‘wider-shins’ – the opposite way to the sun. …’ ”. 
– English Fairy Tales, Childe Rowland – pg. 118, J. Jacobs, 1890

Jacobs explains:

“ ‘Widershins’ is probably … analogous to the German ‘wider Schein,’ against the appearance of the sun, ‘counterclockwise’ as the mathematicians say—i.e., W., S., E., N., instead of with the sun and the hands of a clock; …”.
 – English Fairy Tales, Childe Rowland Notes and References – pg. 245, J. Jacobs, 1890

Apparently as ancient pagan tradition has it, to travel contrary to the Sun’s course is considered unlucky as ones’ shadow is always left behind. Even some Christians believed, to go widershins – meaning to travel around an object counterclockwise – was an act hostile to the Creator’s design. Burd Ellen ran against the light, so that her shadow was not visible to her – and this left her vulnerable.

‘Burd Ellen’, English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, Illustration by John Batten, 1890

Childe Rowland is not the only example of a British fairy tale where the term ‘widershins’ is employed. The prose version of the Tam Lin ballad also uses it:

“ ‘But how did you get there, Tamlane?’ said Burd Janet.  ‘I was a-hunting one day, and as I rode widershins round yon hill, a deep drowsiness fell upon me, and when I awoke, behold! I was in Elfland. …’ ”. 
– More English Fairy Tales, Tamlane – pgs. 159-160, J. Jacobs, 1894

Yet it seems too easy for an individual mortal to attain a passport to enter faërie simply by completing one widershins circuit around a hill or a place of worship. If my intuition is correct, Tolkien thought along the same lines.

… to be continued

* The line is ‘Child Roland to the Dark Tower Came’ (King Lear Act 3, Scene 4 – spoken by Edgar).

The same line is also the title of a Robert Browning poem which may have been subject to discussion at a lecture Tolkien attended (though no proof exists):

“King Edward’s School student R.B. Naish reads a paper on Robert Browning at a meeting of the Literary Society.”
 – The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide 2017 Edition, Chronology, 18 February 1910, C. Scull & W. Hammond (misprinted as 1909)

** In Flora Annie Steel’s, English Fairytales, Childe Rowland, 1918 – the sister is called ‘Burd Helen’.

*** See Flora Annie Steel’s, English Fairytales, Childe Rowland, 1918.

**** In A Tolkienian Mathomium, Mark Hooker has analyzed the Buckland alarm "Fear! Fire! Foes!" connecting it to the folklore motif of "Fee fi fo fum" from tales of giants.

10-12-2025, 12:11 PM	#22
Priya Animated Skeleton Join Date: Sep 2023 Posts: 28	The Way into Middle-earth Faërie Now Wilfred Rowland Childe, a poet and critic, was a family friend of the Tolkiens – and indeed Christopher’s godfather. However, as far as I can tell, he had nothing to do with our story of interest: Childe Rowland. Regarded by the great folklorist Joseph Jacobs as his favorite tale, its salubrious historical significance was not passed over but instead emphasized: “ … ‘Childe Rowland,’ is mentioned by Shakespeare in King Lear, and is probably, as I have shown, the source of Milton’s Comus. … Certainly no other folk-tale in the world can claim so distinguished an offspring.”  – English Fairy Tales, Childe Rowland, Preface (pg. x) & Notes and References (pg. 239), J. Jacobs, 1890 The story centers around a quest by the youngest son (Childe Rowland) of a widow to bring back his missing sister, Burd Ellen, to the mortal world. Two of his brothers failed and during the process of trying had been captured by an Elf king in Elfland (also called the ‘Land of Faery’*). Merlin, the famous wizard in Arthurian lore, features prominently in relating the cause behind the mysterious disappearance of the young girl; furthermore, advice is provided to all three brothers on how to win her back. In the end it is Childe Rowland who rescues his sister and saves his other siblings too. There are a number of points in the tale which directly interest us when it comes to The Lord of the Rings. These include a mention of ‘Middle-earth’, a ‘Dark Tower’, the hero being a ‘widows’ son’, a variant of the famous giant refrain: ‘fe-fi-fo-fum’**, as well as a ‘restoration of souls’. However, I will not dwell on these further – except to reiterate (what scholars have already noted) that here we see yet more examples of links to Tolkien’s novel involving classic fairy tale. Instead, what I want to focus on is the way Burd Ellen inadvertently entered Elfland and then relate that back to The Lord of the Rings. There are several recorded ways for mortals to stumble into the fabled realm of the fairies, and Tolkien mulled upon them - in all probability long before writing Smith of Wootton Major: “There must be some way or ways of access from and to Faery …”. – Smith of Wootton Major: Extended Edition, Tolkien Essay, Edited by V. Flieger, 2005 Tolkien’s mention of ‘Child Rowland’ in his 1955 essay English and Welsh* - means one can reasonably assume that he knew of this fairytale. I have a feeling Tolkien was intrigued by Burd Ellen’s accidental entry method in chasing a ball around a sacred site. Childe Rowland seeking an explanation is informed by the ‘Warlock Merlin’ that she: “… ‘must have been carried off by the fairies, because she went round the church ‘wider-shins’ – the opposite way to the sun. …’ ”.  – English Fairy Tales, Childe Rowland – pg. 118, J. Jacobs, 1890 Jacobs explains: “ ‘Widershins’ is probably … analogous to the German ‘wider Schein,’ against the appearance of the sun, ‘counterclockwise’ as the mathematicians say—i.e., W., S., E., N., instead of with the sun and the hands of a clock; …”.  – English Fairy Tales, Childe Rowland Notes and References – pg. 245, J. Jacobs, 1890 Apparently as ancient pagan tradition has it, to travel contrary to the Sun’s course is considered unlucky as ones’ shadow is always left behind. Even some Christians believed, to go widershins – meaning to travel around an object counterclockwise – was an act hostile to the Creator’s design. Burd Ellen ran against the light, so that her shadow was not visible to her – and this left her vulnerable. ‘Burd Ellen’, English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, Illustration by John Batten, 1890 Childe Rowland is not the only example of a British fairy tale where the term ‘widershins’ is employed. The prose version of the Tam Lin ballad also uses it: “ ‘But how did you get there, Tamlane?’ said Burd Janet.  ‘I was a-hunting one day, and as I rode widershins round yon hill, a deep drowsiness fell upon me, and when I awoke, behold! I was in Elfland. …’ ”.  – More English Fairy Tales, Tamlane – pgs. 159-160, J. Jacobs, 1894 Yet it seems too easy for an individual mortal to attain a passport to enter faërie simply by completing one widershins circuit around a hill or a place of worship. If my intuition is correct, Tolkien thought along the same lines. … to be continued * The line is ‘Child Roland to the Dark Tower Came’ (King Lear Act 3, Scene 4 – spoken by Edgar). The same line is also the title of a Robert Browning poem which may have been subject to discussion at a lecture Tolkien attended (though no proof exists): “King Edward’s School student R.B. Naish reads a paper on Robert Browning at a meeting of the Literary Society.”  – The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide 2017 Edition, Chronology, 18 February 1910, C. Scull & W. Hammond (misprinted as 1909) ** In Flora Annie Steel’s, English Fairytales, Childe Rowland, 1918 – the sister is called ‘Burd Helen’. *** See Flora Annie Steel’s, English Fairytales, Childe Rowland, 1918. **** In A Tolkienian Mathomium, Mark Hooker has analyzed the Buckland alarm "Fear! Fire! Foes!" connecting it to the folklore motif of "Fee fi fo fum" from tales of giants. Last edited by Priya; 10-13-2025 at 07:19 PM.