LotR, an Edwardian Adventure Story? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

davem · 03-04-2006, 01:57 PM

From the list given we know that Tolkien had certainly read & been influenced by Haggard's She, & very probably by Chesterton's novels (I'm currently reading the Father Brown stories & I'm strongly reminded of Tolkien's fiction/philosophy:'All things are from God; & above all, reason & imagination & the great gifts of the mind. They are good in themselves; & we must not altogether forget their origin even in their perversion.', etc. He seems to have been familiar with 'Wind in the Willows' too, from comments in OFS.

I think its inevitable that he would have been influenced by the fiction that was around during his formative years, in terms of narrative structure & style. That he transcends it is beyond question, of course.

There have been numerous analyses of the way Tolkien was influenced by ancient myths, but the influence on him of contemporary literature has received less attention. Certainly William Morris was a major influence, as was George MacDonald, & probably Lord Dunsany (in The Gods of Pegana pub 1905, there is a god called Limpang Tung, the god of mirth & melodious minstrels. 'Go out into the starry night, & Limpang Tung will dance with thee, who danced when the gods were young...Or sometimes walking through the dusk with steps unheard by men, in a form unseen by the people, Limpang Tung goeth abroad...' .http://www.harvestfields.ca/ebook/02/056/12.htm. When I first read that I couldn't help but be reminded of Tinfang Warble in the BoLT. Even the names sound similar.

Hopefully in the forthcoming Tolkien Companion & Guide we'll get some info on what Tolkien read

03-04-2006, 01:57 PM	#1
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	From the list given we know that Tolkien had certainly read & been influenced by Haggard's She, & very probably by Chesterton's novels (I'm currently reading the Father Brown stories & I'm strongly reminded of Tolkien's fiction/philosophy:'All things are from God; & above all, reason & imagination & the great gifts of the mind. They are good in themselves; & we must not altogether forget their origin even in their perversion.', etc. He seems to have been familiar with 'Wind in the Willows' too, from comments in OFS. I think its inevitable that he would have been influenced by the fiction that was around during his formative years, in terms of narrative structure & style. That he transcends it is beyond question, of course. There have been numerous analyses of the way Tolkien was influenced by ancient myths, but the influence on him of contemporary literature has received less attention. Certainly William Morris was a major influence, as was George MacDonald, & probably Lord Dunsany (in The Gods of Pegana pub 1905, there is a god called Limpang Tung, the god of mirth & melodious minstrels. 'Go out into the starry night, & Limpang Tung will dance with thee, who danced when the gods were young...Or sometimes walking through the dusk with steps unheard by men, in a form unseen by the people, Limpang Tung goeth abroad...' .http://www.harvestfields.ca/ebook/02/056/12.htm. When I first read that I couldn't help but be reminded of Tinfang Warble in the BoLT. Even the names sound similar. Hopefully in the forthcoming Tolkien Companion & Guide we'll get some info on what Tolkien read __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects." Last edited by davem; 03-04-2006 at 02:03 PM.