J.R.R.
Tolkien (1892-1973) is now famous for the publication of fantasy novels,
such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
What is less known is the fact
that he was a gigantic scholar at Oxford University, a medievalist, and above
all, a philologist (as he describes his occupation). He loved the language, (whether ancient or modern) and was particularly fond
of Old English and Old Scandinavian languages. They are intimate with each other
since both languages are originally from Germanic root.
As compared with other
nations, Tolkien was acutely aware of an absence of national myth in England, a
tale told and passed down in his native language.
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I
was from early days grieved by the poverty of my own beloved country: it had no
stories of its own (bound up with its tongue and soil), not of the quality that
I sought, and found (as an ingredient) in legends of other lands. There was
Greek, and Celtic, and Romance, Germanic, Scandinavian, and Finnish (which
greatly affected me); but nothing in English, save the impoverished chap-book
stuff. Of course there was and is all the Arthurian world, but powerful as it
is, it is imperfectly naturalized, associated with the soil of Britain but not
with English; and does not replace what I felt to be missing. (144)
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His
motive for creating stories comes from grievance over the lack of his native
mythology. What is amazing is that Tolkien thought he could revive the world by
means of “philological” understanding to, and reconstruction of, the medieval texts. His novels are exactly
the re-creation of what he perceived as the lost world in England.
The
literature written in old English is not easy to access to. The best way to
approach to it is to unhesitatingly dive in the modern recreations/adaptations of
the world. Through Tolkien’s “secondary world,” we can take a glimpse of old,
medieval culture firmly rooted even in our time. Tolkien’s
fictions are "fantastic" as they provides a gateway to unlocking the dense
historical path of the English language and culture.
Works Cited
Carpenter, Humphrey, ed. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1981.
