Tolkien's annotated map of Middle-earth discovered inside copy of Lord of the Rings
A recently discovered map of Middle-earth annotated by JRR Tolkien reveals The Lord of the Rings author’s observation that Hobbiton is on the same latitude as Oxford, and implies that the Italian city of Ravenna could be the inspiration behind the fictional city of Minas Tirith. The map was found loose in a copy of the acclaimed illustrator Pauline Baynes’ copy of The Lord of the Rings. Baynes had removed the map from another edition of the novel as she began work on her own colour Map of Middle-earth for Tolkien, which would go on to be published by Allen & Unwin in 1970. Tolkien himself had then copiously annotated it in green ink and pencil, with Baynes adding her own notes to the document while she worked. Blackwell’s, which is currently exhibiting the map in Oxford and selling it for £60,000, called it “an important document, and perhaps the finest piece of Tolkien ephemera to emerge in the last 20 years at least”. “The map shows how completely obsessed he was with the details.
JRR Tolkien: 'Film my books? Its easier to film the Odyssey'
Rohan
Rohan was the territory of the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers on the northern borders of Gondor in Middle-earth. Well-known for their horses and cavalry, they were Gondor's most important ally. [edit] Background In the 1200s of the Third Age, the Kings of Gondor made close alliances with the Northmen of Rhovanion, a people akin to the Three Houses of the Edain (later the Dúnedain) from the First Age. In the 2000s, a remnant tribe of such Northmen that called itself the Éothéod moved from the valleys of Anduin to the north west of Mirkwood, clearing out what remained of the recently defeated witch kingdom of Angmar, east of the Misty Mountains. While there, some dispute arose between them and the dwarves over the treasure-hoard of Scatha the dragon. Ted Nasmith - The Oathtaking of Cirion and Eorl As a reward, Cirion invited Eorl on Amon Anwar, over the tomb of Elendil and he swore mutual alliance and cooperation between the two peoples. [edit] History Edoras [edit] Description
The Hobbit (film series)
The Hobbit is a film series consisting of three epic fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson. They are based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R Tolkien. Portions of the trilogy are also adapted from the appendices to The Return of the King. The first film in the series premiered at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington, New Zealand on 28 November 2012. Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh originally expressed interest in filming The Hobbit in 1995, then envisaging it as part one of a trilogy (part two would have been based on The Lord of the Rings). On 16 December 2007, New Line and MGM announced that Jackson would be executive producer of The Hobbit and its sequel. In February 2008, the Tolkien Estate (through The Tolkien Trust, a British charity) and HarperCollins Publishers filed a suit against New Line for breach of contract and fraud and demanded $220 million in compensation for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. —Guillermo Del Toro, on tonal consistency with Jackson's trilogy[32]
The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion /sɪlməˈrɪlɨən/ is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son, Christopher Tolkien, in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay,[1] who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. After the success of The Hobbit, and prior to the publication of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien's publisher requested a sequel to The Hobbit, and Tolkien sent them an early draft of The Silmarillion. The five parts were initially separate works, but it was the elder Tolkien's express wish that they be published together.[1] Because J. Overview[edit] The Silmarillion, like Tolkien's other Middle-earth writings, was meant to have taken place at some time in Earth's past.[4] In keeping with this idea, The Silmarillion is meant to have been translated from Bilbo's three-volume Translations from the Elvish, which he wrote while at Rivendell.[5] Among the notable chapters in the book are: Synopsis[edit] Akallabêth[edit]
The Hobbit
The Hobbit is a novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, set in Middle-earth. The book was first published on September 21, 1937 and is set in the years 2941 to 2942 of the Third Age before the events of The Lord of the Rings.[1] The Book J.R.R. Tolkien introduced or mentioned characters and places that figured prominently in his legendarium, specifically Elrond and Gondolin, along with elements from Germanic legend. Although a fairy tale, the book is both complex and sophisticated: it contains many names and words derived from Norse mythology, and central plot elements from the Beowulf epic, it makes use of Anglo-Saxon runes, information on calendars and moon phases, and detailed geographical descriptions that fit well with the accompanying maps. Story Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, was smoking in his porch-way at Bag End one day, when Gandalf the Wizard visits him. The next morning, after oversleeping and nearly missing the start of the journey, Bilbo goes off with the Dwarves. Alternate version Editions
The Hobbit: Themes, Motifs & Symbols
Themes Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. Bilbo’s Heroism The Hobbit’s main theme is Bilbo’s development into a hero, which more broadly represents the development of a common person into a hero. Bilbo possesses hidden reserves of inner strength that even Bilbo himself cannot perceive when he firsts sets out on the quest. Because Tolkien acknowledged that the idea of hobbits was rooted in his experiences with rural Englishmen of his own time, Bilbo’s development might allegorically represent the heroism of England in World War I or the inner, latent heroism common to everyone. Race, Lineage, and Character The differences among Tolkien’s imaginary races are a major focus of the novel, particularly in its second half. Family lineage is another important factor that shapes identity in The Hobbit. Motifs Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes. Symbols Named Swords
