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The world of Tolkien's imagination is a virtually boundless universe, one in which multiple layers of cultural heritage revolve around his enduring passion for storytelling, fascination with languages and devotion to the Catholic faith. In effect, much of his fiction is an eclectic, though, at the same time, remarkably coherent, mixture in which certain elements of the old lore appear to be constantly reinvented, reimagined and reinterpreted to suit the tastes of the Professor's readers and listeners. It is a constant mediation between the world of the past (ancient, medieval or other) and the world in which he lived, an informed dialogue tinted by the writer's personal convictions and beliefs.Ever since the dawn of Tolkien scholarship, the majority of serious academic discussions concerning his works and ideas have brought into play this very dialogue, an oft-repeated journey, back and forth (much like Bilbo's own quest in The Hobbit), between Tolkien's Middle-earth and the other realms of human imagination, chiefly, though not exclusively, located in the north-western fringes of the European continent. It is precisely this kind of journey (or, rather, journeys), perilous and full of pitfalls, that the reader will undertake in the present book, guided by a group of six authors from Poland, scholars whose academic interests (apart from Tolkien) are wide and varied, ranging from the Greek Antiquity to the age of Queen Victoria.And so, to Middle-earth or, rather, there and back again! Let us delve into those multiple layers of Tolkien's fiction in search for some of the foremost sources of his literary inspiration. In this way, we might be able to observe Tolkien's worldbuilding processes at work and, by going there and back again, catch a glimpse of what, in his essay "On Fairy-stories", the writer himself referred to as "forming mental images of things not actually present".

"It is precisely against the darkness of the world that comedy arises, and it is best when that is not hidden."With these words Tolkien replied to Rayner Unwin's comments upon first reading Book 1 of Lord of the Rings. Rayner had not commented on the comedy of Book 1 but on the overpowering effect of "the struggle between darkness and light", as he put it, and that omission disappointed Tolkien. If this was the response of Tolkien's famous first reviewer, it is not surprising that academic studies have also tended to overlook or disregard both the presence of humour in Tolkien's work and the effect of his work to inspire humour in readers' and artists' responses.Laughter in Middle-earth: Humour in and around the Works of JRR Tolkien more than compensates for this critical oversight. From onomastic studies and parody, to historical, literary, and social contexts, a history of illustrations, textual interpretations, heroic forms of defiant laughter, and then to a reminiscence of the Inklings' tastes in humour, these scholarly articles analyse the broad range of comedy which arises against the darkness of the world in Tolkien's narratives. As well, interspersed between these studies are numerous comic illustrations, some of which appear in print for the first time, from well-known Tolkien illustrators.As Eru is reported saying, in a typically egregious internet appropriation of Tolkien, "There is no joke that hath not its uttermost source in me." This book demonstrates that humour is truly a significant aspect of Middle-earth and its influences. Eru, like Tolkien himself, could, indeed laugh.

This volume "binds" a collection of selected papers that emerged from the J.R.R. Tolkien-lecture-series initiated at the University of Augsburg in 2014. Each of the papers is representative of the editors' interest in the interdisciplinary potentials of Tolkien's works and the joint venture to make his legacy visible and accesible from the viewpoint of numerous academic disciplines. Our contributors are experts as well as junior scholars from the fields of Literature and Linguistics, Geography, History, as well as Communications and Cultural Studies.

J.R.R. Tolkien's literary cosmos may not be the most elaborate of the imaginary worlds in existence, it is certainly the most influential. The posthumous editorial work of Tolkien's son Christopher has also shown that Arda remains unrivalled in its consistency and complexity. Additionally, the re-publication of Tolkien's Andrew Lang lecture 'On Fairy-stories' (originally delivered 1939) and its interpretation within the discourse of literary fantasy has further strengthened his position as one of the foremost proponents of literary world-building or, as he himself preferred to call it, (literary) subcreation.The contributions to this volume by Tom Shippey, John Garth, Mark J.P. Wolf, Kristine Larsen, Andrew Higgins, Allan Turner, Gergely Nagy, Renée Vink, and a dozen other scholars, discuss not only Tolkien's theoretical concepts as well as his literary work but also explore the relationship between Tolkien's approach with that of other 'literary world-builders' whose imaginary worlds have attracted readers and scholars alike.

The origins of this collection, and of the whole Tolkien and the Classics project, are twofold. First, there is the ever-growing awareness of the importance of making scholars and critics realize how much J.R.R. Tolkien is, in all respects, a great literary classic, comparable to those already accepted as 'canonical'. Second, the desire to offer a publication that could be enjoyed, and made actual use of, by students and teachers of secondary schools and universities.This collection of mainly short essays, each one exploring a parallel between Tolkien and the Classics of Western literature, is divided into three sections:• Tolkien and Authors from Antiquity (four essays)• Tolkien and Authors from the Middle Ages (six essays)• Tolkien and Authors from the Modern Period (eleven essays)The present volume has its origin in the endeavours of the Study Group organised by the Associazione Italiana Studi Tolkieniani (AIST = Italian Association of Tolkien Studies), a team of scholars who periodically decide on a common topic of research that, as a consequence, will be the subject of meetings in which each contributor presents his or her results to the others. The criticisms, comments, and suggestions provided in these meetings are then taken into account for the revisions and incorporated into the final versions of the essays.

"Something has gone crack," Tolkien wrote about the first death among his tight-knit fellowship of friends in 1916, and the impact of the war haunted his writing for the rest of his life. In Tolkien's body of work, the Great War serves as a source of imagery, motifs, and examples of military operations and strategy; of central themes about conflict, comradeship, duty, and the destruction of the environment; and of personal trauma which he worked out in meaningful symbolic form throughout his life.In this volume, we collect a variety of perspectives on the war's impact on Tolkien's writing, building upon earlier work in this area by filling in gaps in the scholarship and incorporating new material. We trace major themes in Tolkien's legendarium that had their roots in, or were heavily influenced by, his war experiences. It is essential to any study of the Great War not to assume that only the most frequently heard voices are important; the experiences and viewpoints of participants outside of the mainstream are also necessary to give us a full picture of the impact of war, and were not neglected by Tolkien. We therefore also explore issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality.At this point in the study of J.R.R. Tolkien's life and works, the centrally important topic of his Great War experience is by no means exhausted. Our hope is that this collection is not the last word on the topic, but instead sparks new ideas and future scholarship.

Who was Edith Bratt? Millions saw Hollywood's fantasy version of J.R.R. Tolkien's one and only love, Edith Bratt, in the 2019 movie, Tolkien. Fact, though, is stranger than fiction, and more interesting. Edith's story reveals a gallant heroine suffering under "The Shadow of the Past." Edith was Ronald's "lover," and much like her mother, Edith risked all for the man she loved. New research finds a financially independent and strong woman who was not only John Ronald's equal, but his muse, his anchor of stability in the present, and his hope for the future. This presentation of Edith's life presents a new look at the previously censored depth of her passion with Ronald Tolkien that was ignited in 1909 at the Faulkner boarding house in Birmingham. The blow of their separation from 1910 to 1913 is seen as the likely impetus to Ronald Tolkien's escape into Fantasy with his invented languages, mythology, and art. Their reunion and commitment to a life together was the incentive that saved Ronald Tolkien from his years of partying and pranks in Oxford. Tolkien then imagined a new life in enchanted Kortirion/Warwick with Edith, lauded in poetry and blessed by the Elves. When World War I threatened to void all they had waited for, they became for each other the promise of a seemingly impossible future. Keeping a broader biographical scope leads to a recalibration of the importance and contributions of Tolkien's literary group, the TCBS, previously fostered by a tight focus on Tolkien's academic pursuits. Admirers, enthusiasts, and students of Tolkien will find much new material to enrich their understanding and appreciation of Tolkien. Placing the development of John Ronald Tolkien's Elvish languages, mythology, and art during the crucial years of 1916-18 in a new biographical context that includes the importance and significance of Edith Bratt culminates in the pivotal story of Lúthien and Beren with new unsuspected sources and the complementary artwork of The Fair Towns of Holy Tol Eressëa. A fresh awareness of the compelling and pervasive influence and effect of Tolkien's biography on his oeuvre suggests new views and possibilities for further investigations.

The present collection, Nólë Hyarmenillo ('Lore from the South' in Quenya), features essays written by Spanish and Portuguese scholars on diverse topics related to Tolkien and his legendarium, ranging from an analysis of film posters and adaptations, to studies of comparative literature, ecocritical analysis and the role and impact of Tolkien's works in contemporary subculture. As such, the anthology also reflects the growing bonds between two national communities of scholars, who over the past decade have consolidated research on Tolkien's legendarium at various large universities on the Iberian peninsula.