Medieval History
JRR Tolkien was a medieval enthusiast. He studied and taught on a lot on medieval texts, mythologies and languages. His fiction is saturated with it, using heroic types and tales, riddles, mythological creatures, and even semantics. In his most epic passages in his stories he only uses words that have been in use in the English language before 1500. He was interested in the early Anglo-Saxon culture and language, and believed that the Norman invasion put an end to a golden heroic age. Not only am I an admirer of his fiction, I especially enjoy his translations of old texts. He has done Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Beowulf and just published this year posthumously, The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun. Since I no longer work at bookstores, I am woefully behind in the most recent publications, so I missed this one coming out last May. Its based on the Norse and Icelandic Poetic Edda, edited by Christopher Tolkien. This book is third on my reading list, but thought I'd highlight it on the blog nonetheless. I'll do a book review when I finish it.
On the subject of books, about a month ago I finished Hush by Donna Jo Napoli. It also took inspiration from an Icelandic saga, and is set in 10th century Europe. I didn't enjoy her writing style, and I thought some of her facts were not exactly correct for the 10th c., but I enjoyed the story.
- New Book Examines The Influence Of Medieval Welsh On Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote: ?I love Wales?and especially the Welsh language?. Now, a Cardiff University academic has explored Wales? influence on Tolkien in the first book-length study of his debts to Welsh language and literature. Tolkien and Wales: Language,...
- Atherton On Tolkien (trans.) & Tolkien (ed.), Beowulf
J.R.R. Tolkien (trans.) and Christopher Tolkien (ed). Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, together with Sellic Spell. London: HarperCollins, 2014. 448pp. Reviewed by Mark Atherton Beowulf is "the major piece of Old English verse...
- March 25: Tolkien Reading Day
25th March is Tolkien Reading Day! Tolkien Reading Day was set up to encourage people to get together and explore some of Tolkien?s stories at school, university, in reading groups, or as a family; the theme for 2010 is ?Tolkien?s Seafarers? Reading...
- New Books Of Interest
1. John D. Niles, Old English Enigmatic Poems and the Play of the Texts SEM 13 (October 2006) XVI+332 p., 8 b/w ill., 160 x 240 mm, 2006, Hardback ISBN 978-2-503-51530-4, EUR 60.00 This book consists of a close study of a number of verse texts chiefly...
- The Wind Thrums The Ropes Once More - Crowbone By Robert Low
Crowbone by Robert LowI won't pretend Robert Low did not throw me when I first found out #5 in the series was not going to be in the voice of his creation Orm Bearslayer. In fact thrown is an understatement. I had spent four previous books of...
Medieval History
books
- New Book Examines The Influence Of Medieval Welsh On Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote: ?I love Wales?and especially the Welsh language?. Now, a Cardiff University academic has explored Wales? influence on Tolkien in the first book-length study of his debts to Welsh language and literature. Tolkien and Wales: Language,...
- Atherton On Tolkien (trans.) & Tolkien (ed.), Beowulf
J.R.R. Tolkien (trans.) and Christopher Tolkien (ed). Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, together with Sellic Spell. London: HarperCollins, 2014. 448pp. Reviewed by Mark Atherton Beowulf is "the major piece of Old English verse...
- March 25: Tolkien Reading Day
25th March is Tolkien Reading Day! Tolkien Reading Day was set up to encourage people to get together and explore some of Tolkien?s stories at school, university, in reading groups, or as a family; the theme for 2010 is ?Tolkien?s Seafarers? Reading...
- New Books Of Interest
1. John D. Niles, Old English Enigmatic Poems and the Play of the Texts SEM 13 (October 2006) XVI+332 p., 8 b/w ill., 160 x 240 mm, 2006, Hardback ISBN 978-2-503-51530-4, EUR 60.00 This book consists of a close study of a number of verse texts chiefly...
- The Wind Thrums The Ropes Once More - Crowbone By Robert Low
Crowbone by Robert LowI won't pretend Robert Low did not throw me when I first found out #5 in the series was not going to be in the voice of his creation Orm Bearslayer. In fact thrown is an understatement. I had spent four previous books of...