J.R.R. Tolkien’s Journey: From ‘The Hobbit’ to Crafting Middle-earth Myths
In the realm of fantasy literature, there exists a pivotal moment when J.R.R. Tolkien’s career took an extraordinary turn. While he is now celebrated as one of the most beloved authors of our time, the renowned British writer and poet, globally recognized for his works ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ didn’t release his first tale set in Middle-earth until 1937, at the age of 45.
Before that, Tolkien, a philologist, medievalist, and linguist with a focus on Anglo-Saxon literature, pursued various professions aligned with his academic background, including translator and university professor, eventually becoming a professor at the University of Oxford. Revered as a linguistic scholar, Tolkien mastered 15 languages and was known for his fascination with inventing languages, including the Elvish tongues that would later captivate the world. However, his passion for writing was primarily considered a hobby.
Interestingly, long before its publication, Tolkien began crafting ‘The Hobbit’ in phases, intending to entertain his children, without anticipating that it would serve as the catalyst for one of the greatest works in fantasy literature. He couldn’t have fathomed that Middle-earth would become such an integral part of popular literature.
Years prior to ‘The Hobbit,’ Tolkien had already begun pondering and even writing the myths and legends of Middle-earth. So, when the success of his initial book led the publisher to request more, he embarked on the journey of writing ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ deciding to weave the entire world that had been brewing in his mind into this epic tale.
From that point on, Tolkien never ceased to explore and expand the universe and mythology of Middle-earth, through works like ‘The Silmarillion’ and numerous writings that he collectively referred to as the Legendarium, an extensive body of work. While Middle-earth was already considered a pinnacle of fantasy, it achieved its zenith of popularity in 2000 when Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy stormed cinemas, becoming a mass cultural phenomenon.
Beren and Lúthien: The Tale that Started It All
Amidst the vast array of stories and legends that comprise the Legendarium, some played a pivotal role in the genesis of the universe that would become the life’s work of J.R.R. Tolkien when he finally had the opportunity to develop it.
During his convalescence from illness, while serving in World War I, Tolkien began writing ‘The Book of Lost Tales’ in 1916 and 1917. Although it wouldn’t be published until the 1980s, this work would lay the foundation for the entire mythology of Middle-earth. Penned by a 25-year-old Tolkien and eventually abandoned, the contents of those pages served as the seed.
One of the stories within ‘The Book of Lost Tales’ was an early version of ‘The Tale of Tinúviel,’ which later transformed into the poem ‘The Lay of Leithian.’ Its final version would be published as ‘The Tale of Beren and Lúthien’ in ‘The Silmarillion,’ narrated by Aragorn in ‘The Fellowship of the Ring.’
This story held a central and indispensable place within the entire mythology of Middle-earth. It served as a model for the love story and adventures of the mortal man Beren and the half-elf, half-Maia immortal Lúthien. In this tale, the Elven King sets a condition for Beren to prove his worth as a hunter to win the hand of his beloved—Beren must infiltrate Morgoth’s throne and cut a Silmaril, the coveted Elvish jewels, from the crown of the malevolent Dark Lord.
“That sentence changed the world of literature,” asserts the Tolkien expert and TikToker Cenobeita. “Right at this moment, Tolkien decided to infuse all the mythology he had previously written into this story of hobbits and rings. What would ‘The Lord of the Rings’ be like if Tolkien hadn’t written that sentence if Tolkien hadn’t started right here with the most important story in ‘The Silmarillion,’ the tale of Beren and Lúthien?” she ponders.
The story of Beren and Lúthien, which served as the blueprint for the love story of Aragorn and Arwen in the film adaptations (portrayed by Viggo Mortensen and Liv Tyler), is a captivating narrative of love and adventure, where a mortal man, Beren, must undertake a perilous quest to win the heart of his immortal beloved, Lúthien. The Elven King sets a challenging condition for Beren to prove his worthiness, leading to an epic and perilous adventure.
“This is how the creation of a richer and vast world of literature began,” summarizes Cenobeita. “Because ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is just the tip of the iceberg of an expansive world that started right here, with a sentence, with the story of Beren and Lúthien.”
Explore Tolkien’s transformational journey, from a philologist and academic to the creator of one of the most enduring and beloved fantasy worlds in literature. Discover how a simple sentence set in motion the creation of Middle-earth, and how the love story of Beren and Lúthien became the cornerstone of this legendary realm.