A Comparison Of Valinor In The Lord Of The Rings?

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Recommended: Norse mythology in the lord of the rings

The author J.R.R. Tolkien has used many Norse mythological influences when writing his books the Lord of The Rings. Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, South Africa(biography) Before Tolkien wrote the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, he was a major scholar of Middle english, he was also a twice professor of Anglo Saxon at the university of Oxford ("Biography”). While Tolkien was a professor at Oxford university he started a writing group called the Inklings. One day while Tolkien was grading a paper he just randomly wrote down “there was hole in the ground where there once lived a hobbit”. His book The Hobbit was published in 1937, and it became a children 's book even though it wasn’t intended to be. Over the years Tolkien …show more content…

It is the realm of men, elves, dwarves, giants and dark elves(“academia”). There are many other places that are references to Norse mythology in the works of Tolkien’s The lord of the Rings. Valinor is Tolkien’s version of Asgard from Norse mythology. Valinor is the contrast of middle earth just as Asgard is the contrast of Midgard in Norse mythology(“academia”). Elfheim is a part of Asgard, it is where the light elves live, they are said to be strong magical warriors, Tolkien has taken these elves and their home and created Eldamar in which they live in middle earth, he also gave them his own made up language Quenya(academia). Mordor in Lord of the Rings is Tolkien’s take on the norse mythology realm of muspelheim, in Norse mythology, it is the realm of fire and brimstone. In The Lord of the Rings it is where the orcs live and it’s called Mordor. Tolkien did not include the other realms from norse mythology such as Hel, and …show more content…

Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings is a wandering wizard. Tolkien got the idea for Gandalf from Norse mythology. Gandalf is a cunning old wizard who travels from place to place and guides events along. Gandalf is not a god but he does serve as a valar, valars are the gods of middle earth(academia). Gandalf was inspired by The chief god Odin, who disguises himself as an old wandering wizard when he travels to the realm of Midgard. Gandalf’s horse Shadowfax was also inspired by norse mythology. Shadowfax was inspired by the chief god Odin’s eight legged horse which was named Sleipnir(academia). In Norse mythology Sleipnir was the fastest horse there ever was, he was what Odin rode through the different realms on. In The Lord of the Rings shadowfax was also the fastest horse of them all and it 's the horse Gandalf rode into

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