J.R.R. Tolkien and Fairy Stories

Hey everyone! Recently, I was flipping through a home-school magazine that we had received in the mail, when I came upon an article titled "How J.R.R. Tolkien Used Middle Earth to Reveal Who we Are". I was intrigued by the title, (hey, if that doesn't pique a Tolkien lover's curiosity, I don't know what does!) so I read through it. It was very insightful! One of my favorite sections (and the one that really sums up the article best) was probably this one:

"In his famous essay on fairy stories, J. R. R. Tolkien asserted that one of the most important facets of fairytales is that they hold up a “Mirror of scorn and pity towards Man”. The fairy story, Tolkien wrote, “may be used as a Mirour de l’Omme” (mirror of man), as something that shows us ourselves. If this is so, and it is, it means that the greatest fairy stories are not mere fantasies that serve as a flight from reality but are a powerful means by which we can see ourselves and others more clearly. In this sense, and paradoxically, the greatest fairy stories are also works of realism. They show us reality."

You can read the full article here

(Yup, that one made it to the commonplace book!)

What an amazing observation! I am in total agreement with it. I think that, many times, fairy tales are "set aside" for little kids who need to be entertained, instead of appreciated for what they are- stories that reflect us and our mistakes and this world.

After reading the article, I looked up the essay mentioned (which you can read here) and read it through. In it, Tolkien attempts to explain fairy stories and what they mean to us. He explains what a fairy story is not in this quote:

"Stories that are actually concerned primarily with “fairies,” that is with creatures that might also in modern English be called “elves,” are relatively rare, and as a rule not very interesting. Most good “fairy-stories” are about the adventures of men in the Perilous Realm or upon its shadowy marches. Naturally so; for if elves are true, and really exist independently of our tales about them, then this also is certainly true: elves are not primarily concerned with us, nor we with them. Our fates are sundered, and our paths seldom meet. Even upon the borders of Faërie we encounter them only at some chance crossing of the ways."

Then what is fantasy? What is it about?

"To make a Secondary World inside which the green sun will be credible, commanding Secondary Belief, will probably require labour and thought, and will certainly demand a special skill, a kind of elvish craft. Few attempt such difficult tasks. But when they are attempted and in any degree accomplished then we have a rare achievement of Art: indeed narrative art, storymaking in its primary and most potent mode."

And why do we read fairy stories?

Well, Tokien gives a few reasons. I will focus on two. One of them, he says, is an escape from reality, a place where we can go to forget our troubles. But the second reason is that it holds a mirror up to our lives (as Joseph Pearce says) and shows us the end. 

"Fairy tale does not deny the existence of sorrow and failure: the possibility of these is necessary to the joy of deliverance. It denies (in the face of much evidence, if you will) universal final defeat...giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy; Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief."

If this is true, than fairy stories reflect our fight, the Good Fight. More than this, they show us that we will win, and that despite our grief on this earth, there is joy, and one day, we will be united with Him. That is true joy. That is the real purpose of fairy stories. 

I really enjoyed this essay, and its insights into Christianity, fairy stories, and how they correlate, and I think that I will definitely be reading it again soon (it was a lot to take in :).



My favorite quotes from the essay:

Fantasy remains a human right: we make in our measure and in our derivative mode, because we are made: and not only made, but made in the image and likeness of a Maker.

It is the mark of a good fairy-story, of the higher or more complete kind, that however wild its events, however fantastic or terrible the adventures, it can give to child or man that hears it, when the “turn” comes, a catch of the breath, a beat and lifting of the heart, near to (or indeed accompanied by) tears, as keen as that given by any form of literary art, and having a peculiar quality. 

The Undying Lands

          Lately, I've been thinking a lot about what Tolkien had to say about the elves in his novels (which is not surprising, as I am a avid, die-hard fan of LOTR, and don't think about too much else :), specifically in the Lord of the Rings series. In case you have not read the Lord of the Rings, there are a couple main people groups in the series. First, of course, are the men. Men are just like us, human beings. They are quite average people that populate different parts of Middle-Earth. Next are the dwarves. Dwarves are an interesting folk that are known for their small stature and rather voluminous beards (usually tucked into their belts). The dwarves are respected in Middle-Earth as fantastic miners and forgers. They are loud, proud, and faithful to their kin. But enough about dwarves, next come hobbits. Hobbits, or halflings, are little people (about half our size) that live in the Shire. They are quiet, unobtrusive people, who do not like adventures and find great pleasure in food, a good book, and a warm fire.

To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying,

The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying.

West, west away, the round sun is falling.

Grey ship, grey ship, do you hear them calling,

The voices of my people that have gone before me?

I will leave, I will leave the woods that bore me;

For our days are ending and our years failing.

I will pass the wide waters lonely sailing.

          The last people group in Middle-Earth are the elves. The elves are a rather mysterious people. They are tall, slender, beautiful people, who do not die, and who remain a bit of a mystery the whole series long. The elves (as we learn in the Silmarillion, the sequel) were created to live in Tolkien's heaven, Valinor, the land, over the sea. Though the trip to Valinor was not extremely difficult to take, some never went. The rest of their life, though, the elves continued to have a longing for Valinor. The many, many removed children of these elves continued to have that same longing. They simply could not forget it, even after thousands of years. They continued to be drawn to the sea and to what lie beyond it. 

           Anyone who has read the Lord of the Rings knows that the series has many parallels to the Christian walk with God. even though the books were not written as an allegory (unlike pilgrim's progress) it does have a few Christian parallels, like how sin is handed down to us from generations of sinful people, how we are on a journey to destroy it, and how sin takes dominion over us. However, perhaps there are more parallels than just these. Perhaps the elves, who are captivated by the longing for the undying lands, hold some parallel. I may be making a stretch, but maybe when Tolkien wrote about the elves' longing for Valinor, he wanted to mirror our longing for heaven, for our real home. We, like the elves were created for something else, for someone else. Maybe Tolkien mirrored our longing for heaven in the elves' longing for Valinor.

          I guess I just want to make two points: one, that there is always more to a book than meets the eye, and two, do we long enough for God? Do we long for the next world? Sometimes, I think, we get so wrapped up in this world that we don't think about the next one. Are we building up our castles in heaven, and not here on earth? It's so easy to get caught up in the typical lifestyle of just living for our own pleasure on this earth, but when we stop, and remember who we are living for, that can all change. Our whole outlook at heaven can be different. We truly long for heaven. 



There have been times when I think we do not desire heaven, but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of hearts, we have desired anything else.”
                                                                                                                       - C.S. Lewis

From my Commonplace Book...

Some of My Favorite J.R.R. Tolkien Poems

Here is a collection of some of my favorite poems by J.R.R. Tolkien, author of  The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (some of my favorite books!), not to mention many other fascinating works. Not only was he a superbly skilled writer, Tolkien knew exactly how to put words, rhyme, and meaning together to make some truly beautiful poetry. I hope you enjoy reading this poetry as much as I have!

The Road goes Ever on and on

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.

Roads go ever ever on,
Under cloud and under star.
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen,
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green,
And trees and hills they long have known.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone.
Let others follow, if they can!
Let them a journey new begin.
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.

Still 'round the corner there may wait
A new road or secret gate;
And though I oft have passed them by,
A day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon, East of the Sun.

Luthien Tinuviel

"The leaves were long, the grass was green,

The hemlock-umbels tall and fair,
And in the glade a light was seen
Of stars in shadow shimmering.
Tinuviel was dancing there
To music of a pipe unseen,
And light of stars was in her hair,
And in her raiment glimmering.

There Beren came from mountains cold.
And lost he wandered under leaves,
And where the Elven-river rolled
He walked alone and sorrowing.
He peered between the hemlock-leaves
And saw in wonder flowers of gold
Upon her mantle and her sleeves,
And her hair like shadow following.

Enchantment healed his weary feet
That over hills were doomed to roam;
And forth he hastened, strong and fleet,
And grasped at moonbeams glistening.
Through woven woods in Elvenhome
She lightly fled on dancing feet,
And left him lonely still to roam
In the silent forest listening.

He heard there oft the flying sound
Of feet as light as linden-leaves,
Or music welling underground,
In hidden hollows quavering.
Now withered lay the hemlock-sheaves,
And one by one with sighing sound
Whispering fell the beachen leaves
In wintry woodland wavering.

He sought her ever, wandering far
Where leaves of years were thickly strewn,
By light of moon and ray of star
In frosty heavens shivering.
Her mantle glinted in the moon,
As on a hill-top high and far
She danced, and at her feet was strewn
A mist of silver quivering.

When winter passed, she came again,
And her song released the sudden spring,
Like rising lark, and falling rain,
And melting water bubbling.
He saw the elven-flowers spring
About her feet, and healed again
He longed by her to dance and sing
Upon the grass untroubling.

Again she fled, but swift he came,
Tinuviel! Tinuviel!
He called her by her elvish name;
And there she halted listening.
One moment stood she, and a spell
His voice laid on her: Beren came,
And doom fell on Tinuviel
That in his arms lay glistening.

As Beren looked into her eyes
Within the shadows of her hair,
The trembling starlight of the skies
He saw there mirrored shimmering.
Tinuviel the elven-fair,
Immortal maiden elven-wise,
About him cast her shadowy hair
And arms like silver glimmering.

Long was the way that fate them bore,
O'er stony mountains cold and grey,
Through halls of iron and darkling door,
And woods of nightshade morrowless.
The Sundering Seas between them lay,
And yet at last they met once more,
And long ago they passed away
In the forest singing sorrowless."

At the Gray Havens

Day is ended, dim my eyes,
But journey long before me lies.
Farewell, friends! I hear the call.
The ship's beside the stony wall.
Foam is white and waves are grey;
beyond the sunset leads my way.
Foam is salt, the wind is free;
I hear the rising of the sea.

Farewell, friends! The sails are set,
the wind is east, the moorings fret.
Shadows long before me lie,
beneath the ever-bending sky,
but islands lie behind the Sun
that I shall raise ere all is done;
lands there are to west of West,
where night is quiet and sleep is rest.

Guided by the Lonely Star,
beyond the utmost harbour-bar,
I'll find the heavens fair and free,
and beaches of the Starlit Sea.
Ship my ship! I seek the West,
and fields and mountains ever blest.
Farewell to Middle-earth at last.
I see the star above my mast!

In Western Lands beneath the Sun

In western lands beneath the Sun

the flowers may rise in Spring,

the trees may bud, the waters run,

the merry finches sing.

Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night

and swaying beeches bear

the Elven-stars as jewels white

amid their branching hair.

Though here at journey's end I lie

in darkness buried deep,

beyond all towers strong and high,

beyond all mountains steep,

above all shadows rides the Sun

and Stars forever dwell:

I will not say the Day is done,

nor bid the Stars farewell.