References by Title

Spiral Staircase by Simon J. Cook

The Anglo-Saxon poet looks on the sea from the highest point of the tower and then, without saying all that was seen, begins a descent. The way of the poem traces a spiral staircase. Ultimately, the plan of this staircase follows an Elvish design. The staircase is a picture of the descent of mortal generations in history, drawn from the perspective of those who do not die.

Published on 5 September 2024.

Stars Less Strange: An Analysis of Fanfiction and Representation within the Tolkien Fan Community by Dawn Walls-Thumma

Originally presented at the 2021 Tolkien Society Seminar "Tolkien and Diversity," this paper considers the historical and current use of fanfiction to address issues of representation in Tolkien’s canon.

Published on 27 July 2021.

Straight Road by Simon J. Cook

The Fall of Númenor offers the evidence used to arrive at Tolkien's reading of the exordium to Beowulf.

Published on 10 August 2024.

Talking amongst Ourselves: Tolkien Fanfiction and Fanon by Dawn Walls-Thumma

Fan-generated details and theories, also called fanon, are a conversation among fans about Tolkien's world. Although fanon has a fraught history in many corners of the fandom, it is growing in acceptance.

Published on 16 September 2023.

Tar-Aldarion by oshun

Tar-Aldarion, the sixth King of Númenor, is best known for his penchant for sea voyages.

Published on 1 September 2012.

Tar-Meneldur by oshun

Tar-Meneldur, the fifth king of Númenor, was known for his interest in astronomy.

Published on 1 August 2015.

Tar-Minastir by oshun

A man of his times, Tar-Minastir perpetuated Númenórean policies of the past and foreshadowed those that would follow.

Published on 30 April 2021.

Tar-Míriel by Grundy

A tragic figure of the Second Age, Tar-Míriel should have been the ruling queen but was usurped and forced into marriage by her cousin, leaving her to witness Númenor's fall.

Published on 5 May 2023.

Tar-Palantir by oshun

Tar-Palantir and his descendants tried to stem the rising rebellion against the Valar and Eldar in Númenor. Though the drowning of that land speaks to their ultimate failure, their legacy perpetuates in the Mortal realms of Middle-earth into the Third Age.

Published on 1 January 2021.

Tar-Vanimeldë by oshun

Tar-Vanimeldë is a character whose story "raises as many questions as it answers." In the few details he offers, Tolkien hints that her throne was usurped by her power-hungry husband.

Published on 1 May 2019.

Telchar of Nogrod by Lindariel

Telchar emerges in some of Tolkien's early writings but remains elusive, despite his status as a great Dwarven smith. However, some of what is known about his character is revealed in his creations.

Published on 5 May 2022.

Thálatta! Thálatta! by Simon J. Cook

While he never climbs the stairs of this Elf-tower, in Lothlórien Frodo Baggins descends a flight of steps to look into Galadriel’s Mirror, wherein he first sees the sea. This post examines the view.

Published on 7 May 2024.

The Accidental King: Five Reasons Why Finarfin Deserves More Appreciation by Dawn Felagund

An essay and commentary looking at the canonical facts about Finarfin in contrast to the neglect and hostility that his character is given by the Silmarillion fanfiction community.

Table of Contents

Published on 31 January 2006.

The Curious Case of Peregrin Boffin by simon

This story was penned some years back as a way of marking the Peregrin Boffin of the 1939 drafts of The Lord of the Rings. Boffin was a Hobbit who walked to Moria but vanished from the story in summer 1940, when his character, Trotter, the Ranger met in Bree, became Aragorn, heir of Elendil.

Published on 8 December 2023.

The Easterling Hostages in Middle-earth and Their Parallels in Welsh Medieval History by MirienSilowende

The use of hostages as a political strategy in Third Age Gondor has historical parallels in medieval Welsh history, and the bloody outcome of the real history may explain some of the tensions between the Easterlings and Gondorians as Sauron's power grew.

Published on 18 August 2022.

The Fall of Gondolin Reflected in History by MirienSilowende

The Fall of Gondolin has historical antecedents in sacks of cities in the ancient and medieval world, all featuring military destruction and a grievous impact on innocent civilian survivors.

Published on 21 January 2023.

The Peaks of Taniquetil by Simon J. Cook

In 1946, two towers appeared in Tolkien's writings. The tower found in The Fall of Númenor may shed light on the meaning of the tower analogy of "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics."

Published on 16 January 2024.

The Perfect Girl: An Exploration of the Hidden and Dynamic World of Fan Fiction by Nikara

An analysis of the fan fiction phenomenon of "Mary Sue" and readers' reactions to this controversial fanfic archetype.

Published on 23 April 2007.

The Pillar and the Vastness: A Longitudinal View of the Tolkien Fanfiction Fandom by Dawn Walls-Thumma

Using the 2015 and 2020 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data, this presentation reviews fandom demographics, use of sources, influence of the films, and use of sites and archives to post fanfiction, reviewing changes across the two data sets.

Published on 3 June 2021.

The Plague in Gondor by MirienSilowende

Midway through the Third Age, a plague devastated Gondor before spreading northward. This element of the legendarium connects to the history of real-world plagues, namely the Black Death.

Published on 14 October 2022.

The Rock Garden by Simon J. Cook

An early draft of Tolkien's essay on "Beowulf" used a rock garden analogy to show how the critics—who were actual people whom Tolkien knew—were responding incorrectly to the poem.

Published on 7 September 2023.

The Stars That Varda Made by Kitt Otter

Varda kindled the stars and set them into patterns. Many of these stars the Professor named in Elvish, but which real-life stars was he referring to?

Published on 1 May 2009.

The Textual Ghosts Project by Elleth

The Textual Ghosts Project is a list of the women who must have existed by inference, acting on the assumption that all characters (excepting the Ainur and the first-awakened Elves at Cuiviénen) must have had mothers and those with offspring also must have had wives.

Published on 12 December 2020.

The Tolkienian War on Science by Dr. Joan Bushwell

Biochemist and long-time Tolkien fan, Doc Bushwell argues that the events and ideas expressed in Tolkien's works often demonstrate a strong disdain for science and technology.

Published on 26 April 2007.

Theorycrafting: Interview with Scedasticity of the "Silmarillion Headcanon Survey" by Scedasticity and Dawn Felagund

The Silmarillion Headcanon Survey is a sprawling project that seeks to document where fans fall on various fan theories. Lead researcher Scedasticity discusses its inspiration, what it shows of the fandom, and what lies ahead for the project.

Published on 17 October 2023.