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| J.R.R. Tolkien |
Tolkien is most noted for his two internationally acclaimed fantasy tales, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but he was much more than just being a writer of fiction. Tolkien was an eminent scholar of English Language, twice elected professor at Oxford, specializing in Anglo-Saxon and medieval literature. Moreover, he was a distinguished philologist and linguist, being able to adopt scientific methods to decode ancient languages and reform them into new ones.
His writing style was also unique in his own fashion. Tolkien excelled in portraiting his imaginations in great details with words, but he disliked using fancy vocabuary. And when compared with other fantasy fictions, The Lord of the Rings noticeably does not contain many fighting scenes. Poetry is also another major element found in Tolkien's works that further diverged his style from others. Tolkien was also one of the most renowned letter writers of the 20th century. Putting pen to paper was a habit that he had developed since his childhood. He took great pleasure in corresponding with friends and fan readers, and he took every letter seriously, especially if it came from a child or an elderly person. Today his letters are being treasured by many. Tolkien was also fond of storytelling, another activity that had also proliferated into a lifetime habit when he formed reading clubs among friends in school to read aloud epic tales as well as their own writings and to share thoughts with each other. He also read bedtime stories to his children. Throughout his academic life as a scholar, Tolkien had made valuable contributions to his profession and had given new meanings to medevial literature. He is moreover best remembered today as the author of The Lord of the Rings, an adventure romance that takes place in the fantasy world of Middle-earth, which he profoundly created and filled it with enchanting legends, peoples and cultures, languages and histories. The magnitutde of his successful achievement as a sub-creator thus earned him the title, The Master of Fantasy. |
| Tolkien Timeline |
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1857 Birth of Tolkien's father, Arthur Reuel Tolkien. Later in his life, he moved to the city of Bloemfontein, Orange Free State of South Africa, as a local banker. The name "TOLKIEN" (tol-teen) is derived from the German surname "TOLLKÜHN", meaning "fool-hardly." JRR Tolkien's great-grandfather migrated from Germany to England during the 18th century; thus, the Tolkien family had long been "Englished." 
1870Birth of Tolkien's mother, Mabel Suffield. 1889.1.21 Birth of Edith Bratt. 1891.4.16 Arthur weds Mabel in Africa. 1892.1.3 Birth of Tolkien, full named John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. 1894.2.17 Birth of Tolkien's younger brother, Hilary Arthur Reuel Tolkien. 1895.4 (Aged 3) Mabel returns to Birmingham, England for holidays with the boys. Arthur plans to return when time permits. 1896.2.15 Arthur Tolkien dies in Bloemfontein from a severe hemorrhage. Mabel moves her family from Birmingham to the hamlet of Sarehole. Mabel also starts to teach the boys Latin and French. The beautiful surroundings of Sarehole gives Tolkien a lasting impression, which is later reflected in his writings. 1904.11.4 (aged 12) 
Mabel Tolkien dies in a diabetic coma, aged 34. The boys are now in the care of Father Francis Morgan until they turn 21.
1900~1915 Education: King Edward School, St. Philip, and Oxford. Tolkien speaks fluent Latin and Greek, and takes great interest in studying Anglo-Saxon, Middle English, Welsh, and Finnish. Soon after, he begins to construct his fairy languages. 1905 The boys move in with their aunt. 1908 (aged 16) The boys move to a new lodging house. At the same time, another orphan girl also lives there. Her name is Edith Bratt. She plays piano very well, and can dance and tailoring. Tolkien and Edith are soon attracted to each other; Edith likes Tolkien's serious face and perfect manners, and Tolkien is also drawn by her engaging manners and artistic talents. 1909 Summer, Tolkien and Edith falls in love. Autumn, romance is discovered. December, Tolkien fails to obtain a scholarship at Oxford. 1910 (aged 18) January, the boys move to a new lodging house. March, Edith moves away from Birmingham. Father Morgan forbids Tolkien not to meet or contact Edith until he is 21. December, Tolkien obtains a scholarship. 1911 
Tolkien begins his first term in Oxford.
1913.1.8 (aged 21) Tolkien reunites with Edith. 1914 First World War breaks out. 1915 (aged 23) After graduation, Tolkien joins the English army and starts training. 1916.3.22 Tolkien marries Edith. June, Tolkien is sent to France; Battle of the Somme. November, Tolkien returns to England suffering from trench fever. But his two dear friends, Rob Gilson and Geoffrey B. Smith, from the reading club T.C.B.S.(Tea Club and Barrovian Society) are killed in action. On July 15, 1916, Smith wrote to Tolkien of Gilson's death: My dear John Ronald, I saw in the paper this morning that Rob has been killed. I am safe but what does that matter? Do please stick to me, you and Christopher. I am very tired and most frightfully depressed at this worst news. Now one realises in despair what the T.C.B.S. really was. O my dear John Ronald what ever are we going to do? Yours ever. G. B. S. 
5 months later, Tolkien was informed by Wiseman that Smith had also died in a mission. Smith wrote his last letter to Tolkien just before setting out:My chief consolation is that if I am scuppered tonight - I am off on duty in a few minutes - there will still be left a member of the great T.C.B.S. to voice what I dreamed and what we all agreed upon. For the death of one of its members cannot, I am determined, dissolve the T.C.B.S. Death can make us loathsome and helpless as individuals, but it cannot put an end to the immortal four! A discovery I am going to communicate to Rob before I go off tonight. And do you write it also to Christopher. May God bless you my dear John Ronald and may you say things I have tried to say long after I am not there to say them if such be my lot. Yours ever, G. B. S.  The tragedy put an end to the circle of the four and left a deep wound in the hearts of the remaining two. And Tolkien, awakened by Smith's echoing words, may you say things I have tried to say long after I am not there to say them, starts to write his mythology on a notebook that he titled "The Book of Lost Tales." The tales are later known as The Silmarillion. 1917 Birth of the 1st child, John Francis Reuel Tolkien. 1918 (aged 26) Tolkien joins the staff of the new Oxford English Dictionary for two years. 
1920Birth of the 2nd child, Michael Hilary Reuel Tolkien. Tolkien is appointed professor in English Language at Leeds University. 1924 (aged 32) Birth of the 3rd child, Christopher J. R. Tolkien. 1925 Tolkien is elected professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford; retires in 1959. 1929 (aged 37) Birth of the 4th child and only daughter, Priscilla M. A. R. Tolkien. At about this time, Tolkien starts telling his children a story about a funny creature named Bilbo. 1936 (aged 44) Completion of The Hobbit. 
1937.9.21Publication of The Hobbit. Later in the year, the creation of "New Hobbit" begins. 1945 Tolkien is elected professor of English Language and Literature at Oxford. 1949 (aged 56) Completion of The Lord of the Rings. 1954.7.29 Publication of The Fellowship of the Ring. 
1954.11.11Publication of The Two Towers. 1955.10.20 (aged 63) Publication of The Return of the King. 1971.11.29 (aged 79) Edith at age 82 leaves for the halls of Mandos. 1973.9.2 Tolkien, aged 81, is reunited at last with Edith beyond the confines of the world. EDITH MARY TOLKIEN LUTHIEN 1889 - 1971 JOHN RONALD REUEL TOLKIEN BEREN 1892 - 1973  1977 Publication of The Silmarillion, edited by Christopher Tolkien.  |
| Christopher Tolkien |
Christopher Tolkien is, in many aspect, very simliar and closely connected to his father, in a way that one may say he is the extension of JRR Tolkien. Christopher Tolkien was also a philologist and scholar, and also served in the Second World War as a pilot for the Royal Air Force. After war, he returned to Oxford to continue his undergraduate career; he remained there afterwards to teach Anglo-Saxon, Middle English, and Old Norse, until in 1975 he resigned from his acdemic life to devote his time to editing his father's unpublished manuscripts. In Tolkien's heart, of all his four children Christopher Tolkien was probably most dearly to him, as Tolkien wrote in a letter to him: ...you were so special a gift to me, in a time of sorrow and mental suffering, and your love...foretold to me, as it were in spoken words... During the writing of The Lord of the Rings, Christopher also played an undeniably important role. Before going to war, he was already among the first readers of the book, but he also undertook to drawing maps and making fair copies of the manuscripts for his father. And during his service in war, Tolkien would constantly write to him, reporting the progress, sending him parts of the story, asking for his opinion on certain details. ...I had to call in the help of my son -- the C.T. or C.J.R.T. of the modest initials on the maps -- an accredited student of hobbit-lore... I had to devote many days to drawing re-scaling a large map, at which he then worked for 24 hours (6 a.m. to 6 a.m. without bed) in re-drawing just in time. Christopher Tolkien was also a member of The Inklings. The Inklings was an informal reading meeting that Tolkien formed with his scholar friends in Oxford. Among them were C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams. C.S. Lewis had even been Christopher's tutor in Oxford for serveral terms. In 1945, Christopher, only aged 21 then, was invited by The Inklings to become a "permanent member", and there afterwards it became a custom that he should read new chapters of The Lord of the Rings to the group, because it was generally agreed that his reading was better than his father's! "Christopher was always much concerned with the consistency of the story and on one occasion, interrupted: 'Last time, you said Bilbo's front door was blue, and you said Thorin had a golden tassel on this hood, but you've just said that Bilbo's front door was green, and the tassel on Thorin's hood was silver'; at which point Ronald exclaimed 'Damn the boy!' and strode across the room to make a note."  Perhaps it is because of the above inseparatable connections with his father, that Christopher Tolkien is highly protective of Tolkien's works. But this generally known approach should not be construed to mean arragance. Rather, it is derived from a son's love and memory of his father. And from many documentary wherein Christopher talked about his father, it was not hard to observe he is also a gentle and humble scholar. Christopher Tolkien has long retired from public life and has been living in France. He is currently the litaray exector of the Tolkien Estate. |