There hasn’t been a universe that has captured the hearts and minds of people from all age groups as Middle Earth. After all, Lord of the Rings is one of the classic masterpieces of fantasy and dwarfs all other famous fantasy in comparison to its worldbuilding and lore. And, The Hobbit (or There and Back Again) is an enjoyable and funny children’s tale. However, what was it in the Middle Earth saga that made it the world’s greatest literary accomplishment from a single person?
Well, to start with, J.R.R Tolkien, the author of these books, worked on this story for his lifetime. When he was in high school, he already had a grasp of many European languages and was interested in linguistics. He started to construct Quenya and Sindarin, the main Elvish languages used in Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. When Tolkien grew up, he taught Old English and was a professor at Oxford University. The Book of Lost Tales and Unfinished Tales were his early attempts at starting the Silmarillion.
Tolkien usually said, “I make the languages first, then build a story for those languages.” He was developing Sindarin and Quenya, and was a master of Old English and Old Norse mythology and language. He then started constructing The Hobbit. In The Hobbit, a classic fairytale, Bilbo Baggins the hobbit (supposedly derived from Old English holbytla, hole dweller) is tasked by the wizard Gandalf to become a burglar for a troop of dwarves (Tolkien popularized the spelling) to steal their kingdom back from the dragon Smaug. On the way, they get waylaid by goblins and Bilbo finds a magic ring that makes him invisible when he puts it on. After a huge battle with the goblins, elves, and men, the dwarf king and his nephews Thorin, Fili, and Kili die. Thorin’s cousin Dain becomes king and Bilbo returns home to find that people are selling his home and furniture and hold him for dead.
After this, Tolkien worked on the Silmarillion. The Silmarillion is about three gems of pure light and radiance called the Silmarils, made by the elf Fëanor. Set in the First Age (Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are in the Third Age), it covers the lore of LOTR. When the elves awoke, they were led to heaven, called Valinor. The Ñoldorin elves under Fëanor rebel against the Valar, a sort of pantheon of angels. The Valar curse them to never return to Valinor and the Ñoldor under Fëanor flee to Middle Earth, killing their kin the seafaring Teleri for their swift ships. Fëanor’s brother Fingolfin is left behind and has to cross the Helcaraxë, the Grinding Ices. Many of his number die but he crosses through. Many years later, Morgoth (a version of the Christian Lucifer) takes over Middle Earth, sparing only the Elvish kingdoms of Doriath, Gondolin, and Nargothrond, led by Elu Thingol, Turgon, and Fingolfin, respectively.
Then, Morgoth has all three Silmarils and Fëanor’s sons are desperately trying to hunt them down. Lúthien, Thingol’s daughter, falls in love with and marries a mortal man Beren, and they steal a Silmaril from Morgoth. They die though, and then, the Nirnoed Arnoediad, a terrible battle against Morgoth happens. He gets his foot crushed by his own hammer when fighting the dying Fingolfin. The young Túrin, prince of the men who fought with the elves, arrives under Thingol’s care. However, he unknowingly marries his sister under a spell by the dragon Glaurung. After killing it, he and his sister realize what they have done and kill themselves. The Silmaril then leads to the sons of Fëanor destroying Doriath and killing King Dior Elúchil, his wife Nimloth, and deserting their young sons Elúred and Elúrin. Princess Elwing saves the Silmaril and runs with the remainder of her people to the Havens of Sirion on the delta of the river Sirion. There, she and her husband Ëarendil voyage to Valinor, where he rouses the Valar and their Elvish vanguard, the Vanyar led by Ingwe to march against Morgoth. They, however, sail in their ship across the sky with the Silmaril and become a star for future sailors to find the direction. The Valar and the Vanyar march against Morgoth and his servant Sauron. Morgoth gets arrested and put in chains, while Sauron disappears into the East. The Elf-friends, men who fought with the elves, are given an island between Valinor and Middle Earth, called Númenor.
Phew! That was long. However, Tolkien didn’t stop there. He wrote many songs and poems and then, he got to Lord of the Rings. In summary, Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit celebrates his eleventy-first birthday with his nephew Frodo. He disappears though, leaving Frodo his house and belongings, including the magic ring. Gandalf then appears and warns Frodo, telling him the tale of the One Ring. Sauron disappeared into the East. the Elves and Men moved East and came face to face with Sauron, who disguised himself as an elf and tricked Celebrimbor, king of Eregion into forging eighteen rings: Three for the elves, seven for the dwarves, and nine for mortal men. The seven and the nine Sauron himself had a hand in forging, and his evil influence was in them. Then, secretly, in the land of Mordor, he forged the One Ring, into which he poured all his power into. He was however defeated by an army of Elves and Men, men whose ancestors had fought against Morgoth. Elendil, king of the Faithful Men, and Gil-Galad, High King of the Ñoldor, fought against and were killed by Sauron. Isildur son of Elendil marched in with his father’s broken sword and cut the Ring off of Sauron’s finger, destroying Sauron’s form and sending his spirit into hibernation. Against Elrond son of Ëarendil’s will, Isildur takes the Ring and is killed by orcs. After that, it was lost to history. Then, it appears in the hands of the creature Gollum, from whom Bilbo stole it from. The One Ring is now in the hands of Frodo, and Sauron has awaken again, seeking the Ring. His nine rings of men have corrupted their owners, turning them into the Nazgul, black-robed figures on black horses. Frodo sets out with his gardener Samwise (called Sam) and his cousins Meriadoc (called Merry) and Peregrin (called Pippin).
They are chased by the Nazgul and have strange experiences with the mysterious Tom Bombadil until they reach the town of Bree, where they meet the mysterious Strider, who claims to be a friend of Gandalf. On a hill called Weathertop, they are surrounded by the Nazgul and Frodo is stabbed with a Morgul blade that leaves a self-moving splinter aimed towards the heart and paralyzes one. They are rescued and taken to the hidden city of Rivendell (Imladris) ruled by Elrond. It is revealed that “Strider” is actually Aragorn, descendant of Isildur, and was raised by Elrond. He is engaged to Elrond’s daughter Arwen as well. During a council in which representatives from all over Middle Earth come, Gandalf reappears after a long absence and reveals shocking news: His superior Saruman has turned sides and is an ally to Sauron. Then, the dwarves reveal that a messenger was sent from Sauron asking for news of “Baggins”, the last name of both Bilbo and Frodo. The elves are troubled and Frodo reveals the Ring. Elrond makes a fellowship with the hobbits, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas prince of Mirkwood, the dwarf Gimli, and the prince Boromir of Gondor (of which Aragorn is the rightful king of).
The fellowship sets out and is forced to go through the former dwarven kingdom of Moria and are attacked by orcs and a Balrog, a servant of Sauron who kills Gandalf. They then reach Lothlórien, an Elvish kingdom ruled by the elf Lady Galadriel. They stay there for three months and then set out on the Anduin River. There, Legolas shoots a Nazgul with a new dragon mount in the night. Gollum follows them secretly. In the hills of Amon Hen, Boromir attacks Frodo, controlled by the Ring, who runs away, and the fellowship is surrounded by Uruk-Hai, special elite orcs made by Saruman. Boromir dies saving Merry and Pippin, who are ultimately captured. Frodo and Sam get into boats and set out for Mordor.
Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli find Gandalf reborn as Gandalf the White, with as much power as Saruman. They travel through the country of Rohan, which borders Gondor and Isengard, Saruman’s lair. Gandalf arouses the king Théoden and calls back his nephew and prince Éomer. Princess Éowyn has a one-sided crush on Aragorn and is angry at being forced to stay behind while the men prepare for a battle at the fortress of Helm’s Deep. Isengard is emptied and the Uruk-Hai attack with a force of 10,000. The Rohirrim legions fight and another side force of Rohirrim led by Gandalf and Éomer sandwich the Uruk-Hai. After the battle, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Éomer, and Théoden travel to Isengard. Merry and Pippin sit outside and reveal that the Ents, an ancient species of sentient trees, live in the surrounding forest and that they have razed Isengard except for Saruman’s tower, in which the wizard still is locked in. Saruman comes out and Gandalf destroys his staff. Saruman runs away with his servant Gríma Wormtongue. Frodo and Sam venture through the Emyn Muil, a maze of sharp crags and cliffs. They meet Gollum, who in a strange act of righteousness and partially becomes afraid of Sam’s noose agrees to lead them to Mordor. Gollum is revealed to have been a hobbit corrupted by the Ring. He was originally called Smeagol. Smeagol and Gollum conflict with each other in their minds.
Merry joins the Rohirrim army and Éowyn sneaks in with him. Théoden rides to Gondor with his force of 6,000 while Gandalf and Pippin meet the Steward of Gondor Denethor, who is very strict and partial to his elder son Boromir who is dead, and detests his younger son Faramir. Pippin swears allegiance to Denethor. Mordor empties and a 100,000 orcs gather in front of Minas Tirith, the capital. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn’s men the Dúnedain raise the Army of the Dead and defeat a bunch of pirates and march towards Minas Tirith. The Rohirrim slowly inch towards the capital as well. Haradrim under Sauron attack the Rohirrim with massive war elephants. The Nazgul attack and their leader the Witch King of Angmar kills Théoden. In rage, Éowyn and Merry kill the Witch King, although both faint and are paralyzed afterwards. Éowyn falls in love with Faramir, Denethor’s son, after Denethor burns himself on a pyre in despair. Merry and Pippin reunite and the whole combine army of men set out to Mordor’s gate. Gollum decieves Frodo and Sam and leave them to be eaten by the spider Shelob in front of Mordor. Sam kills Shelob but Frodo’s body is taken by orcs to Cirith Ungol, where the armies are pouring out to Gondor. Sam finds Frodo, kills some orcs, and they disguise themselves as orcs. They travel to Mt. Doom, where the Ring was made and the only place where it can be destroyed. At the edge of the Sammath Naur, a walkway into the volcano, Frodo is taken by the Ring and puts it on while Gollum suddenly appears and bites off Frodo’s finger with the Ring on it. Sam whacks Gollum and Gollum shoves him. Gollum dances around and stumbles into the lava, and the Ring is destroyed. Sauron blows open and his tower collapses; the orcs and trolls become mindless and the Rohirrim easily mow them down. Frodo is carried by Sam and Gandalf’s giant Eagle friends come and give them a free lift to the gates. Frodo falls unconscious and wakes up in Minas Tirith and reunites with the fellowship minus Boromir. Aragorn and Arwen get married; Elrond, Galadriel, her husband Celeborn, Gandalf, and Frodo leave for the Grey Havens. Sam becomes mayor of the Shire and Pippin becomes Thain (military commander). Merry is Master of Buckland (his ancestral home) and Legolas founds an Elvish colony in eastern Gondor. Many years after, Aragorn and Arwen die and are buried with the hobbits in Gondor; Legolas and Gimli leave to sail to Valinor and Gimli becomes the first dwarf to ever reach Valinor.
So what do we take from that huge article with confusing names? If you want a masterpiece, you gotta put the effort into it. And with a quote from Tolkien, I leave you here.
“‘Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens,’ said Gimli.”
J.R.R Tolkien, Lord of the Rings
Anay Ganesh 