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outline Outline or outlining may refer to: * Outline (list), a document summary, in hierarchical list format * Code folding, a method of hiding or collapsing code or text to see content in outline form * Outline drawing, a sketch depicting the outer edge ...
is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the real-world history and notable fictional elements of
J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
's fantasy universe. It covers materials created by Tolkien; the works on his unpublished manuscripts, by his son
Christopher Tolkien Christopher John Reuel Tolkien (21 November 1924 â€“ 16 January 2020) was an English academic editor, becoming a French citizen in later life. The son of author and academic J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien edited much of his father ...
; and films, games and other media created by other people.
Middle-earth Middle-earth is the fictional setting of much of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy. The term is equivalent to the '' Miðgarðr'' of Norse mythology and ''Middangeard'' in Old English works, including ''Beowulf''. Middle-earth is ...
– fantasy setting created by Tolkien, home to hobbits, orcs, ents, dragons, and many other races and creatures.


Primary sources


Authors

*
J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
*
Christopher Tolkien Christopher John Reuel Tolkien (21 November 1924 â€“ 16 January 2020) was an English academic editor, becoming a French citizen in later life. The son of author and academic J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien edited much of his father ...


Published works


By J. R. R. Tolkien

* ''
The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...
'' (1937) ** 2nd Edition (1951) revised to align with ''The Lord of the Rings'' ** 3rd Edition (1966) revised to assert copyright in US * ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's b ...
'' ** ''
The Fellowship of the Ring ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' is the first of three volumes of the epic novel ''The Lord of the Rings'' by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It is followed by '' The Two Towers'' and ''The Return of the King''. It takes place in the ficti ...
'' (1954) ***
The Shadow of the Past "The Shadow of the Past" is the second chapter of J. R. R. Tolkien's bestselling fantasy work, '' The Lord of the Rings'', which was published in 1954–1955. Tolkien called it "the crucial chapter"; the Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey labelled it ...
***
The Council of Elrond "The Council of Elrond" is the second chapter of Book 2 of J. R. R. Tolkien's bestselling fantasy work, ''The Lord of the Rings'', which was published in 1954–1955. It is the longest chapter in that book at some 15,000 words, and critical for e ...
** ''
The Two Towers ''The Two Towers'' is the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. It is preceded by ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' and followed by ''The Return of the King''. Title and publication ''The Lord of the ...
'' (1954) ** ''
The Return of the King ''The Return of the King'' is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', following '' The Fellowship of the Ring'' and '' The Two Towers''. It was published in 1955. The story begins in the kingdom of Gondor, ...
'' (1955) ***
The Scouring of the Shire "The Scouring of the Shire" is the penultimate chapter of J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy ''The Lord of the Rings''. The Fellowship hobbits, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin, return home to the Shire to find that it is under the brutal co ...
- a "novelistic" chapter ***
The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" is a story within the Appendices of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. It narrates the love of the mortal Man Aragorn and the immortal Elf-maiden Arwen, telling the story of their first meeting, th ...
* ''
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil ''The Adventures of Tom Bombadil'' is a 1962 collection of poetry by J. R. R. Tolkien. The book contains 16 poems, two of which feature Tom Bombadil, a character encountered by Frodo Baggins in ''The Lord of the Rings''. The rest of the poems ar ...
'' (1962) ** Revised edition (2014) with addition of original poems, sources and images, and commentary by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond * ''
The Road Goes Ever On ''The Road Goes Ever On'' is a 1967 song cycle that has been published as a book of sheet music and as an audio recording. The music was written by Donald Swann, and the words are taken from poems in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings, ...
'' (1967) – music by
Donald Swann Donald Ibrahim Swann (30 September 1923 – 23 March 1994) was a British composer, musician, singer and entertainer. He was one half of Flanders and Swann, writing and performing comic songs with Michael Flanders. Life Donald Swann was born ...
, penmanship by Tolkien. See also Audio recordings ** Revised edition (1978) – including a setting for
Bilbo's Last Song ''Bilbo's Last Song'' (at the Grey Havens) is a poem by J. R. R. Tolkien, written as a pendant to his fantasy ''The Lord of the Rings''. It was first published in a Dutch translation in 1973, subsequently appearing in English on posters in 1974 ...
; Posthumously published *''
Bilbo's Last Song ''Bilbo's Last Song'' (at the Grey Havens) is a poem by J. R. R. Tolkien, written as a pendant to his fantasy ''The Lord of the Rings''. It was first published in a Dutch translation in 1973, subsequently appearing in English on posters in 1974 ...
'' (1974) – Dutch translation published 1973 *
Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings Translations of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'' have been made, with varying degrees of success, into dozens of languages from the original English. Tolkien, an expert in Germanic philology, scrutinized those that were under preparat ...
(1975) – also known as "Nomenclature of ''The Lord of the Rings''" *''
The Silmarillion ''The Silmarillion'' () is a collection of myths and stories in varying styles by the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien. It was edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, assisted by the fantasy author Guy Gavri ...
'' (1977) **''
Ainulindalë The ''Ainulindalë'' (; "Music of the Ainur") is the creation account in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, published posthumously as the first part of '' The Silmarillion'' in 1977. The "''Ainulindalë''" sets out a central part of the cosmolog ...
'' *''Pictures by J. R. R. Tolkien'' (1979) – text by Christopher Tolkien. Most of these pictures had been previously published in calendars by Ballantine Books (1973) and
George Allen & Unwin George Allen & Unwin was a British publishing company formed in 1911 when Sir Stanley Unwin purchased a controlling interest in George Allen & Co. It went on to become one of the leading publishers of the twentieth century and to establish an ...
(1974, 1976-1979), some of them coloured by H. E. Riddett. *''
Unfinished Tales ''Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth'' is a collection of stories and essays by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never completed during his lifetime, but were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980. Many of the tale ...
'' (1980) **''
Narn i Chîn Húrin ''Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth'' is a collection of stories and essays by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never completed during his lifetime, but were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980. Many of the tales ...
'' **'' The Quest of Erebor'' *'' J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator'' (1995) – text by
Wayne G. Hammond Wayne Gordon Hammond (born February 11, 1953 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American scholar known for his research and writings on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Biography Wayne Hammond was born in Cleveland, Ohio and then raised in Brooklyn, Ohi ...
and
Christina Scull Christina Scull (born 6 March 1942 in Bristol, England) is a British researcher and writer best known for her books about the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Biography Christina Scull was born in Bristol and was educated at the Redmaids' High Sc ...
*''The Art of The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien'' (2011) – text by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull *''The Art of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien'' (2015) – text by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull


Edited by Douglas A. Anderson

* '' The Annotated Hobbit'' (1988) – text of ''The Hobbit'', with many related texts by Tolkien, edited and with commentary by Douglas A. Anderson (revised edition 2002)


Edited by Humphrey Carpenter, assisted by Christopher Tolkien

* '' The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien'' (1981) – selected, introduced and edited by
Humphrey Carpenter Humphrey William Bouverie Carpenter (29 April 1946 – 4 January 2005) was an English biographer, writer, and radio broadcaster. He is known especially for his biographies of J. R. R. Tolkien and other members of the literary society the Inkl ...
, assisted by Christopher Tolkien


Edited by Carl F. Hostetter

* '' The Nature of Middle-earth'' (2021) – essays and fragments, including on Elvish linguistics, with commentary by the scholar Carl F. Hostetter


Edited by John D. Rateliff

* '' The History of The Hobbit'' (2007) - 2 volumes on the construction of ''The Hobbit'' with commentary by the scholar John D. Rateliff


Edited by Christopher Tolkien

These works present extended selections of
Tolkien's legendarium Tolkien's legendarium is the body of J. R. R. Tolkien's Mythopoeia, mythopoeic writing, unpublished in his lifetime, that forms the background to his ''The Lord of the Rings'', and which his son Christopher Tolkien, Christopher summarized in hi ...
(the large body of documents relating to ''The Silmarillion''), with extensive notes and posthumous editing by his son Christopher. The separate 4-volume body of his comments on the drafts of ''The Lord of the Rings'' is included as volumes 6-9.


= ''

The History of Middle-earth ''The History of Middle-earth'' is a 12-volume series of books published between 1983 and 1996 that collect and analyse much of Tolkien's legendarium, compiled and edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien. The series shows the development over ti ...
''

= ; Early legendarium :1 '' The Book of Lost Tales 1'' (1983) :2 '' The Book of Lost Tales 2'' (1984) :3 ''
The Lays of Beleriand ''The Lays of Beleriand'', published in 1985, is the third volume of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume book series, ''The History of Middle-earth'', in which he analyzes the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. R. R. Tolkien. Book Inscrip ...
'' (1985) :4 ''
The Shaping of Middle-earth ''The Shaping of Middle-earth – The Quenta, The Ambarkanta and The Annals'' (1986) is the fourth volume of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume series ''The History of Middle-earth'' in which he analysed the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. ...
'' (1986) :5 ''
The Lost Road and Other Writings ''The Lost Road and Other Writings – Language and Legend before 'The Lord of the Rings is the fifth volume of ''The History of Middle-earth'', a series of compilations of drafts and essays written by J. R. R. Tolkien in around 1936–1937. ...
'' (1987) ; ''
The History of The Lord of the Rings ''The History of The Lord of the Rings'' is a four-volume work by Christopher Tolkien published between 1988 and 1992 that documents the process of J. R. R. Tolkien's writing of ''The Lord of the Rings''. The ''History'' is also numbered as v ...
'' :6 ''
The Return of the Shadow ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (1988) :7 ''
The Treason of Isengard ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (1989) :8 ''
The War of the Ring ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (1990) :9 ''
Sauron Defeated Sauron (pronounced ) is the title character and the primary antagonist, through the forging of the One Ring, of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', where he rules the land of Mordor and has the ambition of ruling the whole of Midd ...
'' (1992) ; The later ''Silmarillion'' :10 ''
Morgoth's Ring ''Morgoth's Ring'' (1993) is the tenth volume of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume series ''The History of Middle-earth'' in which he analyses the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. R. R. Tolkien. Book Overview This volume, along with ...
'' (1993) :11 ''
The War of the Jewels ''The War of the Jewels'' (1994) is the 11th volume of Christopher Tolkien's series ''The History of Middle-earth'', analysing the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. R. R. Tolkien. It is the second of two volumes—'' Morgoth's Ring'' bei ...
'' (1994) ; Further details :12 ''
The Peoples of Middle-earth ''The Peoples of Middle-earth'' (1996) is the 12th and final volume of ''The History of Middle-earth'', edited by Christopher Tolkien from the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. R. R. Tolkien. Some characters (including Anairë, the wife ...
'' (1996)


= Other stories

= * ''
The Tolkien Reader ''The Tolkien Reader'' is an anthology of works by J. R. R. Tolkien. It includes a variety of short stories, poems, a play and some non-fiction. It compiles material previously published as three separate shorter books ('' Tree and Leaf, Farme ...
'' and ''
Tales from the Perilous Realm ''The Tolkien Reader'' is an anthology of works by J. R. R. Tolkien. It includes a variety of short stories, poems, a play and some non-fiction. It compiles material previously published as three separate shorter books ('' Tree and Leaf, Farme ...
'' both reprint ''The Adventures of Tom Bombadil'' Additional materials from the legendarium, with Christopher Tolkien's commentary. * ''
The Children of Húrin ''The Children of Húrin'' is an epic fantasy novel which forms the completion of a tale by J. R. R. Tolkien. He wrote the original version of the story in the late 1910s, revised it several times later, but did not complete it before his dea ...
'' (2007) * ''
Beren and Lúthien ''Beren and Lúthien'' is a compilation of multiple versions of the epic fantasy Lúthien and Beren by J. R. R. Tolkien, one of Tolkien's earliest tales of Middle-earth. It is edited by Christopher Tolkien. It is the story of the love and adve ...
'' (2017) * ''
The Fall of Gondolin J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Fall of Gondolin'' is one of the stories which formed the basis for a section in his posthumously-published work, '' The Silmarillion'', with a version later appearing in ''The Book of Lost Tales''. In the narrative, ...
'' (2018)


Audio recordings

* ''
Poems and Songs of Middle Earth ''Poems and Songs of Middle Earth'' is a studio album of spoken-word poetry by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien and art songs composed by the English musician Donald Swann. On the first half of the album, Tolkien recites seven poems from ...
'' (1967) – poems read by Tolkien; songs sung by William Elvin, accompanied by composer Donald Swann (as published in ''
The Road Goes Ever On ''The Road Goes Ever On'' is a 1967 song cycle that has been published as a book of sheet music and as an audio recording. The music was written by Donald Swann, and the words are taken from poems in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings, ...
'') * ''J. R. R. Tolkien Reads and Sings his The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings'' (1975), Caedmon TC 1477, TC 1478 (based on an August, 1952 recording by
George Sayer George Sydney Benedict Sayer (1 June 1914 – 20 October 2005) was a teacher at Malvern College, trustee of the Lewis estate and probably best known for his biography of the author C. S. Lewis.
)


Graphical works

*
Tolkien's artwork Tolkien's artwork was a key element of his creativity from the time when he began to write fiction. The philologist and author J. R. R. Tolkien prepared illustrations for his Middle-earth fantasy books, facsimile artefacts, Tolkien's maps, more ...
*
Tolkien's maps J. R. R. Tolkien's maps, depicting his fictional Middle-earth and other places in his Tolkien's legendarium, legendarium, helped him with plot development, guides the reader through his often complex stories, and contributes to the Impression o ...
*
Tolkien's scripts Tolkien's scripts are the writing systems invented by the philologist and fantasy author J. R. R. Tolkien. The best-known are Cirth, Sarati, and Tengwar. Context Being a skilled calligrapher, Tolkien invented scripts as well as languages. Some o ...
** Cirth **
Sarati Sarati is an artificial script, one of several scripts created by J. R. R. Tolkien. According to Tolkien's mythology, the Sarati alphabet was invented by the Elf Rúmil of Tirion. External history As Tolkien strove to create a world that w ...
**
Tengwar The Tengwar script is an artificial script, one of several scripts created by J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of ''The Lord of the Rings''. Within the fictional context of Middle-earth, the Tengwar were invented by the Elf Fëanor, and use ...


Translations

* Translations of ''The Hobbit'' * Translations of ''The Lord of the Rings'' ** Translation of ''The Lord of the Rings'' into Swedish ** Translations of ''The Lord of the Rings'' into Russian


Adaptations and developments


Maps

* ''
A Map of Middle-earth "A Map of Middle-earth" is the name of two colour posters by different artists, Barbara Remington and Pauline Baynes. They depict the Geography of Middle-earth, north-western region of the fictional continent of Middle-earth. They were published ...
'', meaning either of two posters: ** by
Barbara Remington Barbara Remington (23 June 1929 – 23 January 2020) was an American artist and illustrator. Born in Minnesota, she was probably best known for her cover-art for Ballantine Books' first paperback editions of J. R. R. Tolkien's novels '' The Hob ...
(1965) ** by
Pauline Baynes Pauline Diana Baynes (9 September 1922 â€“ 1 August 2008) was an English illustrator, author and commercial artist. She contributed drawings and paintings to more than 200 books, mostly in the children's genre. She was the first illustrat ...
(1970) * ''
The Atlas of Middle-earth ''The Atlas of Middle-earth'' by Karen Wynn Fonstad is an atlas of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional realm of Middle-earth. It was published in 1981, following Tolkien's major works ''The Hobbit'', ''The Lord of the Rings'', and ''The Silmarillion''. ...
'' (1981, revised ed 1991) by
Karen Wynn Fonstad Karen Lea Wynn Fonstad (April 18, 1945 – March 11, 2005) was an American cartographer and academic who designed several atlases of fictional worlds, including her 1981 ''The Atlas of Middle-earth'' about J. R. R. Tolkien's creations. Early li ...
* '' Journeys of Frodo: An Atlas of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings'' (1981) by
Barbara Strachey Barbara Halpern Strachey (17 July 1912 – 15 October 1999 in Oxford, England) was a British author. Barbara Strachey was born to parents Oliver Strachey, a cryptographer in World War I and World War II, and the feminist politician, writer, and ...


Spoken word

* ''The Hobbit'' (1974) –
Nicol Williamson Thomas Nicol Williamson (14 September 1936 – 16 December 2011) was a Scottish actor, once described by playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando". He was also described by Samuel Beckett as "touched by genius" and view ...
recorded an abridged, dramatic version for Decca Records on the Argo label * ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's b ...
'' (1990) – unabridged recording by
Rob Inglis Robert Inglis (born in 1933) is an actor, writer, journalist, critic and producer who has primarily worked in Australia and England. He is the narrator of the unabridged audiobook editions of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''Th ...
for
Recorded Books Recorded Books is an audiobook imprint of RBMedia, a publishing company with operations in countries globally. Recorded Books was formerly an independent audiobook company before being purchased and re-organized under RBMedia, where it is now an ...
* ''The Hobbit'' (1991) – unabridged recording by Rob Inglis for Recorded Books * ''
The Children of Húrin ''The Children of Húrin'' is an epic fantasy novel which forms the completion of a tale by J. R. R. Tolkien. He wrote the original version of the story in the late 1910s, revised it several times later, but did not complete it before his dea ...
'' (2007) – Christopher Lee recorded an unabridged audiobook * ''
The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...
'' (2020) –
Andy Serkis Andrew Clement Serkis (born 20 April 1964) is an English actor, director, and producer. He is best known for his performance capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation, and voice work for computer-generated characters such as Go ...
live-streamed an unabridged reading to raise money for
NHS Charities Together The Association of NHS Charities, operating as NHS Charities Together, is a federation of over 250 charitable organisations that support the devolved National Health Service (NHS), their staff, volunteers and patients, in the United Kingdom. ...
* ''The Hobbit'' (2020) – unabridged recording by Andy Serkis for HarperCollinsUK and Recorded Books * ''The Lord of the Rings'' (2021) – unabridged recording by Andy Serkis for HarperCollinsUK and Recorded Books


Radio

* ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's b ...
'' (1955) –
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
: six 45-minute episodes for ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', then six 30-minute episodes for all of ''The Two Towers'' and ''The Return of the King'', adapted by
Terence Tiller Terence Rogers Tiller (19 September 1916 – 24 December 1987) was an English poet and radio producer. Early life, poet Tiller was born in Truro, Cornwall and educated at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith.Obituary, ''The Times'', 5 January 198 ...
* ''
The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...
'' (1968) – BBC: eight half-hour episodes, adapted by
Michael Kilgarriff Michael Kilgarriff (born 16 June 1937) is an English actor, author and pianist from Brighton. As an actor, he is well known for his rich voice and height. His film and television roles include ''The Dark Crystal'' (1982) as the General, and ...
* ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's b ...
'' (1979) –
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
: totalling over 11 hours, adapted by
Bernard Mayes Anthony Bernard Duncan Mayes (10 October 1929 – 23 October 2014) was a British broadcaster, university dean and author who founded America's first suicide prevention hotline. Biography Born in London, Mayes was educated at University College S ...
* ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's b ...
'' (1981) – BBC: 26 half-hour instalments, later re-cut to 13 hour-long instalments, adapted by Brian Sibley and
Michael Bakewell Michael Bakewell (born 1931) is a British television producer. Bakewell was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire in England. He is best known for his work during the 1960s, when he was the first Head of Plays at the BBC, after Sydney Newman divid ...
* '' Der Herr der Ringe'' (1991) –
Südwestrundfunk Südwestrundfunk (SWR; ''Southwest Broadcasting'') is a regional public broadcasting corporation serving the southwest of Germany , specifically the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The corporation has main offices ...
and
Westdeutscher Rundfunk Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln (''West German Broadcasting Cologne''; WDR, ) is a German public-broadcasting institution based in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia with its main office in Cologne. WDR is a constituent member of the conso ...
: German adaptation of ''The Lord of the Rings'' in 30 half-hour episodes, by Peter Steinbach


Films

* ''
The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...
'' (1967) – Gene Deitch's short animated adaptation * ''
The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...
'' (1977) – an animated musical television special by Rankin/Bass * ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's b ...
'' (1978) – an animated film of the first half of the book by Ralph Bakshi * ''
The Return of the King ''The Return of the King'' is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', following '' The Fellowship of the Ring'' and '' The Two Towers''. It was published in 1955. The story begins in the kingdom of Gondor, ...
'' (1980) – the animated sequel to 1977's ''The Hobbit'' * ''
Khraniteli ''Khraniteli'' (russian: Хранители, lit=Guardians f the Ring}) is a Soviet television play miniseries based on Tolkien's ''The Fellowship of the Ring''. It was broadcast once in 1991 by Leningrad Television and then thought lost. It ...
'' (1991) - a "lost" Russian television play, now recovered * ''
Hobitit ''Hobitit'' (''The Hobbits'') is a nine-part Finnish live action fantasy television miniseries directed by Timo Torikka, originally broadcast in 1993 on Yle TV1. It is based on a six-hour play, ''The Lord of the Rings'', put on by the Suomenlinn ...
'' (1993) - a Finnish rendering of the Hobbits' journey in ''The Lord of the Rings'' * ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series – the live-action trilogy by Peter Jackson ** '' The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (2001) ** '' The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' (2002) ** '' The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' (2003) * ''The Hobbit'' film series – Jackson's three-part prequel to his ''The Lord of the Rings'' series ** '' The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'' (2012) ** '' The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug'' (2013) ** '' The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies'' (2014)


Stage

*
Rob Inglis Robert Inglis (born in 1933) is an actor, writer, journalist, critic and producer who has primarily worked in Australia and England. He is the narrator of the unabridged audiobook editions of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''Th ...
wrote and performed one-man adaptations of ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' starting in the 1970s *''
Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
'' (2006) – Musical staged in Toronto, re-written for London in 2007


Television

* ''
The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...
'' (1979) – children's program Jackanory broadcast ten 15-minute episodes * '' The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'' (2022) – prequel series by
Amazon Studios Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed th ...


Games


Tabletop games

*''
Middle-earth Role Playing ''Middle-earth Role Playing'' (MERP) is a 1984 role-playing game based on J. R. R. Tolkien ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Hobbit'' under license from Tolkien Enterprises. Iron Crown Enterprises (I.C.E.) published the game until they lost th ...
'' (1984) –
Iron Crown Enterprises Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE) is a publishing company that has produced role playing, board, miniature, and collectible card games since 1980. Many of ICE's better-known products were related to J. R. R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, but the ''R ...
*''
Lord of the Rings Adventure Game ''Lord of the Rings Adventure Game'' is a role-playing game based on the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien (specifically ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Hobbit'') under license from Tolkien Enterprises. Iron Crown Enterprises (I.C.E.) published ...
'' (1991) – Iron Crown Enterprises *''
The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game ''The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game'', released by Decipher Inc. in 2002, is a role-playing game set in the Middle-earth of J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction. The game is set in the years between ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', ...
'' (2002) – Decipher, Inc. *'' The One Ring: Adventures over the Edge of the Wild'' (2011) –
Cubicle 7 Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd is an Irish games company that creates and publishes tabletop games. Best known for its ''Doctor Who'' and ''Lord of the Rings'' games, Cubicle 7 offers titles covering a range of licensed and self-developed properties ...
*''
Adventures in Middle-earth ''Adventures in Middle-Earth'' is a tabletop role-playing game originally published by Cubicle 7 in 2016 that uses the milieu of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy trilogy ''The Lord of the Rings''. Description ''Adventures in Middle-Earth'' is set in th ...
'' (2016) – OGL supplement by Cubicle 7


Video games

*''
The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...
'' (1982) *'' Elendor'' (1991) *'' The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' (2002) *''
The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...
'' (2003) *'' The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' (2003) *'' The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age'' (2004) *'' The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth'' (2004) *'' The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (Game Boy Advance)'' (2004) *'' The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II'' (2006) *'' The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king'' (2006) *'' The Lord of the Rings: The White Council'' (2007; cancelled) *'' The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar'' (2007) *'' The Lord of the Rings: Conquest'' (2009) *'' The Lord of the Rings: Tactics'' (2009) *'' The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest'' (2010) *'' The Lord of the Rings: War in the North'' (2011) *''
Guardians of Middle-earth ''Guardians of Middle-earth'' is a multiplayer online battle arena video game developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The setting of the game is Middle-earth, derived from ''The Lord of the Rings' ...
'' (2012) *''
Lego The Lord of the Rings Lego ''The Lord of the Rings'' is a Lego theme based on ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy. It is licensed from Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema. The theme was first introduced in 2012. The first sets appeared in 2012, to coincide with a re ...
'' (2012) *'' Lego The Hobbit'' (2014) *'' Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor'' (2014) *'' Middle-earth: Shadow of War'' (2017)


Parodies

*''
Bored of the Rings ''Bored of the Rings'' is a 1969 parody of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. This short novel was written by Henry Beard and Douglas Kenney, who later founded '' National Lampoon''. It was published in 1969 by Signet for the ''Har ...
'' (1969) –
Harvard Lampoon ''The Harvard Lampoon'' is an undergraduate humor publication founded in 1876 by seven undergraduates at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Overview The ''Harvard Lampoon'' publication was founded in 1876 by seven undergraduates ...
novel *'' Hordes of the Things'' (1980) – BBC radio series *''
Bored of the Rings ''Bored of the Rings'' is a 1969 parody of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. This short novel was written by Henry Beard and Douglas Kenney, who later founded '' National Lampoon''. It was published in 1969 by Signet for the ''Har ...
'' (1985) – Delta 4 video game *'' The Boggit: Bored Too'' (1986) – Delta 4 video game *'' Muddle Earth'' (2003) – children's novel by Paul Stewart *'' Fellowship!'' (2004) – musical


Geography


Cosmology of Eä

*
The Two Trees ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...


Continents of Arda

*
Middle-earth Middle-earth is the fictional setting of much of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy. The term is equivalent to the '' Miðgarðr'' of Norse mythology and ''Middangeard'' in Old English works, including ''Beowulf''. Middle-earth is ...
*
Númenor Númenor, also called Elenna-nórë or Westernesse, is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. It was the kingdom occupying a large island to the west of Middle-earth, the main setting of Tolkien's writings, and was the greatest civ ...
*
Valinor Valinor ( Quenya'': Land of the Valar'') or the Blessed Realms is a fictional location in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the home of the immortal Valar on the continent of Aman, far to the west of Middle-earth; he used the name Aman mainly to m ...
(on Aman)


Nations and regions

*
Beleriand In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. Events in Beleriand are described chiefly in his work ''The Silmarillion'', which tells the story of the early ages of Middle ...
*
Gondor Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age. The third volume of ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''The Return of the King'', is largel ...
*
Harad In J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy ''The Lord of the Rings'', Harad is the immense land south of Gondor and Mordor. Its main port is Umbar, the base of the Corsairs of Umbar whose ships serve as the Dark Lord Sauron's fleet. Its people are the ...
*
Lothlórien In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Lothlórien or Lórien is the fairest realm of the Elves remaining in Middle-earth during the Third Age. It is ruled by Galadriel and Celeborn from their city of tree-houses at Caras Galadhon. The wood-elves ...
*
Mordor In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, Mordor (pronounced ; from Sindarin ''Black Land'' and Quenya ''Land of Shadow'') is the realm and base of the evil Sauron. It lay to the east of Gondor and the great river Anduin, an ...
* Rohan *
The Shire The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in ''The Lord of the Rings'' and other works. The Shire is an inland area settled exclusively by hobbits, the Shire-folk, largely sheltered from the goings-on in th ...


Natural features

* The Lonely Mountain *
Mirkwood Mirkwood is a name used for a great dark fictional forest in novels by Sir Walter Scott and William Morris in the 19th century, and by J. R. R. Tolkien in the 20th century. The critic Tom Shippey explains that the name evoked the excitement of t ...
* The Old Forest


Cities and other populated places

*
Bag End Bag End is the underground dwelling of the Hobbits Bilbo and Frodo Baggins in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novels '' The Hobbit'' and '' The Lord of the Rings''. From there, both Bilbo and Frodo set out on their adventures, and both return ther ...
* Bree * Esgaroth *
Isengard In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Isengard () is a large fortress in Nan Curunír, the Wizard's Vale, in the western part of Middle-earth. In the fantasy world, the name of the fortress is described as a translation of Angrenost, a word ...
* Moria *
Rivendell Rivendell ('' sjn, Imladris'') is a valley in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, representing both a homely place of sanctuary and a magical Elvish otherworld. It is an important location in '' The Hobbit'' and '' The Lord of ...


History


Artefacts

*
Mithril Mithril is a fictional metal found in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It appears in many derivative fantasy works by later authors. It is described as resembling silver, but being stronger and lighter than steel. Tolkien first wrote o ...
* The Palantíri *
Rings of Power The Rings of Power are magical artefacts in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, most prominently in his high fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. The One Ring first appeared as a plot device, a magic ring in Tolkien's children's fantasy n ...
** The One Ring ** The Three Rings * The Silmarils * Weapons and armour


Events

; First Age *
Sundering of the Elves In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Elves or Quendi are a sundered (divided) people. They awoke at Cuiviénen on the continent of Middle-earth, where they were divided into three tribes: Minyar (the Firsts), Tatyar (the Seconds) and Nelyar ...
; Third Age *
Battle of Helm's Deep The Battle of Helm's Deep, also called the Battle of the Hornburg, is a fictional battle in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'' that saw the total destruction of the forces of the Wizard Saruman by the army of Rohan, assisted by a fore ...
*
Battle of the Pelennor Fields In J. R. R. Tolkien's novel ''The Lord of the Rings'', the Battle of the Pelennor Fields () was the defence of the city of Minas Tirith by the forces of Gondor and the cavalry of its ally Rohan, against the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron from ...
*
Battle of the Morannon In J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings'', the Battle of the Morannon or the Battle of the Black Gate, is the final confrontation in the War of the Ring. Gondor and its allies send a small army ostensibly to challenge S ...
*
The Scouring of the Shire "The Scouring of the Shire" is the penultimate chapter of J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy ''The Lord of the Rings''. The Fellowship hobbits, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin, return home to the Shire to find that it is under the brutal co ...


Characters


First Age

''House of Finwë'' * Finwë * Fëanor * Maedhros * Finrod Felagund *
Galadriel Galadriel (IPA: Help:IPA, ¡aˈladri.É›l is a Character (arts), character created by J. R. R. Tolkien in his Middle-earth writings. She appears in ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''The Silmarillion'', and ''Unfinished Tales''. She ...
*
Glorfindel Glorfindel () is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a member of the Noldor, one of the three groups of the Calaquendi or High Elves. The character and his name, which means "blond" or "golden-haired", w ...
''House of Elwë and Olwë'' *
Thingol Elu Thingol or Elwë Singollo is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in ''The Silmarillion'', '' The Lays of Beleriand'' and ''The Children of Húrin'' and in numerous stories in '' The History of Middle ...
* Lúthien ''House of Marach'' * Húrin *
Túrin Turambar Túrin Turambar (pronounced ) is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. "''Turambar and the Foalókë''", begun in 1917, is the first appearance of Túrin in the legendarium. Túrin was a Man of the First Age of Middle-earth, ...
*
Tuor Tuor Eladar and Idril Celebrindal are fictional characters from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. They are the parents of Eärendil the Mariner and grandparents of Elrond Half-elven: through their progeny, they became the ancestors ...
* Eärendil and Elwing *
Elrond Elrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Both of his parents, Eärendil and Elwing, were half-elven, having both Men and Elves as ancestors. He is the bearer of the elven-ring Vilya, the Ring of ...
*
Arwen Arwen Undómiel is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in the novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. Arwen is one of the half-elven who lived during the Third Age; her father was Elrond half-elven, lor ...
''Others'' * Beren *
Sauron Sauron (pronounced ) is the title character and the primary antagonist, through the forging of the One Ring, of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', where he rules the land of Mordor and has the ambition of ruling the whole of Midd ...
*
Ungoliant Ungoliant () is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, described as an evil spirit in the form of a spider. Her name means "dark spider" in Sindarin. She is mentioned briefly in ''The Lord of the Rings'', and plays a supporting ...


Second Age

*
Elendil Elendil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is mentioned in ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''The Silmarillion'' and ''Unfinished Tales''. He was the father of Isildur and Anárion, last lord of Andúnië on the island of ...
*
Gil-galad Gil-galad is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, the last High King of the Noldor, one of the main divisions of Elves. He is mentioned in ''The Lord of the Rings'', where the hobbit Sam Gamgee recites a fragme ...
*
Isildur Isildur is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, the elder son of Elendil, descended from Elros, the founder of the island Kingdom of Númenor. He fled with his father when the island was drowned, becoming in his turn King of ...


Third Age

''Thorin and Company'' *
Thorin Oakenshield Thorin Oakenshield (Thorin II) is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel '' The Hobbit''. Thorin is the leader of the Company of Dwarves who aim to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug the dragon. He is the son of Thráin I ...
* Balin *
Bilbo Baggins Bilbo Baggins is the title character and protagonist of J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel ''The Hobbit'', a supporting character in ''The Lord of the Rings'', and the fictional narrator (along with Frodo Baggins) of many of Tolkien's Middle-ear ...
*
Gandalf Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels '' The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a wizard, one of the ''Istari'' order, and the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring. Tolkien took the name "Gandalf" from the Old Nor ...
''The Fellowship of the Ring'' *
Frodo Baggins Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, and one of the protagonists in '' The Lord of the Rings''. Frodo is a hobbit of the Shire who inherits the One Ring from his cousin Bilbo Baggins, described familiarly ...
* Samwise Gamgee *
Merry Brandybuck Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually called Merry, is a Hobbit, a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured throughout his most famous work, ''The Lord of the Rings''. Merry is described as one of the closest friends ...
*
Pippin Took Peregrin Took, commonly known simply as Pippin, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is closely tied with his friend and cousin, Merry Brandybuck, and the two are together during most of ...
*
Aragorn Aragorn is a fictional character and a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. Aragorn was a Ranger of the North, first introduced with the name Strider and later revealed to be the heir of Isildur, an ancient King of Ar ...
* Boromir * Gandalf *
Legolas Legolas (pronounced ) is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a Sindar Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of the nine members of the Fellowship who set out to destroy the One Ring. He and the Dwarf Gimli ...
* Gimli '' Wizards'': * Gandalf *
Radagast Radagast the Brown is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. A wizard and associate of Gandalf, he appears briefly in ''The Hobbit'', ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''The Silmarillion'', and ''Unfinished Tales''. His role in To ...
* Saruman ''Elves'' *
Arwen Arwen Undómiel is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in the novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. Arwen is one of the half-elven who lived during the Third Age; her father was Elrond half-elven, lor ...
* Galadriel * Glorfindel * Legolas *
Thranduil Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He first appears as a supporting character in '' The Hobbit'', where he is simply known as the Elvenking, the ruler of the Elves who lived in the woodland real ...
''Men'' * Aragorn * Bard * Boromir *
Denethor Denethor II, son of Ecthelion II, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. He was the 26th ruling Steward of Gondor, committing suicide in the besieged city of Minas Tirith during the Battle of the Pelennor ...
*
Éomer Éomer is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. He appears in ''The Lord of the Rings'' as a leader of the Riders of Rohan who serve as cavalry to the army of Gondor, fighting against Mordor. The name Éomer, meaning "Hor ...
*
Éowyn Éowyn is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. She is a noblewoman of Rohan who calls herself a shieldmaiden. With the hobbit Merry Brandybuck, she rides into battle and kills the Witch-King of Angmar, Lo ...
*
Faramir Faramir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is introduced as the younger brother of Boromir of the Fellowship of the Ring and second son of Denethor, the Steward of Gondor. Faramir enters the narra ...
*
Gríma Wormtongue Gríma, called (the) Wormtongue, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. He serves as the secondary antagonist of ''The Two Towers'' and a minor antagonist in ''The Return of the King'', and his role is expand ...
*
Théoden Théoden is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel, ''The Lord of the Rings''. The King of Rohan (Middle-earth), Rohan and Lord of the Mark or of the Riddermark, names used by the Rohirrim for their land, he appears as a suppor ...
''Other characters'' * Barrow-wight *
Beorn Beorn is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien, and part of his Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in ''The Hobbit'' as a " skin-changer", a man who could assume the form of a great black bear. His descendants or kinsmen, a group ...
*
Goldberry Goldberry is a character from the works of the author J. R. R. Tolkien. She first appeared in print in a 1934 poem, ''The Adventures of Tom Bombadil'', where she appears as the wife of Tom Bombadil. Also known as the "River-woman's daughter", s ...
*
Gollum Gollum is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He was introduced in the 1937 fantasy novel '' The Hobbit'', and became important in its sequel, '' The Lord of the Rings''. Gollum was a Stoor Hobbit of the R ...
*
Old Man Willow In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy ''The Lord of the Rings'', Old Man Willow is a malign tree-spirit of great age in Tom Bombadil's Old Forest, appearing physically as a large willow tree beside the River Withywindle, but spreading his influence throug ...
*
Shelob Shelob is a fictional demon in the form of a giant spider from J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. Her lair lies in Cirith Ungol ("the pass of the spider") leading into Mordor. The creature Gollum deliberately leads the Hobbit prota ...
*
Treebeard Treebeard, or ''Fangorn'' in Sindarin, is a tree-giant character in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is an Ent and is said by Gandalf to be "the oldest living thing that still walks beneath the Sun upon this Middle-earth.", bo ...
*
Tom Bombadil Tom Bombadil is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He first appeared in print in a 1934 poem called " The Adventures of Tom Bombadil", which also included ''The Lord of the Rings'' characters Goldberry (Tom's wife), Old Man Willow ...
*
Watcher in the Water The Watcher in the Water is a fictional creature in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth; it appears in '' The Fellowship of the Ring'', the first volume of ''The Lord of the Rings''.'' The Fellowship of the Ring'', book 2, ch. 4 "A Journey in the D ...


Culture


Races

''
Ainur Ainur may refer to: * Ainur, a given name in several languages, such as Arabic, Kazakh and Albanian. The Turkish version of it is Aynur Aynur is a Turkish and Azerbaijani given name for females. As it is derived from the Turkish word " ay" and t ...
'' * Valar * Maiar **
Balrog A Balrog () is a powerful demonic monster in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. One first appeared in print in his high-fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings'', where the Fellowship of the Ring encounter a Balrog known as Durin's Bane in the Mi ...
s **Wizards ''
Men A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chro ...
'' *
Drúedain The Drúedain are a fictional race of Men, living in the Drúadan Forest, in the Middle-earth legendarium created by J. R. R. Tolkien. They were counted among the Edain who made their way into Beleriand in the First Age, and were friendly to ...
*
Dúnedain In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings, the Dúnedain (; singular: Dúnadan, "Man of the West") were a race of Men, also known as the Númenóreans or ''Men of Westernesse'' (translated from the Sindarin term). Those who survived the s ...
''
Monsters A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
'' *
Dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
*
Nazgûl The Nazgûl (from Black Speech , "ring", and , "wraith, spirit"), introduced as Black Riders and also called Ringwraiths, Dark Riders, the Nine Riders, or simply the Nine, are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. They wer ...
*
Orcs An Orc (or Ork) is a fictional humanoid monster like a goblin. Orcs were brought into modern usage by the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially ''The Lord of the Rings''. In Tolkien's works, Orcs are a brutish, aggressive, ugly, ...
*
Trolls A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...
* Wargs ''Other'' * Dwarves *
Eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, jus ...
*
Elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes " ...
* Ents *
Hobbit Hobbits are a fictional race of people in the novels of J. R. R. Tolkien. About half average human height, Tolkien presented hobbits as a variety of humanity, or close relatives thereof. Occasionally known as halflings in Tolkien's writings, ...
s


Languages

'' Elvish languages'' * Quenya * Sindarin ''Other'' * Adûnaic *
Khuzdul Khuzdul is a fictional language created by J. R. R. Tolkien, one of the languages of Middle-earth, specifically the secret and private language of the Dwarves. External history Tolkien began developing Khuzdul before the publication in 1936 ...
* Black Speech


Folklore and poetry

* A Elbereth Gilthoniel * A Walking Song *
Namárië "Namárië" () is a poem by J. R. R. Tolkien written in Quenya, a constructed language, and published in ''The Lord of the Rings''. It is subtitled "Galadriel's Lament in Lórien", which in Quenya is ''Altariello nainië Lóriendessë''. The ...
*
Song of Eärendil The Song of Eärendil is the longest poem in ''The Lord of the Rings''. In the fiction, it is sung and composed by the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins in the Elvish sanctuary of Rivendell. It tells how the mariner Eärendil tries to sail to a place of pa ...
* Errantry * Fastitocalon *
The Lay of Leithian ''The Lays of Beleriand'', published in 1985, is the third volume of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume book series, ''The History of Middle-earth'', in which he analyzes the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. R. R. Tolkien. Book Inscr ...
* The Lay of the Children of Húrin * The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late *
The Road Goes Ever On ''The Road Goes Ever On'' is a 1967 song cycle that has been published as a book of sheet music and as an audio recording. The music was written by Donald Swann, and the words are taken from poems in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings, ...
*
The Sea-Bell "The Sea-Bell" or "Frodos Dreme" is a poem with elaborate rhyme scheme and metre by J.R.R. Tolkien in his 1962 collection of verse '' The Adventures of Tom Bombadil''. It was a revision of a 1934 poem called "Looney". The first-person narrative ...
*
The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" is a story within the Appendices of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. It narrates the love of the mortal Man Aragorn and the immortal Elf-maiden Arwen, telling the story of their first meeting, th ...
*
Beren and Lúthien ''Beren and Lúthien'' is a compilation of multiple versions of the epic fantasy Lúthien and Beren by J. R. R. Tolkien, one of Tolkien's earliest tales of Middle-earth. It is edited by Christopher Tolkien. It is the story of the love and adve ...


Analysis


Influences

*
J. R. R. Tolkien's influences J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy books on Middle-earth, especially ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Silmarillion'', drew on a wide array of influences including language, Christianity, mythology, archaeology, ancient and modern literature, and pe ...
** ''Beowulf'' **
Nodens *''Nodens'' or *''Nodons'' ( reconstructed from the dative ''Nodenti'' or ''Nodonti'') is a Celtic healing god worshipped in Ancient Britain. Although no physical depiction of him has survived, votive plaques found in a shrine at Lydney Park ...
**
Ring of Silvianus The Vyne Ring or the Ring of Silvianus is a gold ring, dating probably from the 4th century AD, discovered in a ploughed field near Silchester, in Hampshire, England, in 1785. Originally the property of a British Roman called Silvianus, it was a ...
**
Sigelwara Land "Sigelwara Land" is an essay by J. R. R. Tolkien that appeared in two parts, in 1932 and 1934. J. R. R. Tolkien, "Sigelwara Land''Medium Aevum'' Vol. 1, No. 3. December 1932an''Medium Aevum'' Vol. 3, No. 2. June 1934./ref> It explores the ety ...


Components

* Artwork *
Family trees A family tree, also called a genealogy or a pedigree chart, is a chart representing family relationships in a conventional tree structure. More detailed family trees, used in medicine and social work, are known as genograms. Representations of ...
* Heraldry * ''for Tolkien's invented Languages, see above'' *
Maps A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...
*
Poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...
** ''see above for individual poems''


Literary devices

* Character pairing *
Frame stories A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction * Framing (c ...
* Impression of depth * Interlacing *
Narrative structure Narrative structure is a literary element generally described as the structural framework that underlies the order and manner in which a narrative is presented to a reader, listener, or viewer. The narrative text structures are the plot and the ...
*
Prose style In literature, writing style is the manner of expressing thought in language characteristic of an individual, period, school, or nation. As Bryan Ray notes, however, style is a broader concern, one that can describe "readers' relationships with, t ...


Themes

* Addiction to power * Ancestry as guide to character *
Architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
* ''Beowulf'' *
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
*
Decline and fall ''Decline and Fall'' is a novel by the English author Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1928. It was Waugh's first published novel; an earlier attempt, titled '' The Temple at Thatch'', was destroyed by Waugh while still in manuscript form. '' ...
*
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
*
Environmentalism Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks ...
*
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
*
Frame stories A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction * Framing (c ...
*
Heroism A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...
* Languages * Luck and fate *
Magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
*
Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
*
Music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
* Naming of weapons * Northern courage * Paganism *
Plants Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclude ...
* Psychological journeys *
Quests A quest is a journey toward a specific mission or a goal. The word serves as a plot device in mythology and fiction: a difficult journey towards a goal, often symbolic or allegorical. Tales of quests figure prominently in the folklore of ev ...
*
Race Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...
* Sentience dilemma * Sexuality *
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
* Sound and language *
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
* Trees and forests *
Women A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...


Music

*
The Tolkien Ensemble The Tolkien Ensemble (founded in 1995) is a Danish ensemble which created "the world's first complete musical interpretation of the poems and songs from ''The Lord of the Rings''". They published four CDs from 1997 to 2005, in which all the poe ...


Scholarship


Institutions

*
The Tolkien Society The Tolkien Society is an educational charity and literary society devoted to the study and promotion of the life and works of the author and academic J. R. R. Tolkien. It began informally in 1969, and held its inaugural meeting in 1970. It ho ...
*
The Mythopoeic Society ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
:*
Elvish Linguistic Fellowship The Elvish Linguistic Fellowship (E. L. F.) is a "Special Interest Group" of the Mythopoeic Society devoted to the study of the constructed languages of J. R. R. Tolkien, today headed by the computer scientist Carl F. Hostetter. It was founded b ...
*
Marion E. Wade Center The Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College (Illinois) is a special research collection of papers, books, and manuscripts, primarily relating to seven authors from the United Kingdom: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, G. K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. ...
*
Signum University Signum University is a non-profit, online graduate school based in New Hampshire, granting the degree of Master of Arts in Language and Literature. Its founder and president is Corey Olsen. Signum's master's degree program has four areas of con ...


Journals

* ''
Journal of Tolkien Research The works of J. R. R. Tolkien have generated a body of research covering many aspects of his fantasy writings. These encompass ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Silmarillion'', along with his legendarium that remained unpublished until after ...
'' * '' Mallorn'' * ''
Mythlore ''Mythlore'' is a biannual (originally quarterly) peer-reviewed academic journal founded by Glen GoodKnight and published by the Mythopoeic Society. Although it publishes articles that explore the genres of myth and fantasy in general, special a ...
'' * ''
Tolkien Studies ''Tolkien Studies: An Annual Scholarly Review'' is an academic journal publishing papers on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. The journal's founding editors are Douglas A. Anderson, Michael D. C. Drout, and Verlyn Flieger, and the current editors a ...
'' * '' Vinyar Tengwar''


Scholars

* Douglas A. Anderson * Nicholas Birns *
Stratford Caldecott Stratford Caldecott (26 November 1953 - 17 July 2014) was a Catholic author, editor, publisher, and blogger. His work spanned subjects as diverse as literature, education, theology, apologetics, economics, environmental stewardship, sacred geome ...
* Jane Chance * Patrick Curry * Michael D. C. Drout *
Jason Fisher Jason Fisher is a Tolkien scholar and winner of a Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in 2014 for his book ''Tolkien and the Study of His Sources: Critical Essays''. He served as the editor of the Mythopoeic Society's monthly '' Mythprint'' from 2010 to 2 ...
*
Verlyn Flieger Verlyn Flieger (born 1933) is an author, editor, and Professor Emerita in the Department of English at the University of Maryland at College Park, where she taught courses in comparative mythology, medieval literature, and the works of J. R. R. Tol ...
* John Garth *
Glen GoodKnight Glen GoodKnight (1941-2010) was the founder of the Mythopoeic Society and the editor of its journal, ''Mythlore'' between 1970 and 1998; in that time the publication grew from being a fan magazine to a peer-reviewed academic journal. He was an exp ...
*
Wayne G. Hammond Wayne Gordon Hammond (born February 11, 1953 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American scholar known for his research and writings on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Biography Wayne Hammond was born in Cleveland, Ohio and then raised in Brooklyn, Ohi ...
*
Stuart D. Lee Stuart Dermot Lee (born 3 February 1966) is a British specialist in information technology at Oxford University Computing Services and a Reader (academic rank), Reader in E-learning at Oxford University, but is best known for his scholarly books on ...
*
Jared Lobdell Charles Jared Lobdell (29 November 1937 – 22 March 2019) was an American author and one of the first Tolkien scholars. He is best known for some thirty academic books on American history and the Inklings including J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewi ...
* Gergely Nagy * Corey Olsen * John D. Rateliff *
Fleming Rutledge Fleming Rutledge (born 1937) is an American Episcopal priest and author. Ordained to the diaconate in 1975, she was one of the first women to be ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. Rutledge is widely recognized in the United St ...
*
Christina Scull Christina Scull (born 6 March 1942 in Bristol, England) is a British researcher and writer best known for her books about the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Biography Christina Scull was born in Bristol and was educated at the Redmaids' High Sc ...
*
Elizabeth Solopova Elizabeth Solopova is a Russian-British philologist and medievalist undertaking research at New College, Oxford. She is known outside academic circles for her work on J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. Life Elizabeth Solopova was born i ...
*
Sandra Ballif Straubhaar Sandra Ballif Straubhaar is a Germanic studies scholar known for her work on women's poetry in Old Norse, and for her contributions to scholarship on J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, in particular his use of the Nordic medieval. B ...
* Richard C. West * Ralph C. Wood


Biographical works

* '' J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography'' (1977) – by Humphrey Carpenter * '' Tolkien and the Great War'' (2003) – by John Garth * '' The Ring of Words: Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary'' (2006) – by Peter Gilliver, Jeremy Marshall and Edmund Weiner


Works

* '' Tolkien: A Look Behind "The Lord of the Rings"'' (1969) – by
Lin Carter Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. L ...
(revised 2003 by Adam Roberts) * ''
The Complete Guide to Middle-earth ''The Complete Guide to Middle-earth: from ''The Hobbit'' to ''The Silmarillion is a reference book for the fictional universe called Middle-earth of J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, compiled and edited by Robert Foster. It was first published in ...
'' (1971) – ed. Robert Foster (revised 1978, 2001) * '' Master of Middle-Earth'' (1972) – by Paul H. Kocher * '' Tolkien's Art: 'A Mythology for England''' (1979) – by Jane Chance * ''
The Road to Middle-Earth ''The Road to Middle-earth: How J. R. R. Tolkien Created a New Mythology'' is a scholarly study of the Middle-earth works of J. R. R. Tolkien written by Tom Shippey and first published in 1982. The book discusses Tolkien's philology, and then e ...
'' (1982) – by
Tom Shippey Thomas Alan Shippey (born 9 September 1943) is a British medievalist, a retired scholar of Middle and Old English literature as well as of modern fantasy and science fiction. He is considered one of the world's leading academic experts on the ...
(revised 1993, 2005) * '' Splintered Light'' (1983) – by
Verlyn Flieger Verlyn Flieger (born 1933) is an author, editor, and Professor Emerita in the Department of English at the University of Maryland at College Park, where she taught courses in comparative mythology, medieval literature, and the works of J. R. R. Tol ...
* '' J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century'' (2000) – by Tom Shippey * '' Tolkien's Legendarium: Essays on The History of Middle-earth'' (2000) – eds Verlyn Flieger and Carl F. Hostetter * '' Tolkien: A Cultural Phenomenon'' (2003) – by Brian Rosebury * '' The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion'' (2005) – by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull * ''
The J. R. R. Tolkien Companion and Guide ''The J. R. R. Tolkien Companion and Guide'' is a 2006 reference book by the husband and wife team of Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. It provides a detailed chronology of Tolkien's life in volume 1, and a reader's guide in volume 2. The s ...
'' (2006) – by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull * '' The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia'' (2006) – ed. Michael D. C. Drout * ''
A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien ''A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien'' is a 2014 book edited by Stuart D. Lee and published by Wiley-Blackwell. It is a part of the ''Blackwell Companions to Literature'' series, which have been described as prestigious reference works, and features ...
'' (2014) – ed.
Stuart D. Lee Stuart Dermot Lee (born 3 February 1966) is a British specialist in information technology at Oxford University Computing Services and a Reader (academic rank), Reader in E-learning at Oxford University, but is best known for his scholarly books on ...
* '' Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth'' (2018) – by Catherine McIlwaine * '' The Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien'' (2020) – by John Garth


See also

*
List of The Hobbit characters This article describes all named characters appearing in J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 book ''The Hobbit''. Creatures as collectives are not included. Characters are categorized by race. Spelling and point of view are given as from ''The Hobbit''. H ...
* List of original characters in The Lord of the Rings film series


External links


Tolkien Gateway
– wiki about Middle-earth and Tolkien.
The Tolkien Meta-FAQ
– answers to commonly asked questions about Tolkien and Middle-earth.
J. R. R. Tolkien Collection at Marquette University
– manuscripts of ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'', and related documents {{Outline footer *Outline *
Middle-earth Middle-earth is the fictional setting of much of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy. The term is equivalent to the '' Miðgarðr'' of Norse mythology and ''Middangeard'' in Old English works, including ''Beowulf''. Middle-earth is ...