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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 Rawlinson ...
(1892–1973), a scholar of
Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
,
Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman Conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English pe ...
, and
Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
, used
alliterative verse In meter (poetry), prosody, alliterative verse is a form of poetry, verse that uses alliteration as the principal device to indicate the underlying Metre (poetry), metrical structure, as opposed to other devices such as rhyme. The most commonly s ...
extensively in both translations and his own poetry. Most of his alliterative verse is in modern English, in a variety of styles, but he also composed some in Old English.


Middle-earth mythos


''The Lord of the Rings''

There are numerous short alliterative verses in ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...
'' (1954–1955). Most are attributed to the Rohirrim, a nation whose language and nomenclature are portrayed as
Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
, though all the verses are in Modern English.Tolkien, J. R. R. ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...
'', George Allen & Unwin, 1954–1955.
* ''At Théoden's Death'' (3 lines) * ''Burial Song of Théoden'' (5 lines) * ''Call-to-Arms of the Rohirrim'' (3 lines) * ''Éomer's Song'' (4 lines) * ''Lament for Théoden'' (21 lines) * '' Song of the Mounds of Mundburg'' (27 lines) * ''Théoden's Battle Cry'' (5 lines) The remaining verses are: * ''The Long List of the Ents'' (17 lines), attributed to the Ents of Fangorn Forest * ''Malbeth the Seer's Words'' (12 lines), attributed to the Dúnedain of the North


Legendarium

* ''The Lay of the Children of Húrin'' (), an unfinished poetic version of the story of Túrin, going as far as Túrin's sojourn in Nargothrond. It exists in two versions, both incomplete; the first being 2276 lines long, the second containing only 745 alliterating lines, corresponding to the first 435 lines of the first version. Short parts of the ''Lay'' were remodelled into self-standing alliterative poems, ''Winter Comes to Nargothrond'' (27 lines) and an untitled poem on the waters of Sirion (26 lines). All are published in '' The Lays of Beleriand'' (1985).Tolkien, J. R. R. '' The Lays of Beleriand'', George Allen & Unwin, 1985. * ''The Flight of the Noldoli'' (146 lines), an unfinished poem () describing Fëanor's speech urging his Elves, the Noldor, to return to Middle-earth, and another unfinished poem (37 lines) describing the aftermath of the Fall of Gondolin. Both are published in ''The Lays of Beleriand''. * ''The Nameless Land'' (60 lines), a poem in the metre of ''
Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living Exoskeleton, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pear ...
,'' first published 1927; subsequent revisions (dropping one 12-line stanza) were given the title ''The Song of Ælfwine on Seeing the Uprising of Earendil''. Three versions are published in '' The Lost Road and Other Writings'' (1987).Tolkien, J. R. R. '' The Lost Road and Other Writings'', George Allen & Unwin, 1987. * A verse version of the oath of Fëanor and his sons (16 lines), incorporated into the text of the ''Annals of Aman'' for the year 1495, published in '' Morgoth's Ring'' (1993). It differs considerably from the comparable verses in ''The Flight of the Noldoli''. * A poem about the Istari (16 lines) published in '' Unfinished Tales'' (1980).Tolkien, J. R. R. '' Unfinished Tales'', George Allen & Unwin, 1980.


Related to other legends and histories

* ''Völsungakviða en nýja'' (1360 lines) and ''Guðrúnarkviða en nýja'' (668 lines). These two Modern English narrative poems of the 1930s, in the
Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
''fornyrðislag'' stanza, are based largely on the '' Völsungasaga'' and '' Atlakviða'', retelling the Norse legend of
Sigurd Sigurd ( ) or Siegfried (Middle High German: ''Sîvrit'') is a legendary hero of Germanic heroic legend, who killed a dragon — known in Nordic tradition as Fafnir () — and who was later murdered. In the Nordic countries, he is referred t ...
and the fall of the Niflungs. These poems are published together under the title '' The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun'' (2009), edited by
Christopher Tolkien Christopher John Reuel Tolkien (21 November 1924 – 16 January 2020) was an English and naturalised French academic editor and writer. The son of the author and academic J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher edited 24 volumes based on his father's P ...
. * ''King Sheave'', a poem describing the arrival of Sheave (
Sceaf Sceafa ( , also ''Scēaf'', ''Scēf'') was an ancient Lombardic king in English legend. According to his story, Sceafa appeared mysteriously as a child, coming out of the sea in an empty skiff. The name also appears in the corrupt forms ''Ses ...
), a postulated Germanic culture hero, in 154 lines. It was originally an incomplete portion of a longer projected poem written in the late 1930s, but was treated as a complete poem for its insertion into Tolkien's unfinished novel ''
The Notion Club Papers ''The Notion Club Papers'' is an abandoned novel by J. R. R. Tolkien, written in 1945 and published posthumously in ''Sauron Defeated'', the 9th volume of ''The History of Middle-earth''. It is a time travel story, written while ''The Lord of the ...
,'' published in ''
Sauron Defeated Sauron () is the title character and the main antagonist of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', where he rules the land of Mordor. He has the ambition of ruling the whole of Middle-earth, using the power of the One Ring, which he ha ...
'' (1992)., "
The Notion Club Papers ''The Notion Club Papers'' is an abandoned novel by J. R. R. Tolkien, written in 1945 and published posthumously in ''Sauron Defeated'', the 9th volume of ''The History of Middle-earth''. It is a time travel story, written while ''The Lord of the ...
"
Nearly identical versions appear in ''The Lost Road and Other Writings'' and in ''Sauron Defeated''. It was loosely integrated into Tolkien's writings on Númenor, but contains no material specific to Tolkien's mythos. * '' The Fall of Arthur'', an unfinished poem on the betrayal of Mordred and Arthur's last battles, 954 lines, published 2013. * '' The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son'', 354 lines, an alliterative verse drama describing the aftermath of the
Battle of Maldon The Battle of Maldon took place on 10 or 11 August 991 AD near Maldon, Essex, Maldon beside the River Blackwater, Essex, River Blackwater in Essex, England, during the reign of Æthelred the Unready. Earl Byrhtnoth and his thegns led the En ...
, first published in 1953.


In Gothic

* '' Bagme Bloma'' ("Flower of the Trees"), an 18-line poem in Gothic in a trochaic metre, with irregular end-rhymes and irregular alliteration in each line. It is the only poem to be printed in Gothic. It was unofficially published in the rare and soon withdrawn 1936 '' Songs for the Philologists''; also in
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 ...
's ''
The Road to Middle-Earth ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
''.


In Old English

* ''Enigmata Saxonica Nuper Inventa Duo'' ("Two Recently Discovered Saxon Riddles"), two riddles written in Old English, describing an egg and a candle respectively. The first (of 10 lines) is written in normal alliterative metre, while the second (6 lines) includes internal rhyme in each line. First published in a poetry collection called ''A Northern Venture'' (1923). * An unfinished Old English poem based on the '' Atlakviða'' (68 lines in two separate sections), published in '' The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún''. * Four lines in Old English describing the repulse of the dragon Glómund (later renamed Glaurung) by the Elf-king Fingon, appearing in '' The Shaping of Middle-earth'' (1986).Tolkien, J. R. R. '' The Shaping of Middle-earth'', George Allen & Unwin, 1986. * Five lines in Old English attributed to the mariner Ælfwine, the fictional translator of various Elvish works. These appear in the story of ''The Lost Road,'' attached to a poem called ''The Song of Ælfwine,'' and as part of a preamble to the text called ''Quenta Silmarillion'', all published in '' The Lost Road and Other Writings''; and again in ''
The Notion Club Papers ''The Notion Club Papers'' is an abandoned novel by J. R. R. Tolkien, written in 1945 and published posthumously in ''Sauron Defeated'', the 9th volume of ''The History of Middle-earth''. It is a time travel story, written while ''The Lord of the ...
''. * Seven lines in Old English that are part of an Anglo-Saxon episode written for the story of ''The Lost Road''; these are an alteration and expansion of lines 36–38 and 44–46 of the Old English poem '' The Seafarer''. A revision, together with a Modern English translation in 7 verse lines, appears in ''The Notion Club Papers''. * Six Old English lines translating the first four lines of ''King Sheave'', appearing in ''The Notion Club Papers''. * Four lines of Old English heroic verse, celebrating King
Edward the Elder Edward the Elder (870s?17 July 924) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 899 until his death in 924. He was the elder son of Alfred the Great and his wife Ealhswith. When Edward succeeded to the throne, he had to defeat a challenge from his cousi ...
's victory over a Viking army at
Archenfield Archenfield (Old English: ''Ircingafeld'', Middle English: "Irchenfield") is the historic English name for an area of southern and western Herefordshire in England. Since the Anglo-Saxons took over the region in the 8th century, it has stretched ...
; these are a parody of lines 1-4 of ''The
Battle of Brunanburh The Battle of Brunanburh was fought in 937 between Æthelstan, King of Kingdom of England, England, and an alliance of Olaf Guthfrithson, King of Kingdom of Dublin, Dublin; Constantine II of Scotland, Constantine II, King of Scotland; and O ...
''. They appear in ''The Notion Club Papers''. * A verse translation of ''
Jabberwocky "Jabberwocky" is a Nonsense verse, nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll about the killing of a creature named "the Jabberwock". It was included in his 1871 novel ''Through the Looking-Glass'', the sequel to ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' ...
'' entitled "Bealuwérig" of 28 lines.


Translations

* A verse translation of '' Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'' in 2532 lines, of which 2027 are alliterative. * A verse translation of ''
Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living Exoskeleton, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pear ...
'' in 1212 lines of rhymed verse. Both were published posthumously in 1975. * A verse translation of some nine lines from the Old English ''
Battle of Brunanburh The Battle of Brunanburh was fought in 937 between Æthelstan, King of Kingdom of England, England, and an alliance of Olaf Guthfrithson, King of Kingdom of Dublin, Dublin; Constantine II of Scotland, Constantine II, King of Scotland; and O ...
'', forming part of an essay on "Anglo-Saxon verse" and published together with ''The Fall of Arthur''. * Remaining unpublished is an incomplete verse translation of ''
Beowulf ''Beowulf'' (; ) is an Old English poetry, Old English poem, an Epic poetry, epic in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 Alliterative verse, alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and List of translat ...
'' of about 600 lines.


Notes


References


Sources

* {{Use dmy dates, date=November 2017 Tolkien's alliterative verse
Alliterative verse In meter (poetry), prosody, alliterative verse is a form of poetry, verse that uses alliteration as the principal device to indicate the underlying Metre (poetry), metrical structure, as opposed to other devices such as rhyme. The most commonly s ...