In the Nameless Wood
Explorations in the Philological Hinterland of Tolkien's Literary Creations

J.S. Ryan

Cormarë Series No. 30

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In the Nameless Wood Explorations in the
Philological Hinterland of Tolkien's Literary Creations
Following in the footsteps of the previous publication, Tolkien's View: Windows into his World, Professor J.S. Ryan in this latest collection of essays pursues Professor Tolkien's narrow path through the Nameless Wood of uncharted territory between academic research and mythcreation culminating in the writing of the 20th century's masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings.

Having himself studied under Professor J.R.R. Tolkien and having written for no less than 50 years on his inspirational teacher, his sources and the applicability of his writings, J.S. Ryan is uniquely placed to reflect not only on Tolkien the Scholar or Tolkien the Author, but equally on Tolkien the Man.

 
table of contents | accompanying volume | announcements | more

Table of contents

Preface
v

Introduction
ix

List of Abbreviations and References
xv

Prequel
'The Nameless Wood' and 'The Narrow Path'
3

Part A
The Ancient Middle East and its Associations

Essay 1
Indo-European Race-Memories and Race-Fears from the Ancient City of Uruk ... and so to Tolkien as the quietly Speculative Philologist
37

Essay 2
Oath-Swearing, the Stone of Erech and the Near East of the Ancient World
61

Essay 3
Saruman, 'Sharkey' and Suruman: Analogous Figures of Eastern Ingenuity and Cunning
73

Essay 4
Túrin, Turanian and Ural-Altaic Philology
79

Essay 5
Gollum and the Golem: A Neglected Tolkienian Association with Jewish Thought
87

Part B
Romano-British Lydney and its Remarkable Importance for Tolkien's Œuvre

Essay 6
The Lydney Archaeological Site and Tolkien's Portrayal of the King as Healer
95

Essay 7
The Mines of Mendip and of Moria, with some Reflections on The Lair of the White Worm
107

Essay 8
Dwarf's Hill and the 'Dwarf's Chapel' ... the Matter of the Ancient Mining There and the Ideas for Further Story that that Fabled Activity might well have Engendered
121

Essay 9
Ancient Mosaic Tiles from out the West: some Romano-British 'Traditional' Motifs
129

Part C
The North and West Germanic Tradition and Christianity

Essay 10
Frothi, Frodo - and Dodo and Odo
139

Essay 11
The Knee and the Old English Gifstol as Sacral Symbols of Protection and of Forgiveness
149

Essay 12
King Alfred's Developing Concept of 'Wisdom' and its Relevance to Tolkien's Grand Moral Philosophy
157

Essay 13
Uncouth Innocence - some Links Between Chrétien de Troyes, Wolfram von Eschenbach and J.R.R. Tolkien
167

Essay 14
Lore of Dwarves - in Jacob Grimm and Thomas Keightley
183

Essay 15
Warg, Wearg, Earg and Werewolf - a Note on a Speculative Tolkienian Etymology
187

Essay 16
The Number Fifteen, Heroic Ventures and Two Horrible Songs
203

Essay 17
Fear and Revulsion in "the cold, hard lands"
207

Essay 18
The Origin and Cultural Associations of the Place Name Wetwang
211

Part D
Twentieth Century Oxford & England

Essay 19
The Wild Wood - Place of Danger, Place of Protest
219

Essay 20
J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Roy Campbell
235

Essay 21
Tolkien and Auden
243

Appendix

J.R.R. Tolkien and the Ancrene Riwle, or Two Fine and Courteous Mentors to Women's Spirit
261

Bibliography
301

Index
337

Tolkiens View Accompanying volume

The present book is published as the second of a pair collecting the essays of J.S. Ryan. The accompanying first volume, Tolkien's View: Windows into his World is equally available from Walking Tree Publishers.

J.S. Ryan, Tolkien's View: Windows into his World, Zurich and Jena 2009 (Cormarë Series 19), ISBN 978-3-905703-13-9.

Announcements

In the Nameless Wood reviewed in Mythlore (23rd June 2015)
Book reviews in Inklings Jahrbuch (22nd June 2015)
Book reviews in Hither Shore (19th May 2015)
In the Nameless Wood reviewed in Beyond Bree (17th December 2013)
New book – In the Nameless Wood (11th September 2013)
Upcoming publications (5th April 2013)
Upcoming publications (30th January 2012)
Upcoming publications (30th June 2011)

In the Nameless Wood. Explorations in the Philological Hinterland of Tolkien's Literary Creations

 
365 pages, Walking Tree Publishers 2013, Cormarë Series No. 30, ISBN: 978-3-905703-30-6.
 


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