PERILOUS REALMS: CELTIC AND NORSE IN TOLKIEN’S MIDDLE-EARTH J.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973) is increasingly recognized as the most influential writer of the twentieth century. Sales of his books remain exceptionally high, and Middle-earth fan clubs flourish around the world. The film version of The Lord of the Rings, re- leased between 2001 and 2003, has only added to his popularity. Throughout his life, Tolkien was acutely aware of the power of myth in shaping society, so much so that one of his earliest ambi- tions as a writer was to create a mythology for England. The Middle-earth of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit was to serve as a stand-in for Britain and northwestern Europe and is strongly based on a variety of influential literatures and beliefs, particularly the Celtic and Norse. Perilous Realms is the first book to focus consistently on the ways in which Tolkien balances these two ancient cultures and unites them in a single literature. Renowned Tolkien scholar Marjorie Burns also investigates the ways Tolkien reconciled other oppositions, including paganism and Christian- ity, good and evil, home and wayside, war and peace, embellish- ment and simplicity, hierarchy and the common man. Even those who do not know Beowulf, the Arthurian tales, or northern European mythology come away from The Lord of the Rings with a feeling for Britain’s historical and literary past. Those who recognize the sources behind Tolkien – and the skill with which he combines these sources – gain far more. Perilous Realms gives this advantage to all readers and provides new discoveries, including material from obscure, little-known Celtic texts and a likely new source for the name ‘hobbit.’ It is truly essential read- ing for Tolkien fans. marjorie burns is a professor in the Department of English at Portland State University. J.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973), who once said, ‘A pen is to me as a beak is to a hen.’ This portrait, taken in 1961, was a favourite of both Tolkien and the photographer, Pamela Chandler. (The photograph is from the Pamela Chandler Photography Collection, © Diana Willson. The quote is from ‘The Hobbit Man,’ by Philip Norman, The Sunday Times Magazine, 15 January 1967.) MARJORIE BURNS Perilous Realms Celtic and Norse in Tolkien’s Middle-earth UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS Toronto Buffalo London © Marjorie Burns 2005 Published by University of Toronto Press Toronto Buffalo London Printed in Canada Reprinted 2008 ISBN 0-8020-3871-9 (cloth) ISBN 0-8020-3806-9 (paper) Printed on acid-free paper Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Burns, Marjorie Perilous realms : Celtic and Norse in Tolkien’s Middle-earth / Marjorie Burns. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8020-3871-9 (bound). – ISBN 0-8020-3806-9 (pbk.) 1. Tolkien, J.R.R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892–1973 – Knowledge – Language and languages. 2. Tolkien, J.R.R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892–1973 – Knowledge – Mythology. 3. Tolkien, J.R.R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892–1973 – Knowledge – Literature. 4. Tolkien, J.R.R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892–1973 – Characters. 5. Middle Earth (Imaginary place). 6. Language and languages in literature. 7. Mythology in literature. 8. Tolkien, J.R.R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892–1973 – Criticism and interpretation. I. Title. PR6039.O38Z54 2005 823 ’.912 C2005-900860-1 University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial assistance to its publishing program of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial support for its publishing activities of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP)..