Book Review: <i>An Encyclopedia of Tolkien</i>

Book Review: An Encyclopedia of Tolkien

Posted on October 14th, 2019 by Chris Matarazzo

Prolific author, poet and Tolkien scholar, David Day, is well-known to serious readers of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. My own shelves already contained his Tolkien: The Illustrated Encyclopedia and A Tolkien Bestiary. They’re cool, and all, but I am kind of a peculiar sort of Tolkien reader who has never been one to “nerd-out” over the details of Middle Earth (Tolkien’s fantasy world). I really could not care less whether the Dwarves (that’s how he spelled it) of the Iron Hills have coarser beards than those in Moria or whether the Balrog has real or metaphoric wings. As a consequence, Day’s other two books, outside of a fun hour or two after purchase, haven’t really gotten a lot of use. They are pretty; they are fun to look through and they are meticulously researched, but, over the years, they have gotten only the occasional thumbing-through when I was confused about a name or a place during one of my numerous Tolkien rereads — which, to be fair, is what the books are really for: reference.

Day’s new book, An Encyclopedia of Tolkien: the History and Mythology that Inspired Tolkien’s World is something familiar, yet quite different from the long list of Tolkien encyclopedias and dictionaries and guides already in print by all sorts of authors. This book is the kind of resource “literary” Tolkien readers will appreciate and it is also the one that is most likely to coax the younger fans who came over to the books from the Peter Jackson films into curiosity about the foundations and inspirations for Tolkien’s world.

According to Day, however, in his introduction, the approach to this book is one that has evolved in his publications over the years, which has been “to view Tolkien’s works in [the] context of the mythologies and literatures of other nations and cultures…a perspective that Tolkien himself understood and cherished over his entire life.” Whether this approach works as well in the previous volumes from Day, or not, I don’t know; but it works stunningly well, here.

Day explains the book’s raison d’etre, a bit further on in the introduction:

“This book is intended for those general readers of Tolkien who wish to learn more about the genius behind this awesome body of literature and the origin of some of the author’s remarkable ideas. For, in his construction of Middle Earth, Tolkien drew on an enormous range of sources, from the mythological to the historical, the literary to the linguistic, and the personal to the geographic. It is hoped that through An Encyclopedia of Tolkien, readers may both broaden their appreciation of this extraordinary author, and understand a little more of the sources of his inspiration.”

On this, David Day delivers.

The book is divided into sections, including encyclopedic entries, and, toward the back, informative charts and maps. In the first section (the bulk of the book), “A Dictionary of Sources,” the entries are distinguished by font and layout as to type. Entries that explain origins and inspirations from the real world are left-justified and the entry headings are printed in a simple capital font; entries that define words and phrases from Tolkien’s fantasy world are printed in an ornate font and are indented.

So, an entry, for instance, with the heading of Beowulf, explains that “Tolkien acknowledged that the circumstances of Bilbo’s first encounter with the Dragon of Erebor were — at least subconsciously — inspired by a passage in Beowulf. In a letter…Tolkien wrote: ‘Beowulf is among my most valued sources; though it was not consciously present in the mind in the process of writing, in which the episode of the theft arose naturally…'” An entry on “Elessar,” in contrast, keeps both feet planted in Tolkien’s world in order to explain the history of the title assumed by the character Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings. Two purposes get served here: quick look-up of names and terms and a more leisurely stroll through the deep forests of Tolkien’s imagination.

The “Charts” clarify everything from plot chronologies to Hobbit breeds to genealogies to comparisons between the Valar (the “gods” of Valinor and Middle Earth) to the Norse, Greek and Roman gods. The “Battles” section is comprised of prose descriptions of the battles in the books, illustrated with charts.

Perhaps the most valuable section — at least for a jumping-off point to Tolkien scholarship — is the “Three Primary Ring Legends” that inspired Tolkien: the Norse Volsunga Saga, the German Nibelungenlied and Wagner’s famous opera The Ring of the Nibelung. The book then concludes with a section on Tolkien’s ring: The Lord of the Rings. The “primary legend” section is presented as concise summary while the section on Tolkien’s novels includes a history and a critical perspective on the books that is well-written and extremely informative, especially from those — again — who are new to Tolkien scholarship. (We oldies will see much that is familiar here.)

When I was asked to write this review, my first reaction was: “Oh, God. Another Tolkien encyclopedia.” When the book arrived, its understated, classic beauty — leather-bound, with gilt page edges and filled with beautiful black-and-white illustrations — made me instantly glad I had agreed. In this case, one can judge the book by its cover.

Day’s approach, concept and research are a much-needed dose of classic literary study; an antidote, one hopes, for the pop phenomenon Jackson’s films have turned Tolkien’s works into. Scholar (and youngest son of Professor Tolkien), Christopher Tolkien, has been saddened and angered that his father’s work has been reduced to action-adventure in the minds of the public. I have always enjoyed Jackson’s films, but I do see (and deeply feel) Christopher Tolkien’s perspective, and this minimizing of Tolkien’s depth as a writer moves me to sadness, as well. There is so much more than swordplay and wizardry in Tolkien’s works; for decades he has been pre-judged by literary snobs who equate his work with the shallow imitations that followed it, from its publication up until today.

One can only hope that books like this — both accessible and scholarly — and movies like the slightly Romanticized (but inspiring) Karukoski film, Tolkien, will, at least, point the next generation of Tolkien readers in the deeper direction. Day’s new book might well be an effective instrument in turning Lord of the Rings “fans” into real “appreciators” of the books. Perspective is all the difference between cosplay and critical interpretation. David Day’s book is a wonderful device for perspective-shifting; it is a perfect springboard for further research and a delight to explore, along with a cup of tea, under the Autumn trees.

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Chris Matarazzo

Chris Matarazzo is a writer, composer, musician and teacher of literature and writing on the college and high school levels. His music can be heard on his recent release, Hats and Rabbits, which is currently available. Chris is also the composer of the score to the off-beat independent film Surrender Dorothy and he performs in the Philadelphia area with the King Richard Band. He's also a relatively prolific novelist, even if no one seems to care yet. His blog, also called Hats and Rabbits, is nice, too, if you get a chance...