Medieval Song, Verse, and Versification in Tolkien's Works
Sponsoring Organization(s)
Special Session
Organizer Name
Annie Brust
Organizer Affiliation
Kent State Univ.
Presider Name
Annie Brust
Paper Title 1
Noldorin and Sindarin Verse in the Lord of the Rings
Presenter 1 Name
Eileen Marie Moore
Presenter 1 Affiliation
Cleveland State Univ.
Paper Title 2
Boethian Philosophy and Splintered Music: Decay through Time in Tolkien's Legendarium
Presenter 2 Name
Brad Eden
Presenter 2 Affiliation
Independent Scholar
Paper Title 3
Tolkien, the Beowulf-Poet, and the Phenomenology of Song and Identity
Presenter 3 Name
Paul Fortunato
Presenter 3 Affiliation
Univ. of Houston-Downtown
Start Date
11-5-2019 10:00 AM
Session Location
Fetzer 2016
Description
Richard Firth Green’s recently published study, Elf Queens and Holy Friars: Fairy Beliefs and the Medieval Church, illuminates the prevalence of fairy culture within the Medieval landscape and especially its heightened influence upon medieval religion and literature. J.R.R. Tolkien capitalizes on these influences through his vast academic knowledge of medieval verse and legend, especially that of fairy culture and elven lore, to create his original fiction and scholarly translations. Tolkien’s works explore the concepts of medieval polyphony and homophony in creating a chant-like arrangement of fairy and elven song, to elucidate the musical device and instruments as a function of language. Tolkien utilizes the construction of original Germanic, Irish, and Scottish folklore and verse, through the languages such as Sindarin and Quenya and the cultures of the Rohirrim and Bree-men, to convey complex lineage and theme, much like those expressed in prominent medieval works such as Song of Roland, Beowulf, and from Arthurian legend. In Tolkien’s attempt to recreate a history for England, his celebration of elven and fairy culture—in particular the music and song—recreates a oral history through musical device and such examples as “Lament for Theoden”, “Song of the Mounds of Mundberg”, and “Galadriel’s song” celebrating the narrative of heroic deeds of its characters. This session seeks papers that discuss and explore the importance of elven lore and fairy culture/song on medieval life but also its recreation and significance in Tolkien’s Legendarium and medieval translations.
Annie Brust
Medieval Song, Verse, and Versification in Tolkien's Works
Fetzer 2016
Richard Firth Green’s recently published study, Elf Queens and Holy Friars: Fairy Beliefs and the Medieval Church, illuminates the prevalence of fairy culture within the Medieval landscape and especially its heightened influence upon medieval religion and literature. J.R.R. Tolkien capitalizes on these influences through his vast academic knowledge of medieval verse and legend, especially that of fairy culture and elven lore, to create his original fiction and scholarly translations. Tolkien’s works explore the concepts of medieval polyphony and homophony in creating a chant-like arrangement of fairy and elven song, to elucidate the musical device and instruments as a function of language. Tolkien utilizes the construction of original Germanic, Irish, and Scottish folklore and verse, through the languages such as Sindarin and Quenya and the cultures of the Rohirrim and Bree-men, to convey complex lineage and theme, much like those expressed in prominent medieval works such as Song of Roland, Beowulf, and from Arthurian legend. In Tolkien’s attempt to recreate a history for England, his celebration of elven and fairy culture—in particular the music and song—recreates a oral history through musical device and such examples as “Lament for Theoden”, “Song of the Mounds of Mundberg”, and “Galadriel’s song” celebrating the narrative of heroic deeds of its characters. This session seeks papers that discuss and explore the importance of elven lore and fairy culture/song on medieval life but also its recreation and significance in Tolkien’s Legendarium and medieval translations.
Annie Brust