| Description |
1 online resource (xvii, 285 pages) : illustrations |
| Contents |
Introduction: Seeking the Divine in Middle-earth -- Chapter 1: Tolkien's Cosmogony and Pantheon -- Chapter 2: The Valar in the World -- Chapter 3: Divine Intervention in the Third Age: Visible Powers -- Chapter 4: Divine Intervention in the Third Age: Invisible Powers -- Chapter 5: The Problem of Evil in Arda -- Chapter 6: Death -- Chapter 7: Eucatastrophe, Estel, and the End of Arda |
| Summary |
"An in-depth examination of the role of divine beings in Tolkien's work, Tolkien's Cosmology: Divine Beings and Middle-earth brings together Tolkien's many references to such beings and analyzes their involvement within his created world. Unlike many other commentators, Sam McBride asserts that a careful reading of the whole of the author's corpus shows a coherent, if sometimes contradictory, divine presence in the world. In The Silmarillion, an epic history of the First Age of Middle-earth, Tolkien describes the Ainur, angelic beings under the direction of Eru Ilúvatar, the legendarium's god, as creators of physical reality. Some of these divine beings, the Valar and the Maiar, enter physical reality to oversee its development and prepare for the appearance of sentient life forms in Middle-earth: Elves and Humans, Dwarves, and eventually Hobbits. In the early stages of this history, the Valar and Maiar interact directly with Elves and Humans, opposing the work of evil beings led by Melkor. Yet Tolkien appears, at first glance, to have ignored this pantheon in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, set in the Third Age of Middle-earth. Tolkien's letters, however, suggest the cosmological structure continues. And representatives of the Valar and Maiar can be seen at work, such as Gandalf and Saruman. Tolkien also introduces hints that his divine beings continue to influence events invisibly, as with the prominence of luck in The Hobbit and fortuitous weather conditions in The Lord of the Rings"-- Provided by publisher |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Notes |
Print version record |
| Subject |
Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973 -- Criticism and interpretation
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Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973 -- Religion
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| SUBJECT |
Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973 fast |
| Subject |
Fantasy fiction, English -- History and criticism
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Middle Earth (Imaginary place)
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Cosmology in literature.
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Religion in literature.
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Cosmology in literature
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Fantasy fiction, English
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Middle Earth (Imaginary place)
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Religion
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Religion in literature
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| Genre/Form |
Criticism, interpretation, etc.
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| ISBN |
9781631014031 |
|
163101403X |
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