All in Reading Tolkien
“Elwë Singollo came never again across the sea to Valinor so long as he lived, and Melian returned not thither while their realm together lasted; but of her there came among both Elves and Men a strain of the Ainur who were with Ilúvatar before Ea." - Of Thingol and Melian
“Moreover it is doom that the Firstborn shall come in the darkness, and shall look first upon the stars... Long they dwelt in their first home by the water under stars, and they walked the Earth in wonder." - Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor
"...and Yavanna returned to Aulë; and he was in his smithy, pouring molten metal into a mould. 'Eru is bountiful,' she said. 'Now let thy children beware! For there shall walk a power in the forests whose wrath they will arouse at their peril.' 'Nonetheless they will have need of wood,' said Aulë, and he went on with his smith-work. “ - Of Aulë and Yavanna
“But to the Atani I will give a new gift.’ Therefore he willed that the hearts of Men should seek beyond the world and should find no rest therein; but they should have a virtue to shape their life, amid the powers and chances of the world, beyond the Music of the Ainur, which is as fate to all things else;” - Of the Beginning of Days
Valaquenta begins with a short summary of Ainulindalë. It then goes on to introduce the Lords and the Queens of the Valar, giving a bit of background information on each of them and explaining how they relate to one another.
Next, we are introduced to the Maiar, spirits similar to the Valar but of a less degree. The last section is titled 'Of the Enemies' and explains a bit more about the cruelty of Melkor as well as introducing his servant Sauron.
It is in this chapter that we see the creation of the world through the music of Eru Ilúvatar and the Ainur, the beginning of the unrest of Melkor, the descent of the Valar into the world, and the first battle of the Valar against Melkor.
The Waldman letter is a letter written to Milton Waldman, an editor and advisor to publishers in London, who had expressed and interest in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion after the widespread success of The Hobbit. For context, The Hobbit was published in 1937, this letter was written in 1951, and The Fellowship of the Ring would not be published until 1954.
Hello, friends! The Tea with Tolkien community is excited to announce our next book club: a read-along of The Silmarillion, beginning in January! You can find the schedule below.
There are many ways to participate in this free, virtual Book Club! The easiest way to join is signing up with your email address — from there we’ll send a link to our private discord server directly to your inbox, and you’ll also receive weekly emails once the book club begins. I’ll be posting about the book club on social media so if you’d like to join the discussions on twitter or Instagram, look for the hashtag #teawithtolkienbookclub.
While The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings stand out as his most influential works, there is so much more to Tolkien than hobbits, dwarves, and elves! His lesser-known shorter works, including letters, essays, poetry, and short stories, offer a unique glimpse into the way he understood myth, faith, literature, and life. Many of these can be read over the course of an afternoon, and all are thoroughly delightful. If you’re interested in reading more by Tolkien, but don’t have the time to settle into The Lord of the Rings — consider picking up one of these.
Happy Tolkien Reading Day, friends! This is one of my favorite days of the year for many reasons and I hope you’ll find some time today to celebrate the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien today. (If you’re reading this and wondering what in the world Tolkien Reading Day even is, you can read all about it here.) I also wrote about why today is important within the Christian community, what it meant to Tolkien, and how March 25th is a sort of bridge between our world and Middle-Earth here.
As a Middle-earth aficionado, I have read J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. Currently, I am navigating the land of Beleriand as I am reading The Children of Húrin. While these books are creative and profound, my personal favorite Tolkien work [so far this may be subject to change!] does not take place in a mythic land or through the medium of an epic adventure tale. Instead, a short story published in 1945 wins my personal Pulitzer. Leaf by Niggle does not follow hobbits, elves, dwarves, or contain any sinister evil such as Sauron or Morgoth. Instead, the plots details of a simple painter’s journey in the afterlife.
I wanted to put together a list of some resources and recommendations for those of you who might be considering reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time. Keep in mind that these are simply things that I’ve found helpful personally, and not a comprehensive list. I also answered more questions here. Happy reading!
