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I really liked this video! Idk why but this is a special video! Great job, James! I agree with you about Norse mythology witch is in my opinnion one of the greatest cultures ever! But I belive that Celtic culture also had a part in his imagination. But I think that it all started with his faith and Catholic religion, because when you look in depth, Middleearth is litterally Holy Word, Bible, we have Creation, Angelic Beings, Morgoth-lucifer, Final batlle-Dagorath, Numenor-Ark of Noah, Origin of Dwarves-Abraham and Isaac, and one of my favorite's Aragorn- who represents Jesus! Only Tolkien could write this amazing legend of Middleearth by taking sorces an inspirations from many great cultures, and only you could create such an incredible video! Well done, this is great!!!!!!!
Nordic culture of today is based on the Cimbri (Cousins of the Cymru) tribe of Jutland who were Celtic. The Histories are based on the 3000 year old Welsh Triads known as the Mabinogi.
Fun fact: Tolkien regularly holidayed in Ireland and drew inspiration from the rough rocky terrain of the Burren, Co. Clare to create the landscape of middle earth
@@TheBrokenSword Im from Djursland in Denmark(jutland) and people here are convinced that Tolkein looked at maps of the area and named some things after the places that had a great historic sounding name: for example Helm's deep could be named after "hjelm dyb" (which translates into Helms deep in english). And Isengard could me named after Isgård(translated to Ice-farm - so Ice-gard = Isengard) on djursland close to Hjelm Dyb. Danish historian Casper Clemmesen suggest that Tolkein researched the tribes that was specifically in east-jutland (part of which is Djursland) so he would be very familiar with the area. And that he had a correspondence with a mysterious Danish women, called Ingahild Grathmer, who would send him illustrations of Denmark, which turned out to be Queen Margrehte II. You could probably make a whole video on this theory alone-
@@MsMarc1234 Find it shocking how similar Dane/Norwegian can sound if you just stop and listen a tad, being a Brit and English being my first language! Cousins across seas man.....I don't know where the French got off though 🤣 "Les aime quand mem"
Yeah, it was a little disappointing to see him only give a quick mention to Tolkien's devout Christian faith which was the entire foundation of his stories, everything else was tacked onto that.
@@Dan-rg6it To give a benefit of doubt, it can be a daunting subject and one that could be challenging to do without also just becoming a Roman Catholic/Christian theology video. But I agree, this is definitely worth a video in of itself.
Thanks for the video. Truly fascinating how much Tolkien took from existing lore and incorporated into his secondary world. I knew about connections to Beowulf and how heavily the story of Turin parallels the Kullervo but the rest was all new to me. Thanks for doing the research and sharing!
Considering that "Magical ring that gives invisibility" was brought up in Plato's writing as something that would inevitably corrupt it's wearer, it's not easy to be fooled that it was an inspiration for LotR
@@TheBrokenSword before to watch your video... Will you cover how much of his own life put on Legendarium? He wrote about his life using the quilt of mythos...
You should put together a 'recommended reading' list for fans of Tolkien but aren't written by him. It could even be a whole series based on when they came out. Pre-tolkien, during and post. I feel that would be very interesting.
Great video! Yes Tolkien drew from many things indeed, northern/western European mythology, history, ethnicity, Catholicism, languages, ruralism, and the simplicities/complexities of life.
There’s so much that he drew from- whether it’s Norse mythology or Greco-Roman. But he also had inspirations from Plato especially the Republic, see the ring of Gyges story. And much of the Silmarillion pulls from Greek tragedy, like Oedipus Rex or the Oresistia. It’s fun to track some of these down, thank you for the great video
I came here after seeing your poll. I didn’t know it was uploaded and I have my notification bell on. If I had known, I’d definitely have watched, as I love these kinds of videos
hey, I just wanted you to know that, after watching your video while knowing nothing about the norse mythology, it was really cool and I always thought, that it would be so awesome and fascinating to know something about different mythologies!! Thank you for this video andI hope that it´ll get noticed more!! I admire your hard work!!
Awesome video! 😎 the founder of fantasy and like many amazing people he heard harsh words from others telling him his stories are silly but he went on to literally give life to fantasy and create one of the most best selling stories of all time filled with lore, history, meaning, fascination and intrigue. God praise J.R.R. Tolkien for creating my favourite story of all time LOTR and middle earth as a whole.
All your videos are well researched and well produced. This one is no exception. Thank you for your efforts. As you say, Norse mythology is a major source that Tolkien drew upon but it was not the only one. It was meant to be a mythology of England and England has a long history that blended many peoples and cultures, just like the English language is mostly Germanic but has contributions from Latin, Greek, French, and the original Celtic inhabitants, Tolkien's mythology draws on other sources than Norse/Germanic. Other people have posted here about the Finnish myths. I must also point out that the Elves and "the West" are heavily influenced by Celtic mythology, either by way of Arthurian sources, Welsh but also Irish Mythology. A land over the western sea where people live forever is Tir Na Nog or Hy Brasil or in Arthur, Avalon. The Elves take their name from Norse myth but they more resemble the Tuatha De Danaan, aka fairies, who live in palaces under the hills like Menengroth, Nagarothond or the caves of the king of Mirkwood. Heroes often follow beautiful fairy women over the sea or into their land where time flows differently, like time inside Lothlorien ran at a different speed than outside it (due to Galadriel's power and her ring). There are parallels there to the English story of Thomas the Rhymer but I am sure Tolkien knew the stories of the Fianna and Ossian. There are many other sources. The Nothern and Southern kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor parallel the Eastern and Western Roman Empire with one splitting up and dying out while the other lasted for another thousand years fighting off invaders from the east. It goes on, with Christian "Mythology" or the apocryphal, traditional stories, not in the bible, about Lucifer's rebellion and heavenly politics that inspired Dante's Inferno and Milton's Paradise Lost. That was the inspiration for Morgoth and the "angleic" Valar. Tolkien was very learned and the sources could go on and on forever. The Norse/Germanic was only one layer.
Good video! I enjoy your exploration of the roots of parts of Tolkien's legendarium. In addition to your accurate parallels in old Germanic and Norse sagas, Tolkien drew on a few other important sources, too. His disappointment with elements of Shakespeare's Macbeth, and personal disappointment with elements of English industrialization (especially around Birmingham when he was growing up), led to his further development of the ents and huorns (Birnam Wood on the move) and their opposition to Saruman's war economy in Isengard. Does that make them 'eco-warriors' of a sort, given the author's personally conservative (with a desire for 'conservation' of the countryside in mind) mindset? And the death of Macbeth (the character in the play) was foretold by the witches to be caused by 'no man born of woman', but Macduff fits the bill. This is similar to Tolkien's creation of Glorfindel's prophecy about the Witch King of Angmar, that he would not be killed by the hand of (a) man, but ultimately a hobbit and a woman could end him. As well, the culture of (formerly Numenorean) Gondor was related in the writer's imagination more closely in its roots to the Eastern Roman Empire, centred in Byzantium (then Constantinople, which is now Istanbul). And you're right in relating the culture of Rohan to Norse, Viking, and Northern Germanic tribes, changing a roving seafaring culture for an equestrian almost-nomadic lifestyle (closer to the Scythians and other people of the steppes), and where Tolkien "translates" Rohirric language into Old English (the language of Beowulf) in LotR, just as he "translates" Westron into modern English. All that said, you covered the major elements very well. Thanks, again.
I always liked the contest thor undertook in which he had to down a whole drinking horn that was connected to the sea, but he didn't know this. He drank so vigorously so as not to be bested by the giants that tricked him that he created the shores. I've always loved how thor is a symbol of strength, but people often forget he's also the most determined and strongwilled gods
Wonderful video! Will be there a part 2 detailing/explaining the various Christian(specifically catholic) themes which undoubtedly played a huge role in his shaping of the legendarium?
cool vid James loved as a Norse Pagan the Saga's a big thing and I knew Tolkien used a Norse Stuff and Rohan is my favourite land in Middle - Earth looking forward to the next vid as i always do my favourites are Beowulf and the Hanaval
Awesome video! As an armchair historian, Tolkien's works appeal to me through their obvious throwbacks to history and legend--and not just Norse. A great empire of men split into Arnor and Gondor--of which only one survives--sound familiar? Could you make more videos like this exploring Tolkien's inspirations?
One of my favorite subjects. I’ve gotten heavily into old Norse mythology and sagas and as a Tolkien fan it is one of the coolest things to see the parallels. As for the answer to your question, my favorite Norse legend is that of Odin giving his eye to Mimir’s well to obtain unparalleled wisdom
He drew extensively from The Mabinogion and other deep Welsh myths as well as other Celtic lore, which all survived in various forms pre Anglo Saxon whitewash. It was perhaps because the Celtic peoples were pushed to the edge of Britain is why they did last and many English tales did not or were diluted by foreign influence?
Amazing video. I've read a ton of academic stuff on Tolkien and you guys sum it up in a fun peppy way with the imagery and all that. And in less than 700 pages lol. Great great stuff! And YT notifications are all messed up lately
I am surprised no one has seen the similarities between Aragorn and a young King arthur, the sword in the stone/sword that was broken, and Gandalf/Merlin. Tolkien used many ancient Saga and foltale memes for his stories.
Plenty do, but they believe those figures to be English. Which is ofourse incorrect. They were Britons (Welsh) who were fighting those who would become known as the English.
I read lord of the rings when I was 10/11, right after I watched the first movie in the cinema. At 14 I read silmarillion for the first time. There is no coincidence that I got so invested in mythology, King Arthur, Robin Hood, Old testament, read the conn iggulden novels and Manfredis Alexander the Great. They were all connected. That and my personal journeys to Greece, Italy, Spain etc. I am a swede/german myself. Grew up with runic stones and mounds around me. Tolkien and his universe really merged into mine, became more real. And my favouritecharacters aside the fellowship of the ring, Beleg Cuthalion and Prince Imrahil had a huge impact on the way I wanted to be. Thanks for your video!
Gandalf was actually mostly inspired by Väinämöinen who is a wizard in finnish mythology. Tolkien was also inspired by finnish mythology with the ring being inspired Sampo witch was a machine that makes all sorts of riches.
Much was also taken from the history and tales from Wales, and general Celtic stories, especially of Authurian origin. I would love a video studying these similarities! 🙌
His work comes off to me like a retelling of many western European myths and folklore, and an attempt to somewhat "baptize" these stories, Christianize them, and bring the sort of whimsical stories and archetypal myths he loved into a Christian society, while also injecting some pretty heavily Catholic themes.
Very interesting. I did not actually know Tolkien took so much inspiration from Norse mythology. Very cool. It's a really cool thought that he created all these stories as a way to give England famous sagas and tales
A different show attributed the appearance of the land of Mordor to the view from a hill of an area blasted by foundries and other coal-burning industries, all closely located.
Im suprised people really dont know that. For a scandinavia like me the lotr books are like en epic viking saga. Almost all the creatures are nordic/germanic in orgin. England are ofc germanic to
Culturally England suffered from the various invasions of the past, basically Tolkein felt that he needed to recreate the Anglo Saxon literary traditions of England as the Norman's effectively destroyed them, while Beowulf survived the main antagonist wasn't from England and stories like King Arthur from what I remember are victorian translations of Norman re workings of the traditional story, in which the Anglo Saxons where the bad guys. So Tolkein really did do a hell of a lot more then just write awesome stories, he corrected an historic wrong
This makes me curious how Tolkien's universe will be viewed in a few centuries/millenniums, compared to how we view tales and legends from the past these days.
The Undying Lands may be based on Tír na nÓg (Land of Youth) which is a land of youth and beauty in Irish mythology which can only be reached through voyage or an invitation.
In my literature class in High school, we read Beowulf, I can't say it grab my interest like many Greek Mythology stories have had. I have tried to read Norse mythology as well, but again none of their story I personally enjoy. I have seen few different movie versions of Beowulf, and the 13th warriors is likely my favor version of retold story of Beowulf.
I’ve always enjoyed both mythologies because they are two very worlds so I can enjoy both without comparing them. But I think the Norse Myths have a greater depth to them because you can put them together as one continuous storyline where as Greek and Roman myths always felt more disconnected from each other.
What-if video idea for you to do: What if Gandalf never fell at the Bridge of Khazad-dum and continued with the fellowship to Lothlorien and on forward?
The title of this video is "What was TOLKIEN'S INSPIRATION?", and I'd like to challenge the idea that Tolkien was _inspired_ by the mythology of northern Europe. Instead, said mythology was part of his pantry, his source of ingredients in making his stew, to draw upon a cookery analogy. Tolkien's motivation as an artist, the root idea been the word _inspiration_ , lay in his own experiences and beliefs.
Apparently, Tolkien borrowed place names from Scandinavia, more specifically Denmark, as well: Isengard is supposedly named after Isgård and Helms Deep after Hjelm Dyb, both situated in Djursland, an area that was historically home to an ancient danish tribe that Tolkien had studied. The city of Esgaroth might have been inspired by the place Eskerod and the river Aros shares its name with the Old Norse name for the city of Aarhus.
I have also been confused for a long time. about names of places and persons in Tolkien's Middle Earth. Until I discovered, that he wrote about his own England, but that he used a lot from the Nordic sagas. AND the north itself, especially place names! Thus I live 10 kilometers from Isengard, (Issegaard) and 20 from Helms deep.(Hjelms dyb) I live in Eskerod myself! ❤️ and we have many Hobbit village names right around where we live! 😊 for instance Toggerbo. I couldn’t be more thrilled!
Not sure if this will break through the static. But I am curious about your take on bringing more verisimilitude to stories "made up" about the people of Middle Earth (maybe in the 2nd Age). It seems Tolkien would welcome such things as long as they are in alignment with the lore. My understanding is Tolkien said he was trying to set up a framework for Anglo-Saxon mythology on which others could flesh out more stories. Am I wrong there? Here is my beef with the stories Tolkien gives us. LOTR was all about the need to recognize the works of 'the little folk' and yet the First Age is rife of Great hero stories many of whom were the Elven kings and comparable leaders of Men. Yet, we hear little about the actual masons and craftsmen of Gondolin or Numenor as examples. Or, and more closely to Tolkien's heart it would seem, the rank and file members of the men-at-arms in the various armies. al-la "All's Quiet on the Mordor Front." Yes, we have Sam Gamgee as our model. And I will end by answering my own question, writers do not find these "non-existent'" characters worthy of note, and boring, even though they are the foundation on which the great realms rose, stood and fell.
I've heard that Gandalf was also heavily influenced by Väinämöinen, the wizard in the Finnish national epic poem, The Kalevala. I've also heard that he loved the Finnish language, and used it as the basis for Quenyan. I would love to hear anything you know about Tolkien's Finnish influences :)
Ooh, someone recently mentioned that Welsh was the basis for Sindarin. Perhaps you could do a video covering the influences on the languages he developed :)
My favourite Norse Myth is the Treasures of the gods, where Loki cuts Sifs hair, and then convinces dwarves to compete to see who can make the best crafts from gold. Not only does it give us some iconic Norse artefacts like Mjolnir, but with how it ends, I truly believe that is the point where Loki progresses from being a silly trickster god, towards being evil and the main antagonist of the mythology.
Prof. Tolkien was the reason I pursue degree in literature and cultural study. Instead of learning the western myth, I dig deeper in the Asian myth, which as rich as any other countries myth. I followed class about Greek mythology too back in the university, I found some similarities also with the middle earth lore. I think prof got inspired by Greek myth also.
I love the world tree. The British Isles, especially England, were cut off from their heritage and folk lore by the roman slaying of the druids and diminishing of their Celtic history.
Great video! If you are of a mind to, I'm sure you know you could create videos covering his inspirations from Celtic/Welsh, Finnish, and some other mythologies.
It would be interesting to see a video solely on the obvious inspiration he took from his homeland and the Anglo Saxons. We know he was a fan of poems like Beowulf, but it would be interesting to go further. Of course, the Anglo Saxons were essentially descendants of Germanic tribes, so the Norse myths play in to that to some extent. We do know that Tolkien had a vision of Middle Earth being a history/mythology of England as so much of what we did have has been lost, but it would be nice to see something to make a comparison to the lands we know he held so dear. Of course, there are the connections with the Arthurian and Celtic myths, but they are more related to the Irish and the Welsh. If anyone knows of any videos on here talking about this subject, I would be grateful for a point in the right direction. Also, any written articles would be helpful too.
Oh, and I just wanted to add that this is a fantastic video! The information you’ve entered here must’ve taken some serious research to make this essay in to video form. Thanks you so much for it! As someone who has and continues to study the Norse sagas, you have embarked on no mean feat!
So interesting! Do you or does anyone here know the reason for rings being cursed in Icelandic mythology? In Beowulf a great evidence for a king’s goodness was how many rings he handed out. There must be a great story there. Thanks!
Would you say the Grimms Tales and the Mabinogian too? all the woodland creatures and animals have a very European folke feel to them. The hobbit for me is very much like a Victorian/ Edwardian fairy tale story than what the series would become. Oh and Elves don't have pointy ears by the way haha :) . Great Video man, keep it up :)
Thank you for this video. Living in Sweden, I really appreciate the Norse roots in Tolkiens work ... And I love that he as professor in old Norse also could read and write modern Swedish. At least to the level that he did not like the first Swedish translation of the Hobbit. He thought it was to modern ... But he did not rejected it. I wonder what he would say about the new translation och the Hobbit and the Lords Of the Rings trilogy? Maybe he would like them better since the naming of places and people are said to be more truthful to the original language of the books. And off course a persons life, belief, education, profession, experiences will have some spill in a persons writing ... like the hatred for spiders! At young age he was bitten buy a venomous spider in South Africa and got really ill ... Could that be a reson for why Ungoliat, Shelob and all the spiders in Mirkwood where evil? I also heard that the dead marshes is a reminder of the trench war in World War One, where Tolkien experienced dead marshes in real life ...
Not actual dead marshes, but corpses floating in rainwater filled shell craters would have been seen by Tolkien during his time on the front lines in WW1.
Haha, me too. It's a great little meta-literary device. When I first realized that "Westron" wasn't English, and was only translated into English...wow lol
It always struck me how much the Shire resembles my native land of Alsace- Which is ironic as Tolkien never set foot in it as far as I know. Yet where I am from, we have rolling green hills and plains, our people are not tall and thin, rather they are stout and round. The old half-timbered houses have small doors and low cielings. We eat five times a day (mostly snacking between meals) and are simple folk, with few ever straying far from their homeland. Good food, good wine... I always joke that we are hobbits.
Thank you for bringing up the way the Vikings addressed their chieftains! It irks me that none of the viking productions get it right . If Sigurd Haraldson is an earl he would be addressed Sigurd earl!
Tolkien got most of his inspiration for the lore of middle-earth from the legends and mythology of Germanic tribes. We're talking about here the Anglo-Saxons, to the Vikings. Beowulf which deeply and profoundly influenced Tolkien, had to do with the two Germanic tribes of Sweden and Denmark. Some may point to Iceland as being different but Iceland was invaded and taken over by the Norwegians/Vikings. So again, the creation of Middle Earth, and its lore come from the legends and mythology of Germanic tribes. Tolkien himself, his wife and whole family are of German descent, as is the House of Windsor, the king and queen of England of present-day. Now of course there are some other influences like the Celtic peoples and legends.
Gandalf are inspired by Väinämöinen who are in Finland's mythology Wizard Tolkien are inspired by Kalevala Finland's Mythology. Turin=Kullervo Great Eagles= Kokko Gandalf=Väinämöinen Iluvatar=Ilmatar and many more.
This is insane. Its Based on Brythonic mythology, known toady as the Welsh. Its based on the 3000 year old Welsh triads known as the Mabinogi. Arthur=Aragorn. Merlin=Gandalf. Numenorians=Britons. Minis Tirith=Camelot. Sindarin=Welsh. We know this as he regularly vacationed in Wales and his best friend was CS Lewis who himself was of Welsh descent.
As an avid fan of Norse mythology, I do see why Tolkien compared Gandalf to Odin. They are both divine beings who are well versed in magic. They are both travelers, cloaking themselves in the guise of old men. They both wander the world of mortals, where they share their wisdom and provide people with counsel. Less talked about, though, is how Saruman may also bear a connection to Odin. In Norse sagas, the chief of the Norse gods has a darker side. He is capable of deception, and often manipulates or sacrifices mortals for his own aims. He also has an unquenchable thirst for wisdom, and will do anything to achieve more knowledge and power. This side of Odin is, I think, quite apparent in Saruman, who represents the corruption such desires can lead to. Another interesting connection is the power of their voices. The sagas describe Odin as so well spoken that every word that comes out of his mouth seems like the only truth. Similarly, Saruman has an uncanny ability to spellbind and influence people using his voice.
Feel like pointing out that "Middle-earh" itself is a translation of "Midgaard" from the norse myths. One of the 9 ralms of Yggdrasil, the one where humans lived. That in it self should tell anyone something about his inspriation.
I found it interesting in doing this video you did not mention that Tolkien being of Germanic lineage and Norse mythology being of Germanic origins such a deep rooted connection would have been another solid reason for his love for those tales.
where can i get the pictures and drawings you use in your videos i really want the one with gandalf and the felowship vs gandalf and witch king an orcs at isengard
As someone who's currently in the process of creating his own fantasy universe much like Middle Earth, it helps to know that even Tolkien didn't come up with it all out of his own head. Head. He also drew lots of inspiration from things that predated him, just like we're doing now. When you forget history, you are doomed to repeat it, but that is not necessarily. Always a bad thing it seems
You really should have a look at a Comyns Beaumont book called Britain key to world history, you may see Tolkien's work differently :) Good video as ever though, love Tolkien
When it comes to western mythology Tolkien is one of the most knowledgeable people ever. The links between his work and myths of the past are near endless.
Tolkien was quite obvious about where he got his ideas for stories, but also for his languages. About that, anglosaxon is a westgerman language and people, not northern. The people of Rohan are quite similar to anglosaxons and their names and language as well.
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Tolkien has, and still is, a great inspiration to many writers around the world
I really liked this video! Idk why but this is a special video! Great job, James! I agree with you about Norse mythology witch is in my opinnion one of the greatest cultures ever! But I belive that Celtic culture also had a part in his imagination. But I think that it all started with his faith and Catholic religion, because when you look in depth, Middleearth is litterally Holy Word, Bible, we have Creation, Angelic Beings, Morgoth-lucifer, Final batlle-Dagorath, Numenor-Ark of Noah, Origin of Dwarves-Abraham and Isaac, and one of my favorite's Aragorn- who represents Jesus!
Only Tolkien could write this amazing legend of Middleearth by taking sorces an inspirations from many great cultures, and only you could create such an incredible video! Well done, this is great!!!!!!!
Thank you very much!! Glad you enjoyed it :D
Nordic culture of today is based on the Cimbri (Cousins of the Cymru) tribe of Jutland who were Celtic. The Histories are based on the 3000 year old Welsh Triads known as the Mabinogi.
Fun fact: Tolkien regularly holidayed in Ireland and drew inspiration from the rough rocky terrain of the Burren, Co. Clare to create the landscape of middle earth
That is cool to know!
@@TheBrokenSword Im from Djursland in Denmark(jutland) and people here are convinced that Tolkein looked at maps of the area and named some things after the places that had a great historic sounding name: for example Helm's deep could be named after "hjelm dyb" (which translates into Helms deep in english). And Isengard could me named after Isgård(translated to Ice-farm - so Ice-gard = Isengard) on djursland close to Hjelm Dyb. Danish historian Casper Clemmesen suggest that Tolkein researched the tribes that was specifically in east-jutland (part of which is Djursland) so he would be very familiar with the area. And that he had a correspondence with a mysterious Danish women, called Ingahild Grathmer, who would send him illustrations of Denmark, which turned out to be Queen Margrehte II. You could probably make a whole video on this theory alone-
There is also a cave in the Burren called Pollnagollum. It is widely said in Ireland that it contributed to Gollum's character.
@@MsMarc1234 Find it shocking how similar Dane/Norwegian can sound if you just stop and listen a tad, being a Brit and English being my first language!
Cousins across seas man.....I don't know where the French got off though 🤣
"Les aime quand mem"
Excellent subject. Appreciate the content guys!!!!
Thank you!
I hope we eventually get a video detailing the Roman Catholic parallels to LOTR's themes. People write long thesis on that subject alone.
Yeah, it was a little disappointing to see him only give a quick mention to Tolkien's devout Christian faith which was the entire foundation of his stories, everything else was tacked onto that.
@@Dan-rg6it To give a benefit of doubt, it can be a daunting subject and one that could be challenging to do without also just becoming a Roman Catholic/Christian theology video.
But I agree, this is definitely worth a video in of itself.
The channel Apostolic Majesty has a few livestreams regarding Tolkien and his faith
At the same time, it can be a touchy subject. Lots of people get upset if they think something wrong is being said about their religion.
@@istari0 And I think even more get upset that something is even being said about religion at all. At least on a platform dominated by teenage males.
I have watched a lot of tolkien videos on here, and this is one of the best and most illuminating! Well done.
Thanks for the video. Truly fascinating how much Tolkien took from existing lore and incorporated into his secondary world. I knew about connections to Beowulf and how heavily the story of Turin parallels the Kullervo but the rest was all new to me. Thanks for doing the research and sharing!
Considering that "Magical ring that gives invisibility" was brought up in Plato's writing as something that would inevitably corrupt it's wearer, it's not easy to be fooled that it was an inspiration for LotR
The ring was called the ring of gyges when you turn the collet outwards, you go invisible.
I see a part two in the future!
This is awesome and the subject was an excellent idea!
Maybe :D
@@TheBrokenSword before to watch your video... Will you cover how much of his own life put on Legendarium? He wrote about his life using the quilt of mythos...
You should put together a 'recommended reading' list for fans of Tolkien but aren't written by him. It could even be a whole series based on when they came out. Pre-tolkien, during and post. I feel that would be very interesting.
Great video! Yes Tolkien drew from many things indeed, northern/western European mythology, history, ethnicity, Catholicism, languages, ruralism, and the simplicities/complexities of life.
Awesome video! Al's been telling me to look into Edda for ages, so this was amazing to watch! Cheer guys!
😂 Glad you enjoyed it :D
There’s so much that he drew from- whether it’s Norse mythology or Greco-Roman. But he also had inspirations from Plato especially the Republic, see the ring of Gyges story. And much of the Silmarillion pulls from Greek tragedy, like Oedipus Rex or the Oresistia. It’s fun to track some of these down, thank you for the great video
This was an awesome video. Very informative on Tolkien´s works.
Glad it was helpful! :D
I came here after seeing your poll. I didn’t know it was uploaded and I have my notification bell on. If I had known, I’d definitely have watched, as I love these kinds of videos
hey, I just wanted you to know that, after watching your video while knowing nothing about the norse mythology, it was really cool and I always thought, that it would be so awesome and fascinating to know something about different mythologies!! Thank you for this video andI hope that it´ll get noticed more!! I admire your hard work!!
The Tale of the Gods and the Builder is always a favorite. It shows that Loki wasn't always evil. Here he is depicted as cunning.
Isnt Loki being evil a modern interpretation tho? Or rather the Christian view of him.
Awesome video! 😎 the founder of fantasy and like many amazing people he heard harsh words from others telling him his stories are silly but he went on to literally give life to fantasy and create one of the most best selling stories of all time filled with lore, history, meaning, fascination and intrigue. God praise J.R.R. Tolkien for creating my favourite story of all time LOTR and middle earth as a whole.
All your videos are well researched and well produced. This one is no exception. Thank you for your efforts. As you say, Norse mythology is a major source that Tolkien drew upon but it was not the only one. It was meant to be a mythology of England and England has a long history that blended many peoples and cultures, just like the English language is mostly Germanic but has contributions from Latin, Greek, French, and the original Celtic inhabitants, Tolkien's mythology draws on other sources than Norse/Germanic. Other people have posted here about the Finnish myths. I must also point out that the Elves and "the West" are heavily influenced by Celtic mythology, either by way of Arthurian sources, Welsh but also Irish Mythology. A land over the western sea where people live forever is Tir Na Nog or Hy Brasil or in Arthur, Avalon. The Elves take their name from Norse myth but they more resemble the Tuatha De Danaan, aka fairies, who live in palaces under the hills like Menengroth, Nagarothond or the caves of the king of Mirkwood. Heroes often follow beautiful fairy women over the sea or into their land where time flows differently, like time inside Lothlorien ran at a different speed than outside it (due to Galadriel's power and her ring). There are parallels there to the English story of Thomas the Rhymer but I am sure Tolkien knew the stories of the Fianna and Ossian. There are many other sources. The Nothern and Southern kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor parallel the Eastern and Western Roman Empire with one splitting up and dying out while the other lasted for another thousand years fighting off invaders from the east. It goes on, with Christian "Mythology" or the apocryphal, traditional stories, not in the bible, about Lucifer's rebellion and heavenly politics that inspired Dante's Inferno and Milton's Paradise Lost. That was the inspiration for Morgoth and the "angleic" Valar. Tolkien was very learned and the sources could go on and on forever. The Norse/Germanic was only one layer.
Good video! I enjoy your exploration of the roots of parts of Tolkien's legendarium.
In addition to your accurate parallels in old Germanic and Norse sagas, Tolkien drew on a few other important sources, too. His disappointment with elements of Shakespeare's Macbeth, and personal disappointment with elements of English industrialization (especially around Birmingham when he was growing up), led to his further development of the ents and huorns (Birnam Wood on the move) and their opposition to Saruman's war economy in Isengard. Does that make them 'eco-warriors' of a sort, given the author's personally conservative (with a desire for 'conservation' of the countryside in mind) mindset? And the death of Macbeth (the character in the play) was foretold by the witches to be caused by 'no man born of woman', but Macduff fits the bill. This is similar to Tolkien's creation of Glorfindel's prophecy about the Witch King of Angmar, that he would not be killed by the hand of (a) man, but ultimately a hobbit and a woman could end him.
As well, the culture of (formerly Numenorean) Gondor was related in the writer's imagination more closely in its roots to the Eastern Roman Empire, centred in Byzantium (then Constantinople, which is now Istanbul). And you're right in relating the culture of Rohan to Norse, Viking, and Northern Germanic tribes, changing a roving seafaring culture for an equestrian almost-nomadic lifestyle (closer to the Scythians and other people of the steppes), and where Tolkien "translates" Rohirric language into Old English (the language of Beowulf) in LotR, just as he "translates" Westron into modern English.
All that said, you covered the major elements very well. Thanks, again.
I always liked the contest thor undertook in which he had to down a whole drinking horn that was connected to the sea, but he didn't know this. He drank so vigorously so as not to be bested by the giants that tricked him that he created the shores. I've always loved how thor is a symbol of strength, but people often forget he's also the most determined and strongwilled gods
Extremely well made Doc. Great research & narration
Wonderful video! Will be there a part 2 detailing/explaining the various Christian(specifically catholic) themes which undoubtedly played a huge role in his shaping of the legendarium?
Haha... don't bet on it. He likely won't cover that.
If they don't poke at that topic at all, they likely won't mention it sadly.
cool vid James loved as a Norse Pagan the Saga's a big thing and I knew Tolkien used a Norse Stuff and Rohan is my favourite land in Middle - Earth looking forward to the next vid as i always do my favourites are Beowulf and the Hanaval
Thanks :D
Awesome video! As an armchair historian, Tolkien's works appeal to me through their obvious throwbacks to history and legend--and not just Norse. A great empire of men split into Arnor and Gondor--of which only one survives--sound familiar? Could you make more videos like this exploring Tolkien's inspirations?
Romulus and Remus? My first, rather uneducated guess haha
One of my favorite subjects. I’ve gotten heavily into old Norse mythology and sagas and as a Tolkien fan it is one of the coolest things to see the parallels.
As for the answer to your question, my favorite Norse legend is that of Odin giving his eye to Mimir’s well to obtain unparalleled wisdom
It is so interesting isn’t it!
Great video! My personal favourite sagas are Völsunga saga and Beowulf.
Wouldn't Celtic mythology be a good part of his influence too?
If so, could you make a video on that also?
Thank you, I really enjoyed this, nice to add some background.
His love of Welsh language and culture is vital too
The Welsh is just lush!
He drew extensively from The Mabinogion and other deep Welsh myths as well as other Celtic lore, which all survived in various forms pre Anglo Saxon whitewash. It was perhaps because the Celtic peoples were pushed to the edge of Britain is why they did last and many English tales did not or were diluted by foreign influence?
Amazing video. I've read a ton of academic stuff on Tolkien and you guys sum it up in a fun peppy way with the imagery and all that. And in less than 700 pages lol. Great great stuff! And YT notifications are all messed up lately
I am surprised no one has seen the similarities between Aragorn and a young King arthur, the sword in the stone/sword that was broken, and Gandalf/Merlin. Tolkien used many ancient Saga and foltale memes for his stories.
Plenty do, but they believe those figures to be English. Which is ofourse incorrect. They were Britons (Welsh) who were fighting those who would become known as the English.
Absolutely.
I read lord of the rings when I was 10/11, right after I watched the first movie in the cinema. At 14 I read silmarillion for the first time. There is no coincidence that I got so invested in mythology, King Arthur, Robin Hood, Old testament, read the conn iggulden novels and Manfredis Alexander the Great. They were all connected. That and my personal journeys to Greece, Italy, Spain etc. I am a swede/german myself. Grew up with runic stones and mounds around me. Tolkien and his universe really merged into mine, became more real. And my favouritecharacters aside the fellowship of the ring, Beleg Cuthalion and Prince Imrahil had a huge impact on the way I wanted to be.
Thanks for your video!
Gandalf was actually mostly inspired by Väinämöinen who is a wizard in finnish mythology. Tolkien was also inspired by finnish mythology with the ring being inspired Sampo witch was a machine that makes all sorts of riches.
I'm glad to hear it because Norse Odin was even more of a dong than Marvel Odin.
@@TJDious What does "dong" mean?
@Marcus i cant believe you wrote an essay to correct me lol. But anyway thx for letting me know.
I learned more than I thought in this video,good job as always !
Thor going fishing has been my favorite. I love how scaling is just all over the place, but still a great story
Excellent video!
Excellent video! I love this type of content and I thank you for your research! Please keep them coming :)
Great video, guys
Thanks so much!
Much was also taken from the history and tales from Wales, and general Celtic stories, especially of Authurian origin. I would love a video studying these similarities! 🙌
Great suggestion! :D
Do not hobbits still live in the most rural parts of Wales?
His work comes off to me like a retelling of many western European myths and folklore, and an attempt to somewhat "baptize" these stories, Christianize them, and bring the sort of whimsical stories and archetypal myths he loved into a Christian society, while also injecting some pretty heavily Catholic themes.
Thus bringing back to our dying christian world the vitality of mythic pagan world.
@@nosotrosloslobosestamosreg4115 Cringe
Tolkien was a devout Catholic and the Christian underpinnings of his works show up clearly in the Ainulindalë and Valaquenta in the Silmarillion.
Very interesting. I did not actually know Tolkien took so much inspiration from Norse mythology. Very cool. It's a really cool thought that he created all these stories as a way to give England famous sagas and tales
Glad you enjoyed it!
A different show attributed the appearance of the land of Mordor to the view from a hill of an area blasted by foundries and other coal-burning industries, all closely located.
Im suprised people really dont know that. For a scandinavia like me the lotr books are like en epic viking saga. Almost all the creatures are nordic/germanic in orgin. England are ofc germanic to
Culturally England suffered from the various invasions of the past, basically Tolkein felt that he needed to recreate the Anglo Saxon literary traditions of England as the Norman's effectively destroyed them, while Beowulf survived the main antagonist wasn't from England and stories like King Arthur from what I remember are victorian translations of Norman re workings of the traditional story, in which the Anglo Saxons where the bad guys. So Tolkein really did do a hell of a lot more then just write awesome stories, he corrected an historic wrong
This makes me curious how Tolkien's universe will be viewed in a few centuries/millenniums, compared to how we view tales and legends from the past these days.
One of my childhood, favourite stories, was how the tide, came to bee. The same storie, tells hov Tor, caught Midgardsormen, while Fishing. :-)
The Undying Lands may be based on Tír na nÓg (Land of Youth) which is a land of youth and beauty in Irish mythology which can only be reached through voyage or an invitation.
Awesome stuff!
Awesome video man.
Awsome subject..stunning pictures at apporx 6:26 and 16:39📙🧙♂️✨
Thank you! And there are so many great artists out there!
In my literature class in High school, we read Beowulf, I can't say it grab my interest like many Greek Mythology stories have had. I have tried to read Norse mythology as well, but again none of their story I personally enjoy. I have seen few different movie versions of Beowulf, and the 13th warriors is likely my favor version of retold story of Beowulf.
Greek mythology is an unsurpassed thing, a fact!!!
I’ve always enjoyed both mythologies because they are two very worlds so I can enjoy both without comparing them. But I think the Norse Myths have a greater depth to them because you can put them together as one continuous storyline where as Greek and Roman myths always felt more disconnected from each other.
What-if video idea for you to do:
What if Gandalf never fell at the Bridge of Khazad-dum and continued with the fellowship to Lothlorien and on forward?
"Do not laugh!"
Professor, the only reason anyone is laughing is that you ever thought the idea was laughable.
This is very interesting. Always wondered how he got his work built and his foundations.
The title of this video is "What was TOLKIEN'S INSPIRATION?", and I'd like to challenge the idea that Tolkien was _inspired_ by the mythology of northern Europe. Instead, said mythology was part of his pantry, his source of ingredients in making his stew, to draw upon a cookery analogy. Tolkien's motivation as an artist, the root idea been the word _inspiration_ , lay in his own experiences and beliefs.
Apparently, Tolkien borrowed place names from Scandinavia, more specifically Denmark, as well: Isengard is supposedly named after Isgård and Helms Deep after Hjelm Dyb, both situated in Djursland, an area that was historically home to an ancient danish tribe that Tolkien had studied. The city of Esgaroth might have been inspired by the place Eskerod and the river Aros shares its name with the Old Norse name for the city of Aarhus.
Do not forget "Vestfold" Which today is a county in southern Norway
Just saw the poll you posted and immediately came here
I just requested this from another RUclipsr and was denied. Subbed
I just am busy lately and didn’t get to this video right away!
Rumor has it, Tollken indulged in a little “ Smoke”
I had no idea but in watching this it feels pretty obvious 🤣 very interesting.
I have also been confused for a long time. about names of places and persons in Tolkien's Middle Earth. Until I discovered, that he wrote about his own England, but that he used a lot from the Nordic sagas. AND the north itself, especially place names! Thus I live 10 kilometers from Isengard, (Issegaard) and 20 from Helms deep.(Hjelms dyb)
I live in Eskerod myself! ❤️ and we have many Hobbit village names right around where we live! 😊 for instance Toggerbo. I couldn’t be more thrilled!
My favourite thing I randomly came across is that a Gothic word “thiudinassus” meaning “kingdom” has a cognate in Old English which is “theoden”
Not sure if this will break through the static. But I am curious about your take on bringing more verisimilitude to stories "made up" about the people of Middle Earth (maybe in the 2nd Age). It seems Tolkien would welcome such things as long as they are in alignment with the lore. My understanding is Tolkien said he was trying to set up a framework for Anglo-Saxon mythology on which others could flesh out more stories. Am I wrong there? Here is my beef with the stories Tolkien gives us. LOTR was all about the need to recognize the works of 'the little folk' and yet the First Age is rife of Great hero stories many of whom were the Elven kings and comparable leaders of Men. Yet, we hear little about the actual masons and craftsmen of Gondolin or Numenor as examples. Or, and more closely to Tolkien's heart it would seem, the rank and file members of the men-at-arms in the various armies. al-la "All's Quiet on the Mordor Front." Yes, we have Sam Gamgee as our model. And I will end by answering my own question, writers do not find these "non-existent'" characters worthy of note, and boring, even though they are the foundation on which the great realms rose, stood and fell.
Fair to say that New Zealand was not in the running and Mordor must have been inspired by his time in Leeds.
😂 poor Leeds 😂
@@TheBrokenSword Actually it may be a compliment.
I've heard that Gandalf was also heavily influenced by Väinämöinen, the wizard in the Finnish national epic poem, The Kalevala. I've also heard that he loved the Finnish language, and used it as the basis for Quenyan. I would love to hear anything you know about Tolkien's Finnish influences :)
Ooh, someone recently mentioned that Welsh was the basis for Sindarin. Perhaps you could do a video covering the influences on the languages he developed :)
My favourite Norse Myth is the Treasures of the gods, where Loki cuts Sifs hair, and then convinces dwarves to compete to see who can make the best crafts from gold.
Not only does it give us some iconic Norse artefacts like Mjolnir, but with how it ends, I truly believe that is the point where Loki progresses from being a silly trickster god, towards being evil and the main antagonist of the mythology.
This is exactly what I read when not knowing where to go after Tolkien. Just and simply… before Tolkien.
Very interesting subject 👏🏼
Are you going to do more videos on the other major inspirations for Tolkien's works?
Prof. Tolkien was the reason I pursue degree in literature and cultural study. Instead of learning the western myth, I dig deeper in the Asian myth, which as rich as any other countries myth. I followed class about Greek mythology too back in the university, I found some similarities also with the middle earth lore. I think prof got inspired by Greek myth also.
I love the world tree. The British Isles, especially England, were cut off from their heritage and folk lore by the roman slaying of the druids and diminishing of their Celtic history.
Isn't Arda the Arabic word for earth?
I believe the history channel made a few similar episodes around 2010
Do not forget "Vestfold" Which today is a county in southern Norway.
Great video! If you are of a mind to, I'm sure you know you could create videos covering his inspirations from Celtic/Welsh, Finnish, and some other mythologies.
It's definitely something I want to do more on in the future :D
One of the stories from Norse mythology that I really like is fafnir Saga
Excellent.
It would be interesting to see a video solely on the obvious inspiration he took from his homeland and the Anglo Saxons. We know he was a fan of poems like Beowulf, but it would be interesting to go further. Of course, the Anglo Saxons were essentially descendants of Germanic tribes, so the Norse myths play in to that to some extent.
We do know that Tolkien had a vision of Middle Earth being a history/mythology of England as so much of what we did have has been lost, but it would be nice to see something to make a comparison to the lands we know he held so dear.
Of course, there are the connections with the Arthurian and Celtic myths, but they are more related to the Irish and the Welsh.
If anyone knows of any videos on here talking about this subject, I would be grateful for a point in the right direction. Also, any written articles would be helpful too.
Oh, and I just wanted to add that this is a fantastic video! The information you’ve entered here must’ve taken some serious research to make this essay in to video form. Thanks you so much for it! As someone who has and continues to study the Norse sagas, you have embarked on no mean feat!
Love How Its always some Danish King authors base stories on.. I mean Tolkien, Shakespeare etc
So interesting! Do you or does anyone here know the reason for rings being cursed in Icelandic mythology? In Beowulf a great evidence for a king’s goodness was how many rings he handed out. There must be a great story there. Thanks!
Would you say the Grimms Tales and the Mabinogian too? all the woodland creatures and animals have a very European folke feel to them. The hobbit for me is very much like a Victorian/ Edwardian fairy tale story than what the series would become. Oh and Elves don't have pointy ears by the way haha :) . Great Video man, keep it up :)
Thank you for this video.
Living in Sweden, I really appreciate the Norse roots in Tolkiens work ... And I love that he as professor in old Norse also could read and write modern Swedish. At least to the level that he did not like the first Swedish translation of the Hobbit. He thought it was to modern ... But he did not rejected it. I wonder what he would say about the new translation och the Hobbit and the Lords Of the Rings trilogy? Maybe he would like them better since the naming of places and people are said to be more truthful to the original language of the books.
And off course a persons life, belief, education, profession, experiences will have some spill in a persons writing ... like the hatred for spiders! At young age he was bitten buy a venomous spider in South Africa and got really ill ... Could that be a reson for why Ungoliat, Shelob and all the spiders in Mirkwood where evil? I also heard that the dead marshes is a reminder of the trench war in World War One, where Tolkien experienced dead marshes in real life ...
Not actual dead marshes, but corpses floating in rainwater filled shell craters would have been seen by Tolkien during his time on the front lines in WW1.
PERSONALLY, I like to think Tolkien did actually find the writings and labored to translate it and published it as the lord of the rings lol
No. Inspired, very likely. There are elements in Lord of the rings that also reflect his more present experience as well.
Haha, me too. It's a great little meta-literary device. When I first realized that "Westron" wasn't English, and was only translated into English...wow lol
It always struck me how much the Shire resembles my native land of Alsace-
Which is ironic as Tolkien never set foot in it as far as I know.
Yet where I am from, we have rolling green hills and plains, our people are not tall and thin, rather they are stout and round.
The old half-timbered houses have small doors and low cielings.
We eat five times a day (mostly snacking between meals) and are simple folk, with few ever straying far from their homeland.
Good food, good wine...
I always joke that we are hobbits.
Please tell me where are you?
Then again, if Tolkien fans knew about this, you'd be visited frequently as the closest thing to hobbits.
Thank you for bringing up the way the Vikings addressed their chieftains!
It irks me that none of the viking productions get it right .
If Sigurd Haraldson is an earl he would be addressed Sigurd earl!
Tolkien got most of his inspiration for the lore of middle-earth from the legends and mythology of Germanic tribes. We're talking about here the Anglo-Saxons, to the Vikings. Beowulf which deeply and profoundly influenced Tolkien, had to do with the two Germanic tribes of Sweden and Denmark. Some may point to Iceland as being different but Iceland was invaded and taken over by the Norwegians/Vikings. So again, the creation of Middle Earth, and its lore come from the legends and mythology of Germanic tribes. Tolkien himself, his wife and whole family are of German descent, as is the House of Windsor, the king and queen of England of present-day. Now of course there are some other influences like the Celtic peoples and legends.
Gandalf are inspired by Väinämöinen who are in Finland's mythology Wizard
Tolkien are inspired by Kalevala Finland's Mythology.
Turin=Kullervo
Great Eagles= Kokko
Gandalf=Väinämöinen
Iluvatar=Ilmatar
and many more.
Came here to say this, thankfully didn't need to
In my opinion, Gandalf is much more like Väinämöinen from Kalevala then Odin
@@raivohilleri99 Yes
Thank you for commenting this.
I was hoping for someone to mention Kalevala.
There was an ancient king in Norway named Gandalv that Tolkien probably read about i Snorre’s sagas.
This is insane. Its Based on Brythonic mythology, known toady as the Welsh. Its based on the 3000 year old Welsh triads known as the Mabinogi. Arthur=Aragorn. Merlin=Gandalf. Numenorians=Britons. Minis Tirith=Camelot. Sindarin=Welsh. We know this as he regularly vacationed in Wales and his best friend was CS Lewis who himself was of Welsh descent.
As an avid fan of Norse mythology, I do see why Tolkien compared Gandalf to Odin. They are both divine beings who are well versed in magic. They are both travelers, cloaking themselves in the guise of old men. They both wander the world of mortals, where they share their wisdom and provide people with counsel.
Less talked about, though, is how Saruman may also bear a connection to Odin. In Norse sagas, the chief of the Norse gods has a darker side. He is capable of deception, and often manipulates or sacrifices mortals for his own aims. He also has an unquenchable thirst for wisdom, and will do anything to achieve more knowledge and power. This side of Odin is, I think, quite apparent in Saruman, who represents the corruption such desires can lead to. Another interesting connection is the power of their voices. The sagas describe Odin as so well spoken that every word that comes out of his mouth seems like the only truth. Similarly, Saruman has an uncanny ability to spellbind and influence people using his voice.
I'm watching this cause of your poll
Beowulf is my favorite! Great story.
Didn't once mention Celtic Legends he used those also .
I’d recommend reading the letters of J.R.R. Tolkien book as it gives an insight into his life.
Feel like pointing out that "Middle-earh" itself is a translation of "Midgaard" from the norse myths. One of the 9 ralms of Yggdrasil, the one where humans lived.
That in it self should tell anyone something about his inspriation.
I found it interesting in doing this video you did not mention that Tolkien being of Germanic lineage and Norse mythology being of Germanic origins such a deep rooted connection would have been another solid reason for his love for those tales.
where can i get the pictures and drawings you use in your videos i really want the one with gandalf and the felowship vs gandalf and witch king an orcs at isengard
All art is credited both on screen and in the description, just have a search for the piece and hopefully they are easy to find :)
I agree on Tolkien being one of the greatest writers.
I'm pretty sure, if he still lived, he'd wrote plenty of more epic things.
It is almost sad to think of all the stories we may have missed with his passing!
@@TheBrokenSword Indeed.
As someone who's currently in the process of creating his own fantasy universe much like Middle Earth, it helps to know that even Tolkien didn't come up with it all out of his own head. Head. He also drew lots of inspiration from things that predated him, just like we're doing now. When you forget history, you are doomed to repeat it, but that is not necessarily. Always a bad thing it seems
My dogs are called Loki and Balder, that may give a clue to one of my favourite Norse stories.
I love Beowulf ( and therefore Eaters of the Dead and 13 Warrior)
You really should have a look at a Comyns Beaumont book called Britain key to world history, you may see Tolkien's work differently :) Good video as ever though, love Tolkien
When it comes to western mythology Tolkien is one of the most knowledgeable people ever. The links between his work and myths of the past are near endless.
Tolkien was quite obvious about where he got his ideas for stories, but also for his languages. About that, anglosaxon is a westgerman language and people, not northern. The people of Rohan are quite similar to anglosaxons and their names and language as well.