The Origins of Tolkien's Middle-earth For Dummies

The popular movies based on The Lord of the Rings trilogy have created a whole new audience for Tolkien?s richly drawn world of Middle-earth. But newbies to these complex tales have a hard time separating out the key players and understanding their motivations and their relationships to one another.This book simplifies these complex threads while painting in the rich mythological and spiritual underpinnings of Tolkien?s message.This book explains the mythology and great moral themes inherent in Middle-earth story and their origins in European folklore and Christian and pre-Christian religious beliefs; the creatures of Middle-earth, such as hobbits, wizards, elves, and ents; the significance of languages in Middle-earth; and how Tolkien speaks to the world of the 21st century.The Origins of Tolkien?s Middle-earth For Dummies is an essential handbook to the fascinating world of Middle-Earth.

Greg Harvey is a language scholar who has traced the roots of Tolkien’s work in European folklore and pre-Christian religious beliefs. He has studied 12 languages, including Elvish, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon.