Christian and pagan elements of redemption in J.R.R. Tolkien's Mythopoeia

Abstract

When I had first heard of Peter Jackson's film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings I was swept up into the mania surrounding anything fantasy. Since then I have explored Tolkien's works thoroughly, expanding beyond The Lord of the Rings into his other books such as The Hobbit, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales amongst others. Hand in hand with the love for anything Tolkien rose my interest into mythology and the fantastic, the classical fairy tale from childhood and the mystical. In my opinion Tolkien is one of the foremost literary geniuses of the 20th century, a man who was creating a myth that was to spawn other myths and remain enduring; hence my choice of subject for the dissertation. This dissertation is concerned with the Christian and Pagan elements within the redemptive journeys of a select number of characters in The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The first chapter concerns the fallacy of humanity within Tolkien's myth, precisely through Turin, the downfall of Numenor and Boromir and how redemption is achieved for their crimes. The second chapter is concerned with the shepherding figures of Galadriel and Gandalf and how they help deliver the redemption concerned with Frodo and Aragorn in the third chapter. The conclusion finally caps the argument with Leaf by Niggle in the backdrop which I feel pins Tolkien's works together. Tarot card imagery has been used throughout to help cement the comparative aspect of Tolkien's work; comparative mythology being one of the fundamental themes of this dissertation.