Tag Archives: Tolkien

“There is Good Rock Here”

Posted on October 9, 2021 by Earthoak

There are many routes up and across ‘Arthur’s Seat’, each one different. Some steep, some rocky, some a gentle stroll. On this particular occasion I began at the Southern end, and took the ascending northward path through the long grass … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Nature, Tolkien | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Frodo and the Tyranny of Being Watched

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Earthoak

When we think of the many burdens and eventual traumas that Frodo had to deal with by the end of the story, what do we remember? We know of the physical maiming of course, and Shelob’s sting. We also know … Continue reading →

Posted in Tolkien | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Apples in Watercolour and Tolkien

Posted on April 26, 2020 by Earthoak

This post is about watercolour and apples in the first half, with a connection to the Lord of the Rings in the second half.

Posted in Art, Tolkien | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Part 4, Reading and Drawing The Lord of the Rings: On Fear, Knowledge and Power

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Earthoak

At last, a new blogpost, to (nearly) coincide with Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday! This is the second and last post on The Shadow of the Past…I’ve narrowed it down to a few themes, but there is so much more that could … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Literature, Tolkien | Tagged , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Tolkien’s Art and How it Influenced His Writing: Drawing to Discover

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Earthoak

Tolkien’s artwork, rather than his writing, was my first gateway to Middle-earth; so Jeffrey J. MacLeod’s and Anna Smol’s recent article “Visualizing the Word: Tolkien as Artist and Writer” (Tolkien Studies, volume 14) is of particular interest to me.  The … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Tolkien, Writing | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

CS Lewis’ Response to Critics of The Lord of the Rings: The Dethronement of Power

Posted on January 6, 2018 by Earthoak

C. S. Lewis’ defence of Tolkien’s work gives insight into the types of criticism it elicited. Chief among those criticisms were its supposed lack of realism, and lack of character development or moral complexity. Lewis robustly argues against both allegations, … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Tolkien | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

What Hobbits Knew All Along: Walking Barefoot is Good For You

Posted on November 26, 2017 by Earthoak

I came across an interesting piece of health research this week and of course couldn’t help but make the connection with the rather peculiar behaviour unique to hobbits. We are told in The Hobbit that they:

Posted in Tolkien | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

The Lord of the Rings Through The Eyes Of An 11 Year Old

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Earthoak

The first and original book review of The Hobbit was candidly supplied in 1936 by the ten-year old son of publisher Sir Stanley Unwin: “Bilbo Baggins was a Hobbit who lived in his Hobbit hole and never went for adventures, … Continue reading →

Posted in Tolkien | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments