I am now an independent researcher working on medieval English Romance, specifically Sir Bevis of Hampton and its Anglo-Norman source, Boeve de Hantone, as well as continuing with my work in Tolkien Studies. Having completed a body of work on Romance, including its appearance in Tolkien's legendarium (forthcoming), I am moving on to research pilgrimage in southern England, which will also intersect with Romance. I remain available for online tutorials in Middle English, including drama.
This paper is part of a larger project in which I have begun look at the many functions of plant ... more This paper is part of a larger project in which I have begun look at the many functions of plant references in Tolkien's major works. The specific focus here is to examine the means by which textiles named and used in the pre-industrial societies of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit would have received the colours that define races and individuals, through the process of dyeing mentioned by Saruman, using the Northern European plants also named in these texts.1 I then move on to note a social dimension before addressing its cosmological
Language law and drama transgressive language and characterization social comment, religious diss... more Language law and drama transgressive language and characterization social comment, religious dissent, and audience response in biblical plays transgressive language in three 15th-century morality plays "Magnyfycence" - signs of change in the 16th century "The Plays of the Weather" - entertainment and religious anxiety "King Johan" - the language of virtue and reformation.
John Heywood's early Tudor Play of the Weather owes a debt to Lucian's Dialogue known as Icaromen... more John Heywood's early Tudor Play of the Weather owes a debt to Lucian's Dialogue known as Icaromenippus. This essay proposes that two of its elements formerly thought to be missing in the play can in fact be located, and that the satire of philosophers in the dialogue reflects upon theological tensions surrounding the crisis generated by Henry VIII's desire for divorce.
Amon Hen 296, Bulletin of the Tolkien Society, 2022
Although the title of this book may jar with some Tolkien fans, the references to Martin's work i... more Although the title of this book may jar with some Tolkien fans, the references to Martin's work illuminate by comparison the spiritual depth, eschatological range, and subtlety in the handling of medieval contexts that is absent from Martin's fantasy.
Tolkien’s use of plants in his works has, over many years, been the subject of limited critical a... more Tolkien’s use of plants in his works has, over many years, been the subject of limited critical attention in spite of the diversity and complexity of that use. This paper examines a selection of Tolkien’s best-known botanical references from the perspectives of various literary theories, to reveal the significance of anachronism in The Lord of the Rings. This in turn highlights the levels and forms of interpenetration by the past into the present of Middle-earth. Although the past is explicit throughout the work, attention to plants associated with specific characters and events reveals a subtext of anxiety in which the past is constructed variously as a threat, a cause or a remedy, according to the familiar, mythic, ethical or symbolic connotations of the plants depicted within the framework of Middle-earth.
Studies of Tolkien's poetry always have been rare. The recent collection of essays entitled T... more Studies of Tolkien's poetry always have been rare. The recent collection of essays entitled Tolkien's Poetry, edited by Julian Eilmann and Allan Turner, is one of the few of book-length that address the diversity and significance of the topic. Furthermore, as Thomas Kullmann has recently pointed out in "Poetic Insertions in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings," there is "little input from contemporary English scholarship, linguistics, as well as literary and cultural studies" (304n37) in existing critiques of Tolkien's poetry. This is a sadly correct assessment, and in part is a reflection of the nature and function of that poetry. Although the poetic content in Tolkien's prose works constantly adds new dimensions to characters, positioning them within the aesthetic of their race, and in relation to the history of Middle-earth, his poetry remains predominantly situational and occasional, belonging within the mythology and the aesthetic that govern...
THE MIRROR CRACK'D: FEAR AND HORROR IN JRR TOLKIEN'S MAJOR WORKS. Ed. Lynn Forest-Hill. [... more THE MIRROR CRACK'D: FEAR AND HORROR IN JRR TOLKIEN'S MAJOR WORKS. Ed. Lynn Forest-Hill. [Newcastle upon Tyne]: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2008. 246 pp. US$52.99 ISBN 13: 9781847186348. (Orders www.c-s-p.org). THIS COLLECTION OF TEN ESSAYS (designated as "chapters") is more narrowly focused than its rather general title might suggest. As the introduction clarifies, the core of the collection consists of expanded versions of the three papers presented at the 2006 Leeds International Medieval Congress, with additional contributions by "established scholars and researchers." Therefore, although all the authors address fear and horror in the works of Tolkien, they do so primarily (though not exclusively) in terms of his medieval sources. Maria Raffaella Benvenuto's brief contribution "From Beowulf to the Balrogs: The Roots of Fantastic Horror in The Lord of the Rings" asserts that Tolkien scholars have rather neglected the horror/Gothic aspects of his work, which she sees as his "personal reinterpretation" (6) of various motifs owing much to both medieval roots and nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature. In only a few pages she discusses the theme of Middle-earth as a world besieged, followed by the Balrog, Gollum, Shelob, the Ringwraiths and Sauron. The amount of space devoted to each is frustratingly brief, from the admirably succinct to the near-superficial. However, the range of topics covered makes the paper function reasonably well as an introduction. Many of the essays focus on specific characters or character types usually described as "monstrous." Reno E. Lauro and Rainer Nagel both tackle Shelob (who appears as a supporting player in a number of other papers as well). Lauro's "Of Spiders and (the Medieval Aesthetics of) Light: Hope and Action in the Horrors of Shelob's Lair" discusses the perceived influence of the medieval philosophy and aesthetics of light (with a nod to Barfield's theories of "ancient semantic unity") on Tolkien in general and his depiction of Shelob in particular. Even this mildly philosophy-phobic reviewer found it compelling. Nagel ("Shelob and her Kin: The Evolution of Tolkien's Spiders") argues convincingly that Tolkien's spiders are consciously constructed symbols of "religious danger"--based on the evidence of etymology and the characteristics associated with spiders in medieval bestiaries (90). Romauld Ian Lakowski ("Horror and Anguish: the Slaying of Glaurung and Medieval Dragon Lore") carefully traces the development of the Glaurung/Turin confrontation through its various and often contradictory versions, noting both the clear debt to medieval sources and the occasional departures from that tradition. Julie Pridmore ("Evil Reputations: Images of Wolves in Tolkien's Fiction") looks at the influence of medieval literature and Northern European mythology on Tolkien's depictions of wolves, wargs and werewolves. She notes that unlike other appearances of wolfish creatures in Tolkien's oeuvre, the mutual destruction of Huan and Carcaroth in The Silmarillion fits the traditional medieval model of the wolfhound as the wolf's primary enemy. Amy Amendt-Raduege ("Barrows, Wights and Ordinary People: The Unquiet Dead in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings") presents a discussion of barrows, mounds and their various inhabitants in Middle-earth. Her satisfyingly detailed evidence for Tolkien's sources includes Icelandic legends, Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon traditions, and medieval ghostlore. Providing a transition from these papers on specific characters or types to those dealing with broader themes is Jessica Burke's "Fear and Horror: Monsters in Tolkien and Beowulf." This is the longest paper in the collection, beginning with an attempt to define the concepts of fear, horror and monstrosity. …
Page 1. reproduction of Shakespearean playtexts, elucidating the importance of mar-ginalized figu... more Page 1. reproduction of Shakespearean playtexts, elucidating the importance of mar-ginalized figures and moments. At the same time, their critique of theatrical cuts as producing, in Martin's words, 'underachieved Shakespeare ...
This paper is part of a larger project in which I have begun look at the many functions of plant ... more This paper is part of a larger project in which I have begun look at the many functions of plant references in Tolkien's major works. The specific focus here is to examine the means by which textiles named and used in the pre-industrial societies of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit would have received the colours that define races and individuals, through the process of dyeing mentioned by Saruman, using the Northern European plants also named in these texts.1 I then move on to note a social dimension before addressing its cosmological
Language law and drama transgressive language and characterization social comment, religious diss... more Language law and drama transgressive language and characterization social comment, religious dissent, and audience response in biblical plays transgressive language in three 15th-century morality plays "Magnyfycence" - signs of change in the 16th century "The Plays of the Weather" - entertainment and religious anxiety "King Johan" - the language of virtue and reformation.
John Heywood's early Tudor Play of the Weather owes a debt to Lucian's Dialogue known as Icaromen... more John Heywood's early Tudor Play of the Weather owes a debt to Lucian's Dialogue known as Icaromenippus. This essay proposes that two of its elements formerly thought to be missing in the play can in fact be located, and that the satire of philosophers in the dialogue reflects upon theological tensions surrounding the crisis generated by Henry VIII's desire for divorce.
Amon Hen 296, Bulletin of the Tolkien Society, 2022
Although the title of this book may jar with some Tolkien fans, the references to Martin's work i... more Although the title of this book may jar with some Tolkien fans, the references to Martin's work illuminate by comparison the spiritual depth, eschatological range, and subtlety in the handling of medieval contexts that is absent from Martin's fantasy.
Tolkien’s use of plants in his works has, over many years, been the subject of limited critical a... more Tolkien’s use of plants in his works has, over many years, been the subject of limited critical attention in spite of the diversity and complexity of that use. This paper examines a selection of Tolkien’s best-known botanical references from the perspectives of various literary theories, to reveal the significance of anachronism in The Lord of the Rings. This in turn highlights the levels and forms of interpenetration by the past into the present of Middle-earth. Although the past is explicit throughout the work, attention to plants associated with specific characters and events reveals a subtext of anxiety in which the past is constructed variously as a threat, a cause or a remedy, according to the familiar, mythic, ethical or symbolic connotations of the plants depicted within the framework of Middle-earth.
Studies of Tolkien's poetry always have been rare. The recent collection of essays entitled T... more Studies of Tolkien's poetry always have been rare. The recent collection of essays entitled Tolkien's Poetry, edited by Julian Eilmann and Allan Turner, is one of the few of book-length that address the diversity and significance of the topic. Furthermore, as Thomas Kullmann has recently pointed out in "Poetic Insertions in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings," there is "little input from contemporary English scholarship, linguistics, as well as literary and cultural studies" (304n37) in existing critiques of Tolkien's poetry. This is a sadly correct assessment, and in part is a reflection of the nature and function of that poetry. Although the poetic content in Tolkien's prose works constantly adds new dimensions to characters, positioning them within the aesthetic of their race, and in relation to the history of Middle-earth, his poetry remains predominantly situational and occasional, belonging within the mythology and the aesthetic that govern...
THE MIRROR CRACK'D: FEAR AND HORROR IN JRR TOLKIEN'S MAJOR WORKS. Ed. Lynn Forest-Hill. [... more THE MIRROR CRACK'D: FEAR AND HORROR IN JRR TOLKIEN'S MAJOR WORKS. Ed. Lynn Forest-Hill. [Newcastle upon Tyne]: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2008. 246 pp. US$52.99 ISBN 13: 9781847186348. (Orders www.c-s-p.org). THIS COLLECTION OF TEN ESSAYS (designated as "chapters") is more narrowly focused than its rather general title might suggest. As the introduction clarifies, the core of the collection consists of expanded versions of the three papers presented at the 2006 Leeds International Medieval Congress, with additional contributions by "established scholars and researchers." Therefore, although all the authors address fear and horror in the works of Tolkien, they do so primarily (though not exclusively) in terms of his medieval sources. Maria Raffaella Benvenuto's brief contribution "From Beowulf to the Balrogs: The Roots of Fantastic Horror in The Lord of the Rings" asserts that Tolkien scholars have rather neglected the horror/Gothic aspects of his work, which she sees as his "personal reinterpretation" (6) of various motifs owing much to both medieval roots and nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature. In only a few pages she discusses the theme of Middle-earth as a world besieged, followed by the Balrog, Gollum, Shelob, the Ringwraiths and Sauron. The amount of space devoted to each is frustratingly brief, from the admirably succinct to the near-superficial. However, the range of topics covered makes the paper function reasonably well as an introduction. Many of the essays focus on specific characters or character types usually described as "monstrous." Reno E. Lauro and Rainer Nagel both tackle Shelob (who appears as a supporting player in a number of other papers as well). Lauro's "Of Spiders and (the Medieval Aesthetics of) Light: Hope and Action in the Horrors of Shelob's Lair" discusses the perceived influence of the medieval philosophy and aesthetics of light (with a nod to Barfield's theories of "ancient semantic unity") on Tolkien in general and his depiction of Shelob in particular. Even this mildly philosophy-phobic reviewer found it compelling. Nagel ("Shelob and her Kin: The Evolution of Tolkien's Spiders") argues convincingly that Tolkien's spiders are consciously constructed symbols of "religious danger"--based on the evidence of etymology and the characteristics associated with spiders in medieval bestiaries (90). Romauld Ian Lakowski ("Horror and Anguish: the Slaying of Glaurung and Medieval Dragon Lore") carefully traces the development of the Glaurung/Turin confrontation through its various and often contradictory versions, noting both the clear debt to medieval sources and the occasional departures from that tradition. Julie Pridmore ("Evil Reputations: Images of Wolves in Tolkien's Fiction") looks at the influence of medieval literature and Northern European mythology on Tolkien's depictions of wolves, wargs and werewolves. She notes that unlike other appearances of wolfish creatures in Tolkien's oeuvre, the mutual destruction of Huan and Carcaroth in The Silmarillion fits the traditional medieval model of the wolfhound as the wolf's primary enemy. Amy Amendt-Raduege ("Barrows, Wights and Ordinary People: The Unquiet Dead in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings") presents a discussion of barrows, mounds and their various inhabitants in Middle-earth. Her satisfyingly detailed evidence for Tolkien's sources includes Icelandic legends, Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon traditions, and medieval ghostlore. Providing a transition from these papers on specific characters or types to those dealing with broader themes is Jessica Burke's "Fear and Horror: Monsters in Tolkien and Beowulf." This is the longest paper in the collection, beginning with an attempt to define the concepts of fear, horror and monstrosity. …
Page 1. reproduction of Shakespearean playtexts, elucidating the importance of mar-ginalized figu... more Page 1. reproduction of Shakespearean playtexts, elucidating the importance of mar-ginalized figures and moments. At the same time, their critique of theatrical cuts as producing, in Martin's words, 'underachieved Shakespeare ...
This paper takes a subjective look at some of the problems encountered by female independent scho... more This paper takes a subjective look at some of the problems encountered by female independent scholars, drawing on the experiences of others as well as personal challenges, to argue for expanding informal collegiate networks to support and encourage independent scholars thereby working towards making us all more of a visible presence within scholarship.
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Papers by Lynn Forest-Hill