Tolkien Gleanings #289
* New in the first-issue of the new journal Studia Neophilologica, the article “J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘Gawain’s leave-taking’: A composite translation of ‘Against my will I take my leave’ (Vernon MS 407v) and a door to further criticism”. The article can also be had free here.
“This article analyzes the manner in which the publication of the deluxe slipcased edition of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl and Sir Orfeo (2020) has helped to uncover some new evidence concerning Tolkien’s poem/translation ‘Gawain’s leave-taking’ (1925), and the possible early influence of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (late 14th c.) on the initial stages of Tolkien’s Legendarium, in particular on The lay of Leithian (1925–1931). The article reveals, for the first time, the source for Tolkien’s poem/translation, namely ‘Against my will I take my leave’ (Vernon MS 407 v) as edited in Carleton Brown’s Religious lyrics of the XIVth century (1924), and the importance of ascribing the work by Tolkien to the year 1925 or earlier. It is my hope that this contribution nudges other scholars to examine the evidence with care and to propose enlightening analyses, especially considering that the influence of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in Tolkien’s early writing remains unexplored.”
* In the new £92 academic book, Theology, Religion, and Dungeons & Dragons: Explorations of the Sacred through Fantasy Worlds (February 2025), the chapter “Tolkien’s Shadow: The Sub-Creating Influence of Middle Earth on Dungeons & Dragons“.
* The new listing of May 2025 online short-courses from Signum University includes “The Poetic Corpus of J.R.R. Tolkien: The Mature Years”, covering 1919-1931.
* A long review of the stage-play Tolkien by Ron Reed. This has just premiered in the USA and will run until 30th March 2025….
“At nearly three hours with an intermission […] it requires a thoughtful audience curious about interpersonal relationships more than about orcs and elves. A good comparison might be the film Shadowlands […] MaryBeth Schmid captures the period of the play with her excellent costume designs. Hendren creates subtle little flashes throughout that bring to mind imagery or characters from either the Narnia books or Tolkien’s Middle-earth.”
* A new Inklings Scholar Interview: Charles Franklyn Beach.
* A new article in The Imaginative Conservative, “The Exorcism of Bilbo Baggins”, examining Gandalf’s role as a kind of ‘exorcist’ in helping with the burden of the Ring. Written by a genuine exorcist, by the sound of it, but one doesn’t have to believe in such things to value some of the article’s points.
* And finally, new on YouTube, a recent “Tolkien Tour of Oxford”. Filmed on a hand-held camera, but with a reasonable amount of steady-cam — though viewers may still experience some sea-sickness.