Did Tolkien Take Inspiration From Norse Mythology?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Did Tolkien take inspiration from Norse mythology? This sounds familiar to Icelanders and those who know Icelandic folklore and Middle Earth.

Tolkien was inspired by Icelandic books

, written by both known and unknown Icelandic authors, such as the Sagas and Prose Edda. As an Icelander myself, I love Icelandic sagas, Norse Mythology and Tolkien’s work.

What did Tolkien take from Norse mythology?

Other parts of Tolkien’s universe, the elves, and dwarves especially, were based largely on the Norse mythological sources,

the Poetic and the Prose Edda

. Tolkien’s Gandalf is particularly reminiscent of the Norse god Odin, who is described as having a long white beard, wide brimmed hat, staff, and cloak.

Is Middle Earth based on Norse mythology?

Midgard, also spelled Midgardr (Old Norse: Middle Abode), also called Manna-Heim (“Home of Man”),

in Norse mythology, the Middle Earth, the abode of mankind, made from the body of the first created being, the giant Aurgelmir (Ymir)

.

Where did Tolkien get his inspiration?

Who was Tolkien influenced by?

Influenced by

Is Gandalf based on Odin?


The figure of Gandalf is based on the Norse deity Odin

in his incarnation as “The Wanderer”, an old man with one eye, a long white beard, a wide brimmed hat, and a staff. Tolkien wrote in a 1946 letter that he thought of Gandalf as an “Odinic wanderer”.

Was Rohan inspired by Vikings?


The Germanic, and especially Viking, influence on The Lord of the Rings is, however, not only restricted to the people of Rohan

. It can also be seen in the general treatment of mythology and poetry and in parallels between some characters in Norse sagas and The Lord of the Rings, as for example Odin and Gandalf.

Is Gandalf a Norse?


Gandalf (Old Norse: Gandálfr [ˈɡɑndˌɑːlvz̠]) is a Dvergr (Norse dwarf) in Norse mythology

, appearing in the so-called ‘Tally of the Dwarves’ within the poem Völuspá from the Poetic Edda, as well as in the Prose Edda.

What did the Norse call Earth?

Midgard is the realm where humans live, the Earth. It was created when the god Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve slayed the giant Ymir. In Norse mythology, the world was seen as a gigantic tree, called

the World Tree or Yggdrasil

, around which existed nine realms, each at a different level.

Is Lord of the Rings Pagan?

Despite J. R. R. Tolkien’s assertion that The Lord of the Rings was a fundamentally Christian work,

paganism appears in that book and elsewhere in his fictional world of Middle-earth in multiple ways

.

Where did Tolkien get the idea for LOTR?

As for the precious and cursed gold ring, which was to be the focal point of The Hobbit’s sequel, The Lord of the Rings, the author reportedly came up with the idea following

a visit to an archaeological dig in Gloucester in 1929

. An archaeologist found a Roman relic there in 1785.

What was Middle-earth based on?

Middle-earth is the

fictional setting of much of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy

. The term is equivalent to the Miðgarðr of Norse mythology and Middangeard in Old English works, including Beowulf.

What has Lord of the Rings inspired?


The Legend of Zelda

was inspired by The Lord of the Rings books, as well as other dungeon crawler and action-adventure games. The books themselves have been reproduced in video game form repeatedly, though without necessarily reflecting the power of Tolkien’s storytelling.

What culture is Rohan based on?

[edit] Inspiration. Several aspects of Rohan’s culture and history seem to be inspired by both

Goths, Scandinavians and the medieval Anglo-Saxons

. Just like the Germanic Ostrogoths, Rohirric culture was a mounted culture.

What influenced JRR Tolkien to write The Hobbit?

Hobbit holes and The Ring

It is thought that

he was then told about an inscribed gold ring found in a Hampshire field in 1785, also linked to a Roman curse tablet discovered at Dwarf’s Hill

. Tolkien is believed to have started writing The Hobbit, about a Halfling who finds a cursed ring, a year later.

Why does Sam call him Mr Frodo?

Sam begins calling Frodo “master”

because he is impelled to do so by the power of the Ring

. The few times that Sam refers to Frodo as “my master” before Book 4, the influence of the Ring is a direct factor. The first two times occur just after Weathertop, as Frodo fights the Morgul blade traveling towards his heart.

Is Norse mythology from Iceland?

While Norse Myths are about the places and people across Scandinavia (as well as the Norse Gods Odin, Thor, Loki, etc.)

majority, if not all, of the sagas, myths and legends were written in Iceland

.

What culture is Gondor based on?

Tolkien denied that the name Gondor had been inspired by the

ancient Ethiopian citadel of Gondar

, stating that the root Ond went back to an account he had read as a child mentioning ond (“stone”) as one of only two words known of the pre-Celtic languages of Britain.

Are Rohan Saxons?

Is Mordor in Middle-earth?


In J. R. R. Tolkien’s fictional world of Middle-earth

, Mordor (pronounced [ˈmɔrdɔr]; from Sindarin Black Land and Quenya Land of Shadow) is the realm and base of the evil Sauron. It lay to the east of Gondor and the great river Anduin, and to the south of Mirkwood.

Is Lord of the Rings based on Greek mythology?

He used various sources. And yes, Tolkien did study greek in one point. However,

it’s rather considered whether Lord of the Rings (the object) was inspired by the Ring of Nibelung (work of Wagner inspired by norse mythology)

. Also, tengwar (elvish script) was affected by Tolkien’s mother’s hand-writing.

Is Asgard and Valhalla the same?

Asgard, Old Norse Ásgardr, in Norse mythology, the dwelling place of the gods, comparable to the Greek Mount Olympus.

Legend divided Asgard into 12 or more realms, including Valhalla

, the home of Odin and the abode of heroes slain in earthly battle; Thrudheim, the realm of Thor; and Breidablik, the home of Balder.

Are the 9 realms real?

No mention is made anywhere of who or what created the great tree of the world but

all nine realms existed in and around its roots

. It seems to have grown from the misty void of Ginnungagap which was bordered on one side by fiery Muspelheim and on the other by icy Niflheim.

Who is Freya to Thor?

Within the context of the stories, Freya is the

Asgardian goddess of fertility

. She appears as a supporting character of Thor.

What was Tolkien’s religion?

Tolkien was a

Roman Catholic

whose mother converted to the faith and raised him in it. His father died when he was 3 and his mother died when he was 12, leaving him an orphan. Yet he remained a devout Catholic throughout his life and it helped shape his literature, Chance said.

Who are hobbits based on?

As you may have guessed, hobbits are a

fictional race born in Tolkien’s imagination

. He even created an etymology for the word, making hobbit derive from holbylta, based on Old English roots meaning “hole-dweller.” Tolkien invented three groups of hobbits.

Where is Mordor in real life?


Tongariro National Park

– The land of Mordor. If you were only able to visit one real life Lord of the Rings location in New Zealand, then the Tongariro National Park has to be it. This was the main setting for the land of Mordor, and is home to phenomenal scenery.

How did Tolkien come up with Middle-earth?

“Tolkien was a genius with a unique approach to literature,” says Richard Ovenden, Bodley’s Librarian at the University of Oxford. “His imagined world was created

through a combination of his deep scholarship, his rich imagination and powerful creative talent, and informed by his own lived experiences

.

Was the Witcher inspired by LOTR?

Was Harry Potter influenced by Lord of the Rings?


Fans of author J. R. R. Tolkien have drawn attention to the similarities between his novel The Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter series

; specifically Tolkien’s Wormtongue and Rowling’s Wormtail, Tolkien’s Shelob and Rowling’s Aragog, Tolkien’s Gandalf and Rowling’s Dumbledore, Tolkien’s Nazgûl and Rowling’s …

Did Gandalf inspired Dumbledore?

Gandalf was patterned after Odin from Norse Mythology. When you consider the idea that Dumbledore is patterned after Odin, then the connection breaks down. It is possible to say that

Gandalf inspired Rowling in making Dumbledore

.

What myth inspired The Lord of the Rings?

Is Gandalf a Norse?


The Dúnedain of Gondor believed that the Rohirrim were distantly related to them

(having descended from the Atanatári of the First Age) and describe them as Middle Men, that being inferior to the Númenóreans in both culture and descent, but superior to the Men of Darkness who had worshiped and served Sauron.

Is Rohan America?


Rohan Oza is an American

businessman, investor, and marketing expert behind several large brands. Rohan has been a recurring guest on the television show Shark Tank.

What myth inspired The Lord of the Rings?

He often took the form of a fish and, one day, he swam to the land of the water nymphs, who guarded mounds of gold. When the nymphs laughed at his appearance, Andvari grew infuriated and seized their gold. With it, he crafted himself a special ring. Iseult Gillespie shares the

Norse myth of the cursed ring

.

Is Gandalf a Norse?


Gandalf (Old Norse: Gandálfr [ˈɡɑndˌɑːlvz̠]) is a Dvergr (Norse dwarf) in Norse mythology

, appearing in the so-called ‘Tally of the Dwarves’ within the poem Völuspá from the Poetic Edda, as well as in the Prose Edda.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.