Creatures of Tolkien's Imagination - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

09-18-2002, 02:14 PM

I truly appreciate tolkien for the creation of beautifully crafted books, Filled with enchanting lands, strange creatures, and beautiful wordplay. The question that comes to me (and that I do not have time to research with a 3 year old and day job) Is -

How many of these lands and creatures are completely products of Tolkien's imagination. Or to put it in other words - was he the first to think up elves, orcs, and the balrog or were these mysterious creatures lurking in the minds of other men before him.

Either way he is the man who created the place for them in my mind's eye some 20 years ago.
Thanks for any insights or websites - I should like to read other works by early authors of middle earth type lore.

Donisile Of Mirkwood · 09-18-2002, 02:37 PM

I should think that Orcs,Goblins,Elves were around before but creatures like Hobbits,The Balrog and Gollum were from his own imagination. Of course The Balrog is a demon and demons have been around for thousands of years. I should think the lands were his own imagination too. I'm not much of an expert though [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

09-19-2002, 04:17 PM

From some slight web research it seems gnomes, fairies, elves and other such things have their origins in English, Scottish, Germanic, Finnish myths. Thus having no single creator.

Tolkien seems to have greatly sculpted them and given them the detailed histories that make them so real. His books also have so many varied versions of the Gods and Demons (etc)that are surely originally his.

Gayametwen · 10-18-2002, 07:16 PM

No, he thought up basically non of it. He was a historian and one of the greatest studier of Beowolf. He basically rewrote a legend that the Celtics once told. The creatures are not his, but the Ring I do not know. The elvish language and stuff was his, but elvish was actually started off as ....The language of the people of Finland (I'm terrible at spelling that stuff) a small villiage that only the elders live, that's where Tolkien got most of his ideas ^^ Hope this helps.

avarrogion · 10-19-2002, 08:10 AM

One thing for sure Middle Earth was his creation and so do the cultures that came with it. Everthing that Tolkien did or wrote was presice and detailed even in the smallest manner.
The hardest thing i belief that he ever did was inventing Elvish and the languages used by the people of Middle Earth. Other than that Tolkien himself deserve the recognition for the detailed background of the characters of Middle Earth.
May the great JRR Tolkien live in peace we remember you!
[img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

09-18-2002, 02:14 PM	#1
grae Guest Posts: n/a	Creatures of Tolkien's Imagination I truly appreciate tolkien for the creation of beautifully crafted books, Filled with enchanting lands, strange creatures, and beautiful wordplay. The question that comes to me (and that I do not have time to research with a 3 year old and day job) Is - How many of these lands and creatures are completely products of Tolkien's imagination. Or to put it in other words - was he the first to think up elves, orcs, and the balrog or were these mysterious creatures lurking in the minds of other men before him. Either way he is the man who created the place for them in my mind's eye some 20 years ago. Thanks for any insights or websites - I should like to read other works by early authors of middle earth type lore.

09-18-2002, 02:37 PM	#2
Donisile Of Mirkwood Animated Skeleton Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: UK Posts: 36	I should think that Orcs,Goblins,Elves were around before but creatures like Hobbits,The Balrog and Gollum were from his own imagination. Of course The Balrog is a demon and demons have been around for thousands of years. I should think the lands were his own imagination too. I'm not much of an expert though [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] __________________ Let it not be said and said unto your shame that there was beauty here before you came.

10-18-2002, 07:16 PM	#4
Gayametwen Pile O'Bones Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Rivendell sigh or Mirkwood..or..... Posts: 16	No, he thought up basically non of it. He was a historian and one of the greatest studier of Beowolf. He basically rewrote a legend that the Celtics once told. The creatures are not his, but the Ring I do not know. The elvish language and stuff was his, but elvish was actually started off as ....The language of the people of Finland (I'm terrible at spelling that stuff) a small villiage that only the elders live, that's where Tolkien got most of his ideas ^^ Hope this helps. __________________ http://imagemagician.com/images/pbnai/ash.jpg ^^ Muahaha! shudders I'm supposed to be Gandalf living in Rivendell! MSN: cheeziestcheezer@hotmail.com

10-19-2002, 08:10 AM	#5
avarrogion Wight Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Malaysia Posts: 120	One thing for sure Middle Earth was his creation and so do the cultures that came with it. Everthing that Tolkien did or wrote was presice and detailed even in the smallest manner. The hardest thing i belief that he ever did was inventing Elvish and the languages used by the people of Middle Earth. Other than that Tolkien himself deserve the recognition for the detailed background of the characters of Middle Earth. May the great JRR Tolkien live in peace we remember you! [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] __________________ I might have been a slasher but I never killed children, only real men!...A mistake cannot make right by another mistake... ~Kenshin Himura~

09-19-2002, 04:17 PM	#3
grae Guest Posts: n/a	From some slight web research it seems gnomes, fairies, elves and other such things have their origins in English, Scottish, Germanic, Finnish myths. Thus having no single creator. Tolkien seems to have greatly sculpted them and given them the detailed histories that make them so real. His books also have so many varied versions of the Gods and Demons (etc)that are surely originally his.