The Influence of William Morris

[littlemanpoet]

Tolkien proudly acknowledged his indebtedness to William Morris. He wrote in letters that he tried to describe the land of his story with the kind of love and care that he found in Morris's writings. But does the influence go beyond that?

Following are some bits from Morris's Icelandic Journals and News from Nowhere.

From the Icelandic Journals (I am indebted to Mythlore Magazine), Morris consciously presents himself as the rotund buffoon of his traveling party, cared for and irritating by turns. He regularly loses things. He is a man out of his comfort-zone, to use contemporary terms, who, though used to a comfortable middle-class life, is thrust into an "adventure". Morris is often homesick and dislikes rivers and streams. He clings to his horse's mane when fording rivers, and "quite lost my sense of where I was going". He proves to be a good camp cook

Morris describes the landscape and terrain inside the volcano Eiriksjokull: Climbing "over the lava till we come to a steep-sided hollow," they entered "first into a ragged sort of porch, and then into a regular vaulted hall" followed by a long dark passage.

Morris's party can't make a fire in the Icelandic damp: "It soon comes on to rain again," and after many attempts by all members of the party, they give it up, and begin to quarrel.

The Morris party's ponies are always running away, and one loses all its baggage as it bangs along the rough terrain, galloping away.

The houses in Iceland have thick turf walls: "both walls and roof are just as green as the field they spring from; all doors are very low," just not round.

What correspondences do you see? Does anyone else know much about Morris?

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Now that's downright fascinating, Elempi! It really does sound as if Morris could be a model for Bilbo, and the Icelandic houses for hobbit holes. I wouldn't be surprised if JRRT was familiar with that text and influenced by it. It may well have become part of the "leaf-mould" which fertilized his imagination.

As I'm particularly interested in the Arts and Crafts movement, founded by William Morris, I know more about the artistic background that influenced Tolkien. Many of Tolkien's paintings show Arts and Crafts/Art Nouveau designs*; there is some information on that in Hammond and Scull's book J.R.R. Tolkien, Artist & Illustrator.

That Tolkien took note of such designs, and that they were a lasting inspiration to him, is clear in works as widely separated in time as his 'Trees of Amalion' ... and the elaborate ornamental patterns he drew in his later years... It seems clear, too, that he agreed with the underlying philosophy of Morris and his followers, which looked back to a much earlier time: that the 'lesser' arts of handicraft embodied truth and beauty no less than the 'fine' arts of painting and sculpture.

They go on to note the many references to crafts in Tolkien's written works - in Smith of Wootton Major, for example, and in the Elves of Middle-earth.

There is also a painting, The Wood at the World's End, that does not illustrate Middle-earth, at least not expressly so, which combines titles of two of Morris' works: The Wood beyond the World and The Well at the World's End.

Those are the direct references I found in that book - perhaps someone who already has the newest Tolkien Guide reference book can add more. (Alas, my order is still being processed somewhere...)


*This was picked up by the artists who designed the movie sets and props; Rivendell especially is strongly influenced by Art Nouveau! In my opinion, very appropriately so; the combination of natural subjects and stylized design seems very Elf-like to me.

[littlemanpoet]

Thanks, Estelyn, for your interesting comments on arts and crafts. I'm rather liking the interesting bit especially about Smith of Wootton Major.

Elsewhere in Icelandic Journals, Morris is quoted:

What a mournful place this is---Iceland I mean [...] how every place and name marks the death of its short-lived eagerness and glory [...] What littleness and helplessness has taken the place of the old passion and violence that had place here once---and all is unforgotten

I find that last word very enticing. It seems rather appropo of the state of mind of the Elves and Numenoreans.

From News From Nowhere come more such offerings. It's a utopian revolutionary novel. It contains a de-urbanized England. As to lifestyle:

[England] is now a garden, where nothing is wasted and nothing is spoilt, with the necessary dwellings, sheds and workshops scattered up and down the country, all trim and neat and pretty

There is no unnecessary mechanization, "useless toil" obliterated and replaced by "useful work".

All work which would be irksome to do by hand is done by immensely improved machinery; and in all work which it is a pleasure to do by hand machines is done without

Pleasurable work includes house-building, gardening, farming, smithing and weaving; and there is an abundance of mills.

The food is simple and excellent: pies, wine, and of course pipe and tobacco. Every house is

amongst the fields with pleasant lanes leading down to them, and each surrounded by a teeming garden

Children are not being crammed full of useless knowledge but live a free, outdoor life of camping and cooking in the woods. Book-learning is delayed as long as possible. Nothing but story-books until they're fifteen years old.

[Bêthberry]

Great thread idea, lmp, and excellent thoughts on the artistic similarities between Tolkien and Morris, Estelyn.

Yet it is not only in the attitude towards arts and crafts that the two are similar, nor in their interest in the medieval world. Tolkien's interest in northern mythology reflects Morris's interest. Morris was an early translater of Icelandic myths, and, in fact, translated (with his friend Eiríkr Magnússon) a most interesting tale of an eloquent man whose fate was tied in with the love of a fair maid: The Story of Gunnlaug the Worm-tongue .

If you follow that link you can find an online version of the story. Grima Wormtongue shares only a few attributes of Gunnlaug the Worm-tongue, but the similarities do suggest more of that 'leaf mold' which Estelyn mentions.

Another topic which Tolkien and Morris shared was their interest in social organisation, although the two differed in the direction of their political thought.

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

The Story of Gunnlaug the Worm-tongue .

Thanks for the link!

Originally Posted by Bb

Another topic which Tolkien and Morris shared was their interest in social organisation, although the two differed in the direction of their political thought.

Speaking of which, the article from which I'm deriving all this info touches on government.

Nowhere is an anarchist society. Tolkien's Shire has hardly any government. His Letter #63 says famously,

Anarchy (philosophically understood, meaning abolition of control....

Tolkien believed that socialism was synonymous with state control and interference; interestingly,

Morris predicted just such an outcome in his 1893 lecture "Communism," arguing that Fabian "gas and water" socialism would lead to a soulless, state-run future. Morris's argument is reflected in Tolkien's statement: "I am not a 'socialist' in any sense --- being averse to 'planning' [...] most of all because the 'planners', when they acquire power, become so bad" (Letters 235).

[Lalwendë]

The main Morris texts which Tolkien admired were The Wood Beyond the World, The Well at the World's End, The House of the Wolfings and The Roots of the Mountains. I am not sure if he read News From Nowhere, but if he did (and why shouldn't he, if he was a fan?!), his thoughts have not been made public; from that I can only deduce that the first texts were the greater influence. This figures, as News From Nowhere is more political, and in some ways gets rid of the thorny point that Morris was a well known Socialist!

However, there is always a little thorn... 'Socialism' to Morris, and to Engels and to Marx was a very different thing to 'Socialism' in Tolkien's lifetime. And theory of Socialism is also a very different thing to practical applications of said theory. Tolkien indeed hated 'the machine' - but so did Morris, and Engels, and even Marx!

Jessica Yates, an expert on this, gave a paper on Morris & Tolkien at Birmingham 2006 - it's not yet available but in the latest Amon Hen it seems the TS are preparing to get a set of the papers out soon in the form of a 'commemorative booklet' - if it's anything like the Centenary conference proceedings it should be excellent.

[littlemanpoet]

The main characters stop in at a little house on "the rise of the hill" with "little windows [...] already yellow with candlelight". They find themselves in a "very pretty room, panelled and carved [...] the chief ornament of which was a young woman, light-haired" her movements "as beautiful as a picture" They have a night of good sleep in the house for "there were no rough noises"

On the morning after restful sleep, one of the guests remarks "we have come to a fairy garden, and there is the very fairy herself amidst of it" The woman's grumpy grandfather is compared to a "gnome or wood-spirit".

Goldberry and Bombadil? The author of the article to which I am indebted, thinks that in Tolkien's description of Bombadil we have an affectionate portrayal of Morris himself.