J.R.R. Tolkien’s Uncovered Material

The Tolkien Estate Limited

British writer J.R.R. Tolkien is widely known for his outstanding "Lord of the Rings" work. And while his Middle-earth universe was mostly put out in words, it also got a visual representation from the writer himself. His fictional home for wizards, elves, orcs, dragons, hobbits, and others is depicted in sketches of hills, creatures, and even maps! In "The Hobbit," various illustrations were drawn by Tolkien. In 2022, fans can easily examine any of the works on the internet, too. This experience is completely free of charge: the Tolkien Estate’s website includes documents, images, and audio clips about Tolkien’s works and personal life. The new portal boasts information on the author as a calligrapher as well. After all, "Lord of the Rings" was created out of one unique language Tolkien came up with.

12 unpublished relics include paintings of flowers and exotic birds, a draft manuscript of "The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son" (1953), and personal photos of Tolkien’s family. There are a few paintings the author did for his children, as well as "The Silmarillion" illustrations. In fact, these pieces are different with their myth elements and dreamy nature.

Through Tough Times With LOTR

The Tolkien Estate Limited

Moreover, the audio files provide even more depth into Tolkien’s life and art. He did the recordings himself – so, it’s like a unique audiobook from the writer. “Tolkien was first introduced to a tape-recorder by his friend George Sayer in 1952,” the estate wrote. “He was so impressed with the sound quality that he sat down and read out passages from his manuscript of The Lord of the Rings.” Tolkien’s life story is even more shocking than his books. He grew up during World War I, around 1914 and later. “In those days chaps joined up, or were scorned publicly,” he told his son Christopher in a letter. “It was a nasty cleft to be in for a young man with too much imagination and little physical courage."

Yet, he endured. He survived being a junior officer at the Battle of the Somme, then going back to England. Later, almost all of his battalion died – trench fever saved his life. In the 1930s, he wrote "The Hobbit." As the popularity of the first book grew, the public asked for more. And Tolkien delivered. “In spite of the darkness of the next five years [World War II] I found that the story could not now wholly be abandoned and I plodded on, mostly by night,” he recalled.

In the foreword to the Fellowship of the Ring, the author also mentioned the next part of the story - "The Silmarillion"– which he then called “the Elder Days.”