He didn't he just used ancient picyosh celtic scripts if you want to know where the shire was ot eas county galway in ireland .. I live in the heart of the shire ..unfortunately the locals ate a horrid mix of orcs , trolls and demento4s and absolutely vicous cannibal witches .. the female ircs are the very worst .. they let yhe male orcs get them to do the murdering .. because they enjoy it but if they get an order then their ability yo repeat is astounding .. anyway his magic spell of propaganda is broken .. they say gandalf has returned as aragon disguised as Frodingham more say it is deeper than 4hat .. ghe wisest have ot sorted in ways that sully half baked witches shouldn't be trying their magic charts and plotted murders..
Really? Interesting, I was surprised the first time I heard him. Maybe it's because English isn't my first language but I expected him to sound a lot posher haha
I expected him to be much more clear in his articulation and not mumbling like this since he's a linguist. Although I must say his pronunciation of the French and German names is almost perfect.
@@WaaDokuThose that knew him and his son Christopher Tolkien said that because he was so intelligent (to a level that most people can’t understand) his mind worked faster than the words would come out. After he said something he was always thinking about something else, usually multiple things at once. The word “Genius” is used too often nowadays, but we can definitely apply it to Tolkien. There’s no doubt in this interview we’re witnessing Einstein levels of intelligence. It’s a privilege to watch him and hear him.
@@zacharythomas8617people who despise Tolkien for some reason all have the same envy towards any well accomplished person, and an inability to create anything original themselves. evil cannot create, only corrupt.
1:02. Reaches for the Ring in his waistcoat pocket Bilbo style... 👀 But seriously, I love how humble Tolkien was about his work, and at the same time how serious he took it.
I am reading two towers at the moment. I can see his love for the English country side with in its pages, I can definitely see the Professor's time in the Trenches during the Great War
@eliotreader8220 Also, Rivendell was inspired by a hiking journey that the young J.R.R. Tolkien made to Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps. BTW - If you really like 'The Hobbit' & 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogies... you should look into a beautiful, hardcover volume of 'The Making of Middle-Earth: The Worlds of Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings' by Christopher Snyder (2022). Other Ring lore books by J.R.R. Tolkien include 'The Silmarillion'; 'Unfinshed Tales', 'The Nature of Middle Earth', 'Tales from the Perilous Realm', etc. Tolkien's other professional works are also treasures. You may like to explore his translations of 'Beowulf', 'Sir Gwain and The Green Knight', and 'The Battle of Maldon'... all of which influenced his writings. Happy Exploring! 📚🧭🫖🍵
@eliotreader8220 Also, Rivendell was inspired by a hiking journey that the young J.R.R. Tolkien made to Lauterbrunnen valley in the Swiss Alps. BTW - If you really like 'The Hobbit' & 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogies... you should look into a beautiful, hardcover volume of 'The Making of Middle-Earth: The Worlds of Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings' by Christopher Snyder (2022). Other Ring lore books by J.R.R. Tolkien include 'The Silmarillion'; 'Unfinshed Tales', 'The Nature of Middle Earth', 'Tales from the Perilous Realm', etc. Tolkien's other professional works are also treasures. You may like to explore his translations of 'Beowulf', 'Sir Gwain and The Green Knight', and 'The Battle of Maldon'... all of which influenced his writings. Happy Exploring! 📚🧭🫖🍵
@@sirjanska9575 Oh I agree. I think Ian Holms' and Ian Mckellan's portrayals of Bilbo and Gandalf were both influenced by Tolkien's personality and mannerisms. And for good reason!
I think here we see a soaring intellect. His speech is rapid and, for me, hard to follow, but it's as if it's not fast enough to keep up with his thoughts. Only a mind and imagination as sprawling as his could create what he did. A true genius.
I am Southern British, and I found his speaking style to be rather mumbled, and I put the subtitles on, got more confused and switched them off and listened harder. One of the more difficult interviews I can remember.
It has everything to do with the First World War, to wit, he debunks the commonly held belief that his war experiences prompted him to write an allegory about it. He clearly states in the video that LOTR is not allegory.
@HandGrenadeDivision You're drawing comparisons that aren't there. He first talked about how people apply stories to ideas, as in allegory and goes on to say people thought of the Ring as being the Atomic bomb to which he says "It's not". After that he just talks and shows off elvish. Unless there's context asking about ww1 or his childhood off the camera, which we are unaware of anyways, then the title is misleading.
he's answering questions that are not included in the clip, and he's disabusing the interviewer of the notion that tlotr was an allegory for those wars. do note, only his replies are in this clip, except for a few seconds at 2:56 in the video. the entirety of the interview is available for you to watch and listen to, if you are capable of doing so.
No, I don't think they do. I always felt Mordor was 'the valley of the shadow of death', and that's pretty much what he says here. And, as he also says here, everybody dies. So anybody who has really faced what that means can understand. What he doesn't actually do here, in spite of the title, is say that it was all based on WWI, although clearly his experiences did influence it. It's funny really how people think T is escapist, actually there is more real life in his books than most people's.
I'm Dutch and as a teen first read the books that were available around 1986, in Dutch. I also read the compilation of Tolkien letters available back then, and one thing that's remained with me is that he discussed and explained several issues with the proposed Dutch translation, with the Dutch professor in charge of the translation, especially on the idea of naming Bilbo "Bingo" in Dutch. We all won.
His noting that of Shakespeare’s plays, few are meant to be allegories, but then specifically listing The Tempest as one that is among the few that are exceptions to that statement is really cool. I remember going on a HS school trip for English Literature class, and we went to a college production of The Tempest, and tho I believe it differed in some aspects from the source play, something that stood out was that Caliban was (especially in this adaptation) unquestionably a partial inspiration for Gollum/Smeagol. So it’s exonerating in a way to know that Tolkien not only read and studied The Tempest (no doubt a basic requirement in all English literature schooling in his day), but that decades later he still would bring it up in his discussions on if LotR was an allegory
*Death is a path that all must eventually take.* *The grey rain curtain of this world rolling back, and all turning to silver glass.* *A far green country, under a swift sunrise.*
"It's all about the inevitability of death." Tolkien cites a reference: "There is no such thing as a natural death. Nothing that ever happens to man is natural since his very presence calls the whole world into question. All men must die, but for every man his death is an accident and even if he knows it he senses it as an unjustifiable violation." '
This man gave such an incredible gift to English culture. Personally, I will be forever grateful for the considerable contribution to our beautiful English cultural heritage.
@@ianbarnes961 true, thank god for paperbacks even though the author never wanted his works printed in that fashion. They disintegrate from being well loved before gravity can have a pass at um. Just ask my copy of the power broker; couldn't even make it through two goes before getting the duct tape dressing like it was an Egyptian mummy. Thus, despite my efforts it's resting I pieces. Guess I'm going hard back for when I decide to come back for thirds.
“Lord of the Rings is so inspirational, so much love and loyalty and cameraderie and bravery-“ “Death.” “I’m sorry?” “The point is death, my dear. Untimely and unwarranted, unlooked for and fruitlessly opposed with every fiber of your being.” “Are-are you okay?”
@@SeanCSHConsulting Stop trying to sell your own stupid interpretation as de facto truth. Stop projecting mate. Tolkien never once even hinted that the death aspect was due to ww1. If you wanna interpret what he said as that, that's on you. But it's all just in your own head. Headcanon. You cannot prove that's what Tolkien himself meant. So stop projecting.
You really have to see the cathedral in person and preferably with a pair of binoculars to fully appreciate the overwhelming level of detail and adornment that covers every square inch of this glorious building.
I would rather have him talk about how his trek from Interlaken to Zermatt, through the valleys, along the lakes, into the Lotschental and finally to the lonely mountain (Matterhorn) in Zermatt, inspired him.
Watching Tolkien write elvish is like watching Manwe come alive and write for us. Man I cant tell you how inspirational CS Lewis, Tolkien and Jesus are to me.
Thank you for posting this video. A genius like Tolkien must have been a challenging professor-even to college students. I find ironic that his comment about people speaking Elvish, became true for Klingon in the Star Trek universe.
It was strange watching him and listening to him talk, the man that changed the direction of my life when I was 17. The Lord of the Rings story was so realistic to me that I read The Hobbit and two and a half of the three books before I went back and read The Hobbit and started over again! I knew when I read to the end of the story, the magic would be over! And I have never wanted the magic to end!! Thank you Mr Tolkien!
"the BBC spoke to Tolkien about his experiences during World War One how they had a profound effect and influenced his epic fantasy novel" none of this is in the video. These are all clips that have already been uploaded. If anything he goes to lengths to say how much he dislikes allegories.
@@SeanCSHConsulting True, he distinguishes between allegory and application. But I feel the video title makes it sound more like LOTR was a direct allegory of WW1, rather than an application of Tolkien's cumulative "thoughts and experiences".
@@SeanCSHConsultingYeah, not everything is allegory. So stop saying people are wrong in correctly stating that the title is wrong. "How ww1 inspired LotR" is an objective claim that ww1 inspired LotR in this way. If you want to make your own interpretation and application of what he said, then don't make such a statement. Simple.
This is the first time I have heard the voice or seen a video of my favourite author. I spent several years reading all his works that I could get hold of.
Tolkien may not have wanted for Elvish to be an actual spoken language, but he apparently did not realize he had forged something that resonates with the human heart, and once the fire was lit something 'magical' (if that is what you call it) was created and found expression in voice and thought, that hopefully will endure beyond the ending of the world. No veren! (Be joyous)
JRR Tolkien literally created his own language. He was an incredibly smart man. And billions are still enjoying his works and legacy in the present day. His imagination is just awesome. He is an inspiration. RIP
Clearly I missed the part where Tolkien talks about how WW1 inspired The Lord of the Rings, or perhaps the video did... ;) I acknowledge that "Tolkien quotes Simone de Beauvoir" probably isn't going to get as many clicks. At one point in the interview he clearly rejects the notion that his books are an allegory for any real-world events. It's impossible to read some passages from LOTR without thinking of his battlefield experiences, but I also think we often push too hard on the importance of his personal biography. He has so many sources of inspiration and is himself a source of inspiration for others... not the least of which is the Elvish language he clearly delights in.
Someone must've already mentioned this, but TLOTR was not an allegory for WW1, nor was the things he wrote symbolic of anything special, as he have said himself. I actually think it was during WW1 he wrote some of his first stories to Christopher, his son, and I imagine it was completely to have fun. He does use a lot of Norse and Anglo-Saxon mythology and language though. Gandalv for example is Norse for "Spell Elf". Elves and dwarves is totally Norse inventions (light- and dark-elves). Here on the west-coast of Norway you can also see trolls in the mountains. If you start noticing them, they keep revealing themselves. Some tiny ones, like rocks, other like hills.
Ref WW1: the only thing that stood out for me was Sam Gamgee. IMO he was the real hero of LOTR, not Frodo. And I say this with reference to something I watched / read a long time ago, where JRRT paid immense tribute to the ordinary fighting men, common men, who won the war. He was an officer, and I have always felt that he understood from that experience that it was the Sams of this world that do the heroics, and the Frodos who get the acclaim.
@@Asgard2208 I think Sam was specifically based on a First World War batman. It may be the closest that Tolkien ever got to conscious 'allegory' in LOTR.
He's talking about the existential issue of death. I'm sure WW1 was a major part of what concerned him in that, but also, maybe more so, the early death of his mother (after the still earlier loss of his father).
He was allegorizing the spiritual battle which is most closely represented through astrology with the forces of darkness representing the sphere of influence emanating from Saturn-with its ring and slowest orbit out of the seven that encompasses all within-the one ring to rule them all, and the Sun which represents the opposing forces of good, upon which Earth is right between the two-middle earth. He was most definitely an occultist and knew about astrology
This video is an absolute gem. Just wonderful to see such an inspiring author. Now I just need to hear from Lewis and I'll be set! They're both part of the reason why I write. 😊💚
As I read Tolkien wanted to create something like Greek mythology. And he did! But if Greek myths were folk creation, his wonderful world was created by himself.
Love the man. Read TLOTR twice and watched the movie. But IMHO, I disagree. It is not about death. It's about those things that are greater than life, it's about fighting so that those things can go on living.
Wow … I knew that Tolkien was vehement about the Middle Earth books not being allegorical, but this clip reminded me of something else about Prof T that I’d forgotten: I had read that his spoken discourse was difficult to understand, and a lot of this clip is well-nigh unintelligible. I don’t have any problems following proper (British) English, but for a second there I thought Tolkien had been possessed by Joe Biden!
Intresting fact (you won't hear this anywhere else); My father was an engineer and pioneered shallow water metal detecting. Had some problems with a couple of, relatively well known people in the field, also had a few very good allies. Anyway... In his elderly day's, he was mucking around on a beach in Cornwall, detecting with a machine he was putting through its paces, when a lady who is quite famous now, began a conversation with him. He was really enthusiastic about this young and attractive lady taking an interest in him, probably opened up a bit more than he really should have and let a few personal things drop in the conversation, one of which, involved a disappointing relationship breakdown, with a friend who he had referenced as "The Wizard" (first name withheld) Joanne Kathleen Rowling was the lady. Intresting and unusual.
application is correct. It's a literary term and you can find references to what Tolkein means on the web. I have watched him speak about it read around the subject but confess I can't quite summarize it! Something like how does this text apply to me right now? How can I apply it in my life?
Watching the creator of Elvish write in Elvish was mind-blowing.
yes‼️👏🏽
He didn't he just used ancient picyosh celtic scripts if you want to know where the shire was ot eas county galway in ireland .. I live in the heart of the shire ..unfortunately the locals ate a horrid mix of orcs , trolls and demento4s and absolutely vicous cannibal witches .. the female ircs are the very worst .. they let yhe male orcs get them to do the murdering .. because they enjoy it but if they get an order then their ability yo repeat is astounding .. anyway his magic spell of propaganda is broken .. they say gandalf has returned as aragon disguised as Frodingham more say it is deeper than 4hat .. ghe wisest have ot sorted in ways that sully half baked witches shouldn't be trying their magic charts and plotted murders..
I had to flip the screen to landscape mode 😂
He has a rather strong human accent when he speaks Elvish.
@@PxThucydides There is definitely something human about him
I heard Ian McKellen say he watched videos of JRR Tolkien talking when preparing for playing Gandalf and watching this you can hear it.
lol that’s the exact reason I’m here I saw the same. Def makes sense
But Ian McKellen himself also kinda sounds and acts like Tolkien 😅
@@myeramimclerie7869It was intentional I think for some weird reason...
Wow, I just noticed that! Maybe Tolkien poured a bit of himself into Gandalf the Gray
Wow he left Tolkien's mark on the movie. Legend
I love that he sounds exactly like how you would expect him to sound.
Really? Interesting, I was surprised the first time I heard him. Maybe it's because English isn't my first language but I expected him to sound a lot posher haha
or like Bertrand Russel? or david attenborough?
I expected him to be much more clear in his articulation and not mumbling like this since he's a linguist. Although I must say his pronunciation of the French and German names is almost perfect.
yeah this is how I would have imagined he sounded. Creative genius.
@@WaaDokuThose that knew him and his son Christopher Tolkien said that because he was so intelligent (to a level that most people can’t understand) his mind worked faster than the words would come out. After he said something he was always thinking about something else, usually multiple things at once. The word “Genius” is used too often nowadays, but we can definitely apply it to Tolkien. There’s no doubt in this interview we’re witnessing Einstein levels of intelligence. It’s a privilege to watch him and hear him.
If the BBC has any more of these Tolkien videos please upload them as they are insightful into his legendarium.
I hate him.
@@zacharythomas8617 obsessed
@@zacharythomas8617people who despise Tolkien for some reason all have the same envy towards any well accomplished person, and an inability to create anything original themselves.
evil cannot create, only corrupt.
@@zacharythomas8617 why?
please BBC
1:02. Reaches for the Ring in his waistcoat pocket Bilbo style... 👀
But seriously, I love how humble Tolkien was about his work, and at the same time how serious he took it.
I am reading two towers at the moment. I can see his love for the English country side with in its pages, I can definitely see the Professor's time in the Trenches during the Great War
@eliotreader8220
Also, Rivendell was inspired by a hiking journey that the young J.R.R. Tolkien made to Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps.
BTW - If you really like 'The Hobbit' & 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogies... you should look into a beautiful, hardcover volume of 'The Making of Middle-Earth: The Worlds of Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings' by Christopher Snyder (2022).
Other Ring lore books by J.R.R. Tolkien include 'The Silmarillion'; 'Unfinshed Tales', 'The Nature of Middle Earth', 'Tales from the Perilous Realm', etc.
Tolkien's other professional works are also treasures. You may like to explore his translations of 'Beowulf', 'Sir Gwain and The Green Knight', and 'The Battle of Maldon'... all of which influenced his writings.
Happy Exploring!
📚🧭🫖🍵
@eliotreader8220
Also, Rivendell was inspired by a hiking journey that the young J.R.R. Tolkien made to Lauterbrunnen valley in the Swiss Alps.
BTW - If you really like 'The Hobbit' & 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogies... you should look into a beautiful, hardcover volume of 'The Making of Middle-Earth: The Worlds of Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings' by Christopher Snyder (2022).
Other Ring lore books by J.R.R. Tolkien include 'The Silmarillion'; 'Unfinshed Tales', 'The Nature of Middle Earth', 'Tales from the Perilous Realm', etc.
Tolkien's other professional works are also treasures. You may like to explore his translations of 'Beowulf', 'Sir Gwain and The Green Knight', and 'The Battle of Maldon'... all of which influenced his writings.
Happy Exploring!
📚🧭🫖🍵
To this day I swear that Ian Holm's Bilbo was deliberately planned to reflect the appearance and mannerisms of Tolkien himself.
@@sirjanska9575 Oh I agree. I think Ian Holms' and Ian Mckellan's portrayals of Bilbo and Gandalf were both influenced by Tolkien's personality and mannerisms. And for good reason!
His exceptional imagination and knowledge has inspired so many people.
It would have come along anyway had the British not had enough prudence to stop yammering on about nothing.
Oh to have a signed copy of the LOTR! Imagine having a copy with "a star shines upon our meeting" written in elvish in Tolkien's hand.
I would like that, but I've actually done better: I've met Tolkien. I was only 4 so I don't remember it well. He was a friend of my grandmother's.
Be thankful for this man, his legacy and the gifts he left us.
I think here we see a soaring intellect. His speech is rapid and, for me, hard to follow, but it's as if it's not fast enough to keep up with his thoughts. Only a mind and imagination as sprawling as his could create what he did. A true genius.
That’s an excellent observation, very insightful for me. And anyone who can create there own language in itself genius.
he just talks incredibly posh and is clearly more at home in his mind
That’s why I always have the closed captions on, it’s not perfect but I can discern what he’s said.
I am Southern British, and I found his speaking style to be rather mumbled, and I put the subtitles on, got more confused and switched them off and listened harder. One of the more difficult interviews I can remember.
why do I as a Serbian understand everything perfectly and there's Brits here struggling
Rename the video, it's got nothing to do with WWI. That said, thank you for uploading, I could listen to this man speak all day
true.
It has everything to do with the First World War, to wit, he debunks the commonly held belief that his war experiences prompted him to write an allegory about it. He clearly states in the video that LOTR is not allegory.
@HandGrenadeDivision
You're drawing comparisons that aren't there. He first talked about how people apply stories to ideas, as in allegory and goes on to say people thought of the Ring as being the Atomic bomb to which he says "It's not". After that he just talks and shows off elvish. Unless there's context asking about ww1 or his childhood off the camera, which we are unaware of anyways, then the title is misleading.
BBC disinformation.
he's answering questions that are not included in the clip, and he's disabusing the interviewer of the notion that tlotr was an allegory for those wars. do note, only his replies are in this clip, except for a few seconds at 2:56 in the video. the entirety of the interview is available for you to watch and listen to, if you are capable of doing so.
Tolkien was on the Somme battlefield, every one needs to go there to understand
No, I don't think they do. I always felt Mordor was 'the valley of the shadow of death', and that's pretty much what he says here. And, as he also says here, everybody dies. So anybody who has really faced what that means can understand.
What he doesn't actually do here, in spite of the title, is say that it was all based on WWI, although clearly his experiences did influence it. It's funny really how people think T is escapist, actually there is more real life in his books than most people's.
@@paddymeboylives...
@@TonyBongo869 no thanks...
Ok, rando
Or you could go to the Donetsk Front in Ukraine. Just keep your head down though.
Absolutely brilliant man. Rest in peace.
I'm Dutch and as a teen first read the books that were available around 1986, in Dutch. I also read the compilation of Tolkien letters available back then, and one thing that's remained with me is that he discussed and explained several issues with the proposed Dutch translation, with the Dutch professor in charge of the translation, especially on the idea of naming Bilbo "Bingo" in Dutch. We all won.
Precies.
Translating to Dutch must be fascinating. Just thinking about those Frisian roots of Old English.
Question: can you read Beowulf and other Old English texts as a native Dutch speaker?
@@Unfrozen_Caveman_Lawyer1 no I can't, but maybe a Frisian might have a shot.
His noting that of Shakespeare’s plays, few are meant to be allegories, but then specifically listing The Tempest as one that is among the few that are exceptions to that statement is really cool.
I remember going on a HS school trip for English Literature class, and we went to a college production of The Tempest, and tho I believe it differed in some aspects from the source play, something that stood out was that Caliban was (especially in this adaptation) unquestionably a partial inspiration for Gollum/Smeagol. So it’s exonerating in a way to know that Tolkien not only read and studied The Tempest (no doubt a basic requirement in all English literature schooling in his day), but that decades later he still would bring it up in his discussions on if LotR was an allegory
*Death is a path that all must eventually take.*
*The grey rain curtain of this world rolling back, and all turning to silver glass.*
*A far green country, under a swift sunrise.*
The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be…unnatural.
"It's all about the inevitability of death."
Tolkien cites a reference:
"There is no such thing as a natural death. Nothing that ever happens to man is natural since his very presence calls the whole world into question. All men must die, but for every man his death is an accident and even if he knows it he senses it as an unjustifiable violation."
'
Look up the song “the inevitability of death” by the Tragically Hip. Thank me later.
This man gave such an incredible gift to English culture. Personally, I will be forever grateful for the considerable contribution to our beautiful English cultural heritage.
Lmao jokes on Tolkien, we got folks out here learning Elvish, writing in Tengwar, etc. Cant blame us, Professor, it’s all so amazing.
the only thing that is not discussed in the video is how ww1 inspired the lord of the rings. Okay, one of the things.
I mean.... its about death. Sure saw a lot of it in WW1
1:02
@@Thedisciplemike you could say that about anything, death and ww1 aren't mutually exclusive
@@ZDProds-c8p when did i say that? Simply drawing a parellel, not collapsing a category.
Evidently you didn't watch. Shame.
Love the stacks of books in the background; that's how I do. Standing them up strains the spines; wonder if that's his reasoning?
Hardbacks maybe, I can't see that's the case for paperbacks,
@@ianbarnes961 true, thank god for paperbacks even though the author never wanted his works printed in that fashion. They disintegrate from being well loved before gravity can have a pass at um. Just ask my copy of the power broker; couldn't even make it through two goes before getting the duct tape dressing like it was an Egyptian mummy. Thus, despite my efforts it's resting I pieces. Guess I'm going hard back for when I decide to come back for thirds.
Maybe he did it because islam is gay?
this great interview was conducted in the year i was born....oh how i would love to roll back time to then in england.
Why?
@MrSullismom experiencing a lost country would be nice I imagine
Genius. Arguably the most creative mind to ever exist.
@@MrSRA13 psh L Ron Hubbard
@@dirkjensen969 agree to disagree on that one
He was very creative, though the most creative mind to ever exist? I seriously doubt that. Tesla and Da Vinci come to mind.
@@PhantomFilmAustralia from a literary, imagination and world building perspective I think he is. There are, ofcourse, different ways to be creative.
Neither created what took cultures hundreds of years to create. @@PhantomFilmAustralia
“Lord of the Rings is so inspirational, so much love and loyalty and cameraderie and bravery-“
“Death.”
“I’m sorry?”
“The point is death, my dear. Untimely and unwarranted, unlooked for and fruitlessly opposed with every fiber of your being.”
“Are-are you okay?”
Thank you for everything master Tolkien. RIP
God bless Prof Tolkien, your work will live on forever.
I wish this man could've lived one thousand years, and I wish I could've been one of his pupils.
Oh wow, this is so wonderful. Thank you.
LOL! The man broke the hearts of thousands of cosplayers at the end there.
An incredible and fascinating literary genius. Truly somebody who inspired a genre through his passion for language.
Such an incredible person and talent beyond his years, just as bold as his imagination.
''How, given little more than half a century, did one man become the creative equivalent of a people.''
Legend.
A great, wise, and complex man.
The title of this clip is completely misleading since Tolkien never once mentions WWI in the video at all...
Yeah, you need to watch and listen.
Thank you
@@SeanCSHConsulting No, you need to watch and listen.
@@SeanCSHConsulting Stop trying to sell your own stupid interpretation as de facto truth. Stop projecting mate.
Tolkien never once even hinted that the death aspect was due to ww1. If you wanna interpret what he said as that, that's on you. But it's all just in your own head. Headcanon.
You cannot prove that's what Tolkien himself meant. So stop projecting.
I thought the same thing. Sure, death and WW1 go hand in hand, especially if you lived it, but I was hoping for more concrete evidence than this.
Where exactly did he mention WWI?
It’s great just listening to him speak.
To Me Tolkiens Work is amazing I Really enjoyed the Lord of the Rings and his work is a masterpiece yes !
You really have to see the cathedral in person and preferably with a pair of binoculars to fully appreciate the overwhelming level of detail and adornment that covers every square inch of this glorious building.
Are you kidding me? J.R.R.Tolkien was not only aware of, but _quoted_ Simone de Beauvoir?
Not so fashy now, isn’t he?
That was surprising indeed.
@@odradekk Fashy?
@@odradekkyou people are so retarded
Yes surprising isn’t it - it’s called “intelligence”. University professors like Tolkien used to be known for it. How the world has changed.
Carl Maria Weber, mentioned by Tolkien, is buried in Dresden, Germany.
just 39 years
Frédéric Chopin
too
same time
I would rather have him talk about how his trek from Interlaken to Zermatt, through the valleys, along the lakes, into the Lotschental and finally to the lonely mountain (Matterhorn) in Zermatt, inspired him.
Tolkien is magic. What a work he produced.
Watching Tolkien write elvish is like watching Manwe come alive and write for us. Man I cant tell you how inspirational CS Lewis, Tolkien and Jesus are to me.
Thank you for posting this video. A genius like Tolkien must have been a challenging professor-even to college students. I find ironic that his comment about people speaking Elvish, became true for Klingon in the Star Trek universe.
Err, it became true for Elvish too (people speak it and gather to speak it to each other).
so he influenced Gene Roddenberry
The ending is brilliant
It was strange watching him and listening to him talk, the man that changed the direction of my life when I was 17. The Lord of the Rings story was so realistic to me that I read The Hobbit and two and a half of the three books before I went back and read The Hobbit and started over again! I knew when I read to the end of the story, the magic would be over! And I have never wanted the magic to end!! Thank you Mr Tolkien!
"the BBC spoke to Tolkien about his experiences during World War One how they had a profound effect and influenced his epic fantasy novel" none of this is in the video. These are all clips that have already been uploaded. If anything he goes to lengths to say how much he dislikes allegories.
Not everything that reflects something is *allegory*. He said exactly that. Pay attention.
@@SeanCSHConsulting True, he distinguishes between allegory and application. But I feel the video title makes it sound more like LOTR was a direct allegory of WW1, rather than an application of Tolkien's cumulative "thoughts and experiences".
@@SeanCSHConsultingYeah, not everything is allegory. So stop saying people are wrong in correctly stating that the title is wrong.
"How ww1 inspired LotR" is an objective claim that ww1 inspired LotR in this way.
If you want to make your own interpretation and application of what he said, then don't make such a statement. Simple.
@@ParadiseKuna It's mainstream media. They are run by morons.
This is the first time I have heard the voice or seen a video of my favourite author. I spent several years reading all his works that I could get hold of.
I would love to see J. R. R. Tolkien having a conversation with Hunter S. Thompson.
me too‼️‼️‼️
I would rather have been there with his conversation with C.S.Lewis on the Divinity of Christ.
@@CSUnger ooh yessss
Fascinating. Especially the Simone de Beauvoir quote, and how it relates to his own work
Magnificent man and I adore his lifework
Tolkien may not have wanted for Elvish to be an actual spoken language, but he apparently did not realize he had forged something that resonates with the human heart, and once the fire was lit something 'magical' (if that is what you call it) was created and found expression in voice and thought, that hopefully will endure beyond the ending of the world. No veren! (Be joyous)
Average author: invents cool stories
Tolkien: invents own *_language_*
JRR Tolkien literally created his own language. He was an incredibly smart man. And billions are still enjoying his works and legacy in the present day. His imagination is just awesome. He is an inspiration. RIP
Despite Amazon doing their best to do what Disney has done to Star Wars.
extraordinary storyteller, with an extraordinary imagination...
Appropriate this popped up since I just watched the 2019 biopic on him. What an incredible man. The things he went through before his writing.
Clearly I missed the part where Tolkien talks about how WW1 inspired The Lord of the Rings, or perhaps the video did... ;) I acknowledge that "Tolkien quotes Simone de Beauvoir" probably isn't going to get as many clicks. At one point in the interview he clearly rejects the notion that his books are an allegory for any real-world events. It's impossible to read some passages from LOTR without thinking of his battlefield experiences, but I also think we often push too hard on the importance of his personal biography. He has so many sources of inspiration and is himself a source of inspiration for others... not the least of which is the Elvish language he clearly delights in.
Can only imagine what the conversation between C.S.Lewis and him was like on the night of C.S.Lewis's conversion.
Someone must've already mentioned this, but TLOTR was not an allegory for WW1, nor was the things he wrote symbolic of anything special, as he have said himself. I actually think it was during WW1 he wrote some of his first stories to Christopher, his son, and I imagine it was completely to have fun.
He does use a lot of Norse and Anglo-Saxon mythology and language though. Gandalv for example is Norse for "Spell Elf". Elves and dwarves is totally Norse inventions (light- and dark-elves). Here on the west-coast of Norway you can also see trolls in the mountains. If you start noticing them, they keep revealing themselves. Some tiny ones, like rocks, other like hills.
Ref WW1: the only thing that stood out for me was Sam Gamgee. IMO he was the real hero of LOTR, not Frodo. And I say this with reference to something I watched / read a long time ago, where JRRT paid immense tribute to the ordinary fighting men, common men, who won the war. He was an officer, and I have always felt that he understood from that experience that it was the Sams of this world that do the heroics, and the Frodos who get the acclaim.
@@Asgard2208 I think Sam was specifically based on a First World War batman. It may be the closest that Tolkien ever got to conscious 'allegory' in LOTR.
He's talking about the existential issue of death. I'm sure WW1 was a major part of what concerned him in that, but also, maybe more so, the early death of his mother (after the still earlier loss of his father).
What a remarkable man
"Rage, rage against the dying of the light".
I'd love to see the WHOLE of this interview, rather than just snippets!!
"By the time I was twenty-five, all but one of my close friends were dead." - Tolkien.
He was allegorizing the spiritual battle which is most closely represented through astrology with the forces of darkness representing the sphere of influence emanating from Saturn-with its ring and slowest orbit out of the seven that encompasses all within-the one ring to rule them all, and the Sun which represents the opposing forces of good, upon which Earth is right between the two-middle earth. He was most definitely an occultist and knew about astrology
Then there’s Leonard Nimoy’s _Ballad of Bilbo Baggins_ video, for further study.
Misleading title, WW1 isn't mentioned at all
This video is an absolute gem. Just wonderful to see such an inspiring author. Now I just need to hear from Lewis and I'll be set! They're both part of the reason why I write. 😊💚
What a wonderful man.
Anyone else think George RR Martin has seen this and its where he got the inspiration for 'all men must die'?
He's been a Tolkien fan since childhood and reads LOTR once every few years, so no doubt he's sought out Tolkien's interviews and opinions as well.
I doubt it. "All men must die" is hardly a revelation to anyone.
@@entwistlefromthewho it was just a bit of fun, bet you're great at parties 🤣
"Rage, rage against the dying of the light".
George wrote a Game of Thrones specifically to subvert the tropes set by Tolkien. So there is a good chance that he was aware of this.
The UK had some amazing characters in the past ❤
I cannot wait until this becomes the standard of "Cool" again.
Great to see Rowley Berkin QC again
Tolkien wrote in a foreword to Lotr that it was not based on ww1 or ww2 and was not intended to be allegorical.
As I read Tolkien wanted to create something like Greek mythology. And he did! But if Greek myths were folk creation, his wonderful world was created by himself.
Did I miss the discussion about how WWI influenced the Lord of the Rings?
I just want to sit by the fire in three piece tweed and flannel.
same
He talks like what I imagined Gandalf talking
I could read what he wrote as he was writing it: elenn silva lumenn omentielvo.
I so would have liked to meet him.
Love the man. Read TLOTR twice and watched the movie. But IMHO, I disagree. It is not about death. It's about those things that are greater than life, it's about fighting so that those things can go on living.
Wow … I knew that Tolkien was vehement about the Middle Earth books not being allegorical, but this clip reminded me of something else about Prof T that I’d forgotten: I had read that his spoken discourse was difficult to understand, and a lot of this clip is well-nigh unintelligible. I don’t have any problems following proper (British) English, but for a second there I thought Tolkien had been possessed by Joe Biden!
Intresting fact (you won't hear this anywhere else); My father was an engineer and pioneered shallow water metal detecting. Had some problems with a couple of, relatively well known people in the field, also had a few very good allies. Anyway... In his elderly day's, he was mucking around on a beach in Cornwall, detecting with a machine he was putting through its paces, when a lady who is quite famous now, began a conversation with him. He was really enthusiastic about this young and attractive lady taking an interest in him, probably opened up a bit more than he really should have and let a few personal things drop in the conversation, one of which, involved a disappointing relationship breakdown, with a friend who he had referenced as "The Wizard" (first name withheld) Joanne Kathleen Rowling was the lady. Intresting and unusual.
Your dad gave his wife the idea for Gandalf is what you're claiming
@@dirkjensen969 No, he's claiming that he gave J.K. Rowling the idea for Harry Potter.
@@eqanthewise lol
Huh
Elvin reminds me of Georgian script.
Oh my, this brilliant man would turn in his grave if he saw what was done to his legacy. Like the rings of power.
"...how WW1 inspired The Lord of the Rings" well, Gimli attacking Australians with mustard gas could be a hint. Also Flamethrower-Frodo.
1:13 Valar Morghulis
My literary hero
Amazing.
guys a genius
It helps a lot to turn the captions on.
Wow, this guy is a huge Elvis fan in'e...
“All men must die”
Valar morghulis OG
Thank you!
1:27 did he say The Lords of the Ring?
"...and I was very, very drunk."
Hah, quite :). Wonder if Paul Whitehouse ever saw Tolkien in interview.
1:30 The difference between an allegory and a [WHAT]? Application?
application is correct. It's a literary term and you can find references to what Tolkein means on the web. I have watched him speak about it read around the subject but confess I can't quite summarize it! Something like how does this text apply to me right now? How can I apply it in my life?
@@tomspoors768 Ah, interesting. Thank you for the confirmation. That's one I don't remember learning in literature class.
What a Chad, thank you sir
0:59 what have I got... in my pocket?
I would pay good money to go back in time and be able to attend a meeting of the Inklings where Tolkien, C.S. Lewis amongst others would converse.