J.R.R. Tolkien and the Story of Kullervo

It was a few years before the first Tolkien-based film trilogy hit the theatres when I was avidly reading the Kalevala. As I was insanely passionate about the old Nordic cultures, anything that would delight me with a taste of it was welcome. As expected, I became enraptured with Tolkien's world once I could see how deep its roots grew into the Nordic myths. The Professor was a fan of it, as much as I was myself.

It happened that the Kalevala bit that impressed me the most was the story of Kullervo.


The news hit me like thunder. It was glorious seeing that book finally come to life, yet it was bittersweet somehow This was because, in spite of it being published 100 years later, it was a bit early for me. I've always wanted to point out J.R.R. Tolkien's involvement with the Finnish epic, Kalevala, which The Story of Kullervo is a part of.  I don't have the time to write the book I would've liked to write on this topic, sadly. I wish I had continued my research, but now I'm expecting others to do that, with this newly released book.

I was a teenager and a true fan of Northern epics when I got my hands on the Kalevala, the Finnish collection of myths and lore, and read it several times. Very soon after that, it was J.R.R. Tolkien to influence my existence for good. The two - Tolkien and Finland (I cannot just say Lonnrot here) then became intertwined in a magical way. I loved Kalevala. Tolkien loved it, too. More than 10 years later, I finally read The Children of Hurin - the masterpiece in the shadow of The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, the book that draws its fascinating and tragic substance out of the ancient Finnish story of Kullervo.

 The Story of Kullervo is what it is: the life of the slave Kullervo retold by J.R.R. Tolkien, much better developed than in its original form to be found in Kalevala. It is a 100% Finnish story of old times and is in no way connected to Middle-earth. The names of the characters also belong to the Finnish tradition and are no inventions.

Many are wondering where does this book stand among all the other works of the professor. Hence it's got no real connexions to his Arda, we can place it on a different shelf. Yes, it contains the substance the author used later to create The Children of Hurin, but only the latter was set in Middle-earth. It may be confusing, but the average Tolkien fan needs to know that this late publishing comes from the writer;s youth and is not included in his fictional universe. It is, however, the book that later made him give birth to his darkest work.

Kullervo, by Finnish painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela

 The Story of Kullervo will hit the shelves in October 2015. It makes for a precious addition to a fan's collection, but it won't add to the beloved fictional world. However, it will reveal a wonderful source of all that - one of Tolkien's best appreciated sources of inspiration.

George Martin, It's time You Became Honest about Your Tolkien Obsession!

You may be a good writer on your own merit, I'm not going to discuss that. Still, everything was said and done in the high fantasy world. We are only recycling. You wrote something that gathered many fans, good for you. However, keep in mind that Tolkien was not only the one to start it all, but also the one who did everything. He stands the test of time, always and forever. This is because he relies on timeless ideas and principles, not on the trends of our times. You are the man of your time, he is the man of all eras, gone and future.

Tolkien, by the way, doesn't need sex in his books to make them interesting. He's fascinating millions of people without using that trick. I get the feeling that you, by using sex, are trying to hook up people and to fill in some empty spaces. I guess it would be a little boring without all that, wouldn't it? Well, Master Tolkien succeeded without. He's got class, as someone put it.

Let's face it - you have a bit of arrogance because you believe you're offering more than the Professor did. After all, you write some kinky action into all that high fantasy. Well, it's easy to spice it up with sex and get the modern crowd to read something like this. However, I say this trend will fade... People will soon have enough of it. It won't be so special anymore. This is only a moment in time and the history of our species has seen many such moments. These are the eternal eons we are meant to go through.

Is there any interview in which you don't mention Tolkien? You keep on crediting him and expressing how much he's inspired you, but I feel it's more than that. It's an unhealthy obsession. Perhaps it's bait for his fans. You want to drag the ringers to your side. Or it could be that you just like seeing your name along his, believing you belong to the same league. I'll stop that here, because all this attention I'm giving you now could make you believe you're actually worthy.


Let's face it: like some readers put it, you're hating it that you're not Tolkien himself. You wish you were - terribly, terribly much. You're probably enjoying that some of his fans seem upset because your books are largely inspired by his. I say, enjoy your popularity for the time being. Stephanie Meyers and E.L. James are also popular. Today, however, we all know that popularity is no fair measure, it no longer speaks about the literary quality of a book.

In fact, I don't think I have an issue with you, George Martin (oh really, you even have the double R?!), but with some of your fans. Especially those who claim that you're original through the characters you create and their fate. That's ignorance!

J.R.R. Tolkien created characters that were no black or white. They could be grey or turn from white to black, for example. In the Good vs. Evil fight, the good ones also died, usually. If they didn't, they were at loss for sure, one way or another. Anyone claiming that Tolkien wrote only black or white characters and these always vanquished Evil has probably only watched the LOTR films. Superficially. Anyone who has actually read Tolkien knows that this is false. Many of his heroes died too early; some died along with their enemies; some could never enjoy some peace or happiness; others turned from good to bad. Also, the women in his books were as fierce as their men, often coming along in battle. They had the power to turn tides. The level of ignorance of some fans is truly horrifying.

You made many awfully wrong comments that made Tolkien fans say: "Has he even read those books?!" That alone makes me wonder: do you really admire that author or are you just trying to cash in through his name?

Anyway, I don't expect real understanding from those who see Tolkien's works through such distorted lenses. In the end, dear George, I really hope you can live without saying Tolkien's name with every breath you take. That's not going to get you closer to him. Just saying.

Is There an Issue with J.R.R. Tolkien Being a Christian?

Ridiculous but true: some "Tolkien fans" actually complained on the Internet because an article dared to present J.R.R. Tolkien as a devoted Christian (!). The reaction was simply terrifying: a number of so-called fans, not numerous but very aggressive, attacked the article author for spitting out that horrible label, claiming that they should "leave Tolkien untouched by Christianity" or something like that.

It doesn't take a brilliant intellect to simply know that Tolkien was a Christian. It's been stated a billion times and from highly reliable sources. He simply adhered to that faith and, by all means, it seems he actually practiced it. There is plenty to prove that, whether his fans like it or not. Now, to claim that he should never be mixed with his declared faith is beyond ridiculous. It's incomprehensible. Firstly, one cannot be seen as a Tolkien fan if they are not aware of whom this author was and what he was about. Information like this has never been hidden. It doesn't matter what his work was like. It could be 100% pagan. The man was a Christian, as everyone around him knew and all scholars and real, educated fans know to this day.

It's no isolated case. Many anti-theists and fanatic atheists often happen to be in denial. Their intolerance to Christianity reaches aberrant levels. One excellent example is the infamous C. Carrie, of whom we shall only mention very little. this is a person who normally wouldn't deserve a mention, but I believe it's necessary to point some things out for those who have not had the chance to find out.

This man's hatred for Christianity wouldn't allow him to accept that a Christian writer could become so famous and inspire millions. You may look it up, the case is well explained online. It looks like this Carrie hated it so much that he started a fake pedophilia scandal in an attempt to defame the author's son, Fr. John Tolkien (Hating a Catholic priest? You know what to do! Just accuse him of pedophilia!). He wouldn't stop, but actually drag other members of the Tolkien family to the court. If you find his comments, you realise what he's all about - just pure hatred for Christians. Thankfully, he lost big time.

Even if Tolkien didn't write his works as Christian allegory, you cannot separate his faith from his art. It can never be done, because a faith - any faith - or lack thereof, is deeply embedded into a man's being. It is the sum of all that they believe about the world, about life, about how people must behave. If you know what Christianity really is about, you will find it in Tolkien's work. It's in the message, attitudes, in the choices made by characters, in the final developments, the moral layer and much more. The work itself doesn't have to be in any way Christian, but the essence will always shine though, simply because artists don't just adopt different views than the ones they've got. And why would they? After all, each artist is trying to promote something. Naturally, it is in tune with what they believe.

To those saying that "you can be food without Christianity", a little more education would do good. in Christianity, there are many more aspects that go beyond the common rules of 'being good'. It's a wholly different paradigm.

Peter Jackson's Films Did Much Good to J.R.R. Tolkien. Here's How

I have never had any sympathy for those who are against the screen versions of J.R.R. Tolkien's books. Being totally against screen adaptations is an attitude which is doing a disservice not only to fans everywhere, but also to J.R.R. Tolkien himself. We are going to see how exactly this happens.

An Era of Different Entertainment

Director Peter Jackson

People consume art and entertainment in a different way that they did 200, 100 years ago, even 50 or 20 years ago. The general taste is ever changing. If you want to spot obvious differences, compare old romance movies with new ones. Or, compare Bible-themed ones. You will see a great difference in tone, costumes, cinematography etc. Music, writing, painting etc., all have changed with time. Nowadays we like our art in a certain way. We are entertained by certain features. It's only natural to accept and understand than an author who created many decades ago will be envisioned later in a 'modern' way. It cannot be as back in the day, nor as it all was in his mind or any of his readers' mind.

Bringing The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit on the silver screen in a 'commercial' manner is no crime, especially as it perpetuates the noble message of the author.

Harsh as it may sound, Tolkien's writings would have been far less popular by now if it weren't for Peter Jackson's adaptations. He'd still be a classic, especially in English-speaking countries, he'd still be mentioned as the father of high fantasy, he'd still have his avid readers... but things in general would be tremendously different. He'd be more like a piece in a museum. Nowadays he's so alive! His heart is beating in thousands and thousands of hearts who feel the gratitude as they both watch and read the Middle-Earth stories. Without the support of a movie, Tolkien would have a very different status.

A Fierce Competition

Let's take two of the most popular examples of successful literature today: George R.R. Martin and his Game of Thrones or J. K. Rowling and her Harry Potter books (I wouldn't want to mention Twilight or 50 Shades of Grey, because I believe those to be geared towards the teen crowd and not aimed at the general adult audience). While I can't compare these to Tolkien's brilliant work, we can sure talk about what success and popularity mean today. Nowadays, turning a book into a film is the method that works best if you want to boost its appeal and reach more people. Undeniably, these examples are powerful.

Imagine a world where Tolkien wouldn't benefit of screen adaptation, but these writers would. Could that be fair? Would it really be nice to have a fabulous author like him fade into oblivion, while these ones who do nothing but copy him enjoy such massive success? Would it really be fair? I am surprised the Tolkien family isn't thinking about it.

The Films Do Him Justice

Keeping Tolkien in the literature zone only would be a terrible thing to do. If he never got on screen, the Tolkien phenomenon would have been greatly reduced today. He could even become misunderstood. Now thankfully, through these films, be they good or bad (it's not necessary to discuss this here), his name is known to the world, to every nation, even to the youngest of us... and a huge gate is open - the gate to his books, now made easier to connect to.

I dare to think that his aura would fade with time, outshun by the less original authors. Totally not fair. Tolkien is, after all, the creator of a highly successful genre and no one did it better than him.


Why Royd Tolkien Is Admirable

Royd Tolkien, great grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien

If you are part of the fandom built around Peter Jackson's 6 Middle-Earth movies, you must have
noticed Royd Tolkien by now. He's active and, most important, is supportive. Moreover, he's quite a contrast to his other relatives, it seems. While he's not exactly in his twenties, nor thirties, he is young enough to taste entertainment as it is enjoyed today. He's a man of the newer generations. He understands the appeal of movies and the fact that this can only do good and no harm to his great grandfather's name. He had cameos in the movies, participated in promoting them, attended the premieres and voiced his opinion when needed. Royd always has a word of support when asked about the films and he's very enthusiastic in his answer. This should matter.

It is also worthy to observe how Royd embodies some of the virtues cherished in Middle-Earth. Personally, I greatly admire his friendly, open and easy going nature, as well as the honourable way in which he speaks his mind when he has to. He's one to understand completely that there will always be a difference between books and movies, that people want to get inside the story (hence the fanfiction, cosplay, conventions etc.) and that every such story will be lived according to the fashion of the current time.

As long as the author's original message is intact, no harm is done.

We Are More Visual


Entertainment got to be centred on visuals. We are not necessarily getting dumber. Lazier perhaps, but not dumber. Besides, it's only normal to become more visual nowadays, since technology has evolved so much in this direction. We have means that have been unheard of, unspoken and undreamt of until very recently. It's fabulous to have these.There's so much more that's possible on screen now. It was only a logical step and an honourable attempt to create Middle-Earth in a visual form like that.

It is a dear hope that, one day, someone will be daring enough (and allowed) to bring The Children of Hurin or maybe a few tales of The Silmarillion on screen.