Tolkien’s Interest in Norse Mythology

Did you know that J.R.R. Tolkien and his works were heavily inspired by Norse mythology? 

Tolkien’s Interest in Norse Mythology

Tolkien was a great fan of Norse mythology from his school days and continued to pursue his passion when he became a professor of English literature. One of his areas of expertise was the Old English poem Beowulf, which tells the story of a 6th-century Danish hero.

Tolkien was also a founding member of the Viking Club in the 1920s, which met to discuss extinct Germanic languages and culture.

Tolkien also wrote his own version of the Legend of Sigurd and Gudrin, which contains the story of the cursed ring Andvaranaut,

revealing that this story must have had some influence on Tolkien’s creation of the epic surrounding the One Ring.

Midgard and Middle Earth: Norse Cosmology in Tolkien’s Universe

In Norse mythology, men live in Midgard, the middle realm, and Tolkien’s characters live in Middle Earth. The gods, the Valar, live in Valinor, which can be equated with Asgard.

It is separated from Middle Earth by a long straight bridge.

This represents the Rainbow Bifrost Bridge between Asgard and Midgard.

There are many small details in the LOTR settings that also nod towards Norse mythology. For example, the Golden Hall of the Kings of Ronan is called Meduseld, which means “mead hall”. It is clearly based on the great mead hall, Heorot, that Beowulf occupies.

When the fellowship arrives at the hall, they are challenged by the guard and told that they must leave their weapons outside. When the heroes of Beowulf arrive at Heorot, they are also challenged by the guard and forced to pile their weapons up at the door.