Tag Archives: The Silmarillion

“C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien: Friendship, True Myth, And Platonism,” a Paper by Justin Keena

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

There is doubtless a significant amount of interest in the friendship of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis–both in the more formal setting of the Inklings and in their own literary and personal paths. I’ve written here and here about how … Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged An Experiment in Criticism, C.S. Lewis, Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, friendship, J.R.R. Tolkien, myth, Oxford, The Silmarillion, Walter Hooper | 6 Comments

Readings from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Tale Of Beren and Lúthien, with The Center from the Study of C.S. Lewis and Friends

Posted on April 17, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

Hi folks. This event is past, but The Center for the Study of C.S. Lewis and Friends at Taylor University are having a digital Inklings “tea” on Friday’s at 4pm. They are an archive, a host of strong Inklings-informed study … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, News & Links | Tagged Beowulf, Beren and Lúthien, Christopher Tolkien, fantasy, Fictional Universes, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, writing | 19 Comments

Christopher Tolkien, Curator of Middle-earth, Has Died, and a Letter from His Father

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

As last evening tilted towards nighttime in my part of the world, my social media feeds began filling with the news that Christopher Tolkien had died. The last living Inkling, Christopher John Reuel Tolkien (21 Nov 1924 to 15 Jan … Continue reading →

Posted in Letters, News & Links | Tagged archival research, Beren and Lúthien, Christopher Tolkien, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, Middle Earth, The History of Middle-earth, The Hobbit, The Inklings, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, The Tale of Beren and Lúthien | 40 Comments

The First Meeting of the Inklings, with George Sayer

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

I wrote last week about all the literary groups that formed some of the greatest writers of the 20th century, and how L.M. Montgomery was alone. One of those was the Inklings, which made C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien into … Continue reading →

Posted in L.M. Montgomery, Memorable Quotes, Reflections | Tagged C.S. Lewis, George Sayer, Humphrey Carpenter, J.R.R. Tolkien, Joy Davidman, Nevill Coghill, northernness, Paris Expats, Robert Havard, The Bloomsbury Set, the Detection Club, The Inklings, The Silmarillion | 64 Comments

“Filling the Gaps in History: Mythopoesis as Deep Insight” by Charles Huttar

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

Many of you will know what a pleasure it is to hear Charles Huttar read a paper, to meet and converse with him – and how fruitful to your knowledge, understanding, and further thought. And many more who have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Blogs, Inklings and Arthur | Tagged Arthurian Torso, Arthuriana, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, Descent into Hell, Inklings and Arthur, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ransom Trilogy, Studies in Words, That Hideous Strength, The Descent of the Dove, The Figure of Arthur, The Silmarillion | 41 Comments

Thesis Theater Monday, Feb 26: Rob Gosselin on Tolkien’s Sub-creative Vision

Posted on February 24, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

It is my pleasure to announce that my student, Rob Gosselin, has completed his thesis at Signum University. Rob’s topic is both fascinating and personal, where he explores how J.R.R. Tolkien’s idea of “subcreation” works when we move outside of … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged J.R.R. Tolkien, Leaf by Niggle, Malcolm Guite, Mark Wolf, mythopoiea, On Fairy-Stories, research, Signum University, subcreation, The Silmarillion, Tree and Leaf, Verlyn Flieger | 6 Comments

The Top 6 New Posts of 2017

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

In 2017, A Pilgrim in Narnia passed a number of milestones. We passed the 700-post threshold, had our 500,000th hit, were shared for the 10,000th time, and are nearing in on 7,000 followers. We had our seven biggest months this year, … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links, On Writing, Studies in Words | Tagged Beren and Lúthien, Blogging, C.S. Lewis, Dorothy L. Sayers, J.R.R. Tolkien, Joy Davidman, Sr. Penelope, Studies in Words, The Silmarillion, The Tale of Beren and Lúthien, writing | 6 Comments

Approaching “The Silmarillion” for the First Time

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

As brilliant as lovers of Middle Earth recognize that it is, there are few books as daunting as The Silmarillion. It is a dense and complex text of genealogies, places, and characters, each woven together with multiple names in multiple languages … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged Andrew Lang, Arthuriana, C.S. Lewis, David Lindsay, Douglas A. Anderson, E. Nesbit, George MacDonald, H. Rider Haggard, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth, Narnia, On Fairy-Stories, The Silmarillion, William Morris | 36 Comments

A Call for a Silmarillion Talmud

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

Though we live in a digital age, we are sometimes artificially constrained by older technologies. Like modern cars and trains that are largely designed according to the size of Roman cart paths, our reading is still shaped by a time … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged Bible, Corey Olsen, Discworld, J.R.R. Tolkien, Judaism, literature, Mishnah, Narnia, Reading, storytelling, Talmud, technology, The Silmarillion, writing | 19 Comments

Of Beren and Lúthien, Of Myth and the Worlds We Love

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

I don’t think I have ever read anything better than the tale of Beren and Lúthien. It is a bold statement, so allow me to give some context. One of the things that readers love about The Lord of the Rings … Continue reading →