Papers by Thomas Honegger
This is the original English version of my paper published as 'Entre pères et fils: la présence d... more This is the original English version of my paper published as 'Entre pères et fils: la présence de Christopher dans l'oeuvre fictionnelle de J.R.R. Tolkien.' In Vincent Ferré (ed.). 2024. Les mondes de Christopher Tolkien. Hommage pour son centenaire. Adar. (e-book))
Eine kleine Geschichte der Orks. Der monströse Feind im Wandel der Zeit. Ed. by Delila Jordan and Kerstin Droß-Krüpe. Stuttgart: J.B. Metzler, 41-60., 2024
‘From Old English orcneas to George MacDonald’s Goblins with Soft Feet: Sources of Inspiration an... more ‘From Old English orcneas to George MacDonald’s Goblins with Soft Feet: Sources of Inspiration and Models for Tolkien’s Orcs from English Literature.’ In Delila Jordan and Kerstin Droß-Krüpe (eds.). Eine kleine Geschichte der Orks. Der monströse Feind im Wandel der Zeit. Stuttgart: J.B. Metzler, 41-60.
Hither Shore 19, 2023
The figure of the Redeemer King is a central element in the works of Charles Williams, J.R.R. Tol... more The figure of the Redeemer King is a central element in the works of Charles Williams, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, three core members of the Inklings. Charles Williams comes closest to this in his Arthurian Poems, but also in his posthumously published essay in the Arthurian Torso, the embodiment of the kingdom through a (semi-)historical person in a historical environment – even though he mystifies the figure of Arthur.
J.R.R. Tolkien's Aragorn (aka Elessar) is also rooted in the historicity of the Third Age of Middle-earth and reflects elements of the epic Arthurian tradition, but he also shares the archetype of the restitutor imperii, i.e. the renewer of the empire.
Finally, C.S. Lewis's work gives us King Peter Pevensie from the Narnia Chronicles, a representative of the fairytale-like tradition of kingship, while on the other hand we have Ransom (also known as the Fisher King) in 'That Hideous Strength', who combines aspects of the sacrificial king (Anfortas) with those of the pontifex maximus and the dawn of a new age. A comparative analysis of these four figures of kingship shows how the shared cultural and religious background of the Inklings has influenced all three authors, even though each author provides an individual interpretation of the concept of kingship.
Zeitschrift für Fantasieforshcung, 2024
Introduction to the Tolkien-Forum of the Zeitschrift für Fantastikforschung concerning the questi... more Introduction to the Tolkien-Forum of the Zeitschrift für Fantastikforschung concerning the question whether it was time to call it a day with Tolkien related research.
Zeitschrift für Fantastikforschung 11.1, 2024
Beitrag zum Forum ‘Wurde zu Tolkien noch nicht genug gesagt?'
Forma de Vida, 2023
This paper looks at the development of the 'Albus Jacsonensis' (the Peter-Jackson elf, as s:he is... more This paper looks at the development of the 'Albus Jacsonensis' (the Peter-Jackson elf, as s:he is seen in Jackson's movies) from the folklore origins and the work of the artist Alan Lee.
In Anna Czarnowus and Carolyne Larrington (eds.). 2022. Memory and Medievalism in George R.R. Martin and Game of Thrones. The Keeper of All Our Memories. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 67-78, 183-187., 2022
Ep. Winter Is Coming Ep. The Kingsroad Ep. Lord Snow Ep. Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things Ep.... more Ep. Winter Is Coming Ep. The Kingsroad Ep. Lord Snow Ep. Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things Ep. The Wolf and the Lion Ep. A Golden Crown Ep. You Win or You Die Ep. The Pointy End Ep. Baelor Ep. Fire and Blood Season Two (HBO, 2012) Ep. The North Remembers Ep. The Night Lands Ep. What Is Dead May Never Die Ep. Garden of Bones Ep. The Ghost of Harrenhal Ep. The Old Gods and the New Ep. A Man without Honor Ep. The Prince of Winterfell Ep. Blackwater Ep. Valar Morghulis Season Three (HBO, 2013) Ep. Valar Dohaeris Ep. Dark Wings, Dark Words Ep. Walk of Punishment Ep. And Now His Watch Is Ended Ep. Kissed by Fire Ep. The Climb Ep. The Bear and the Maiden Fair x Show episodes Ep. Second Sons Ep. The Rains of Castamere Ep. Mhysa Season Four (HBO, 2014) Ep. Two Swords Ep. The Lion and the Rose Ep. Breaker of Chains Ep. Oathkeeper Ep. First of His Name Ep. The Laws of Gods and Men Ep. Mockingbird Ep. The Mountain and the Viper Ep. The Watchers on the Wall Ep. The Children Season Five (HBO, 2015) Ep. The Wars to Come Ep. The House of Black and White Ep. High Sparrow Ep. Sons of the Harpy Ep. Kill the Boy Ep. Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken Ep. The Gift Ep. Hardhome Ep. Dance of Dragons Ep. Mother's Mercy Season Six (HBO, 2016) Ep. The Red Woman Ep. Home Ep. Oathbreaker Ep. Book of the Stranger Ep. The Door Ep. Blood of My Blood Ep. The Broken Man Ep. No One Ep. Battle of the Bastards Contributors
Lembas Katern in Lembas Jubileumnummer 200, 2022
Mythlore 40.1, 2021
This paper investigates two questions. First, why did Tolkien assign the Hobbits "a Mannish langu... more This paper investigates two questions. First, why did Tolkien assign the Hobbits "a Mannish language of the upper Anduin, akin to that of the Rohirrim" (LotR, Appendix F 1130) as the first language of which we have some knowledge? Second, why does Tolkien deny the Hobbits a distinct linguistic identity and turn them into linguistic chameleons? (https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol40/iss1/11)
Journal of Tolkien Research 13.1 (article 1), 2021
The question of where Tolkien found his inspiration for the One Ring has occupied fans and schola... more The question of where Tolkien found his inspiration for the One Ring has occupied fans and scholars alike for decades, and many rings real, fictional or legendary have been proposed. My paper takes a fresh look at the evidence and provides an overview of possible sources of inspiration from contemporary literature and archaeology. My research suggests that there was not one single source of inspiration but rather three rings that served as models, each of which contributed an important element to Tolkien’s concept of his One Ring. These models are: The Ring of Gyges, the Ring of Charlemagne, and Wagner’s Ring. The last of these is of central importance since Tolkien seems to have developed his One Ring in opposition to and as a critical ‘re-write’ of Wagner’s Ring of Power.
See also: https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol13/iss1/1
Journal of Tolkien Research 9.1, 2020
This paper investigates the nature, role and functions of Bilbo and Frodo's family relationship a... more This paper investigates the nature, role and functions of Bilbo and Frodo's family relationship and the use of seemingly contradictory genealogical terminology within The Lord of the Rings.
Fantastic Languages – The Language of the Fantastic. (Fastitocalon 9: 23-34), 2020
Disputation Literature in the Near East and Beyond. Edited by Enrique Jiménez and Catherine Mittermayer. Berlin etc.: de Gruyter, 351-366., 2020
Said tea to coffee: "Oh youb urnt one, All blackened and crushed, your good looks gone, (…) Howc ... more Said tea to coffee: "Oh youb urnt one, All blackened and crushed, your good looks gone, (…) Howc omey ou're so proud and so haughty? Loquacity'st rulyy our forte! Yellow one, shall Il ist your disasters, One by one to your Bedouin masters? Youd ullard! Your real name is coffee, To all whoi mbibe, catastrophe! Af ruit youa re not,n or as avour, Nor relieff or the tired from their labour. But me, Ig ivea ll relaxation, I'mabalm, soothingw ounds and vexation."
Journal of Tolkien Research 9.2, article 8, 2020
This paper discusses the potentially problematic nature of certain forms of heroism in Tolkien’s ... more This paper discusses the potentially problematic nature of certain forms of heroism in Tolkien’s works and their representatives, such as Túrin Turambar or Beorhtnoth. It analyses not only the problems that may arise on the battlefield from an excess of pride (ofermod), but it also investigates the problem of how to contain and deal with the more aggressive forms of military prowess when its energies are not employed on the battlefield or in fighting an adversary such as a dragon. As will be shown, Tolkien contrasts his ‘unlucky’ heroes implicitly with heroic figures such as Aragorn Elessar, who tempers heroism with humility, wisdom, and self-restraint.
Ringe der Macht / Rings of Power. Band 21.1 (2019). Halle (Saale): Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte, 227-246., 2019
I Quaderni di Arda: Rivista di studi tolkienani e mondi fantastici., 2019
Splintered Heroes – Heroic Variety and its Function in The Lord of the Rings, 2018
This is a pre-publication version of an essay that has been published in 2018 as: Thomas Honegger... more This is a pre-publication version of an essay that has been published in 2018 as: Thomas Honegger, ‘Splintered Heroes – Heroic Variety and its Function in The Lord of the Rings.’ In John D. Rateliff (ed.). 2018. A Wilderness of Dragons: Essays in Honor of Verlyn Flieger. Wayzata MI: The Gabbro Head Press, 157-175.
This essay is a much extended version of the paper I gave at the IMC Leeds on 5 July 2017. It exa... more This essay is a much extended version of the paper I gave at the IMC Leeds on 5 July 2017. It examines Tolkien’s complex attitude towards the concept(s) of chivalry and knighthood. A close reading analysis of relevant key passages from The Lord of the Rings is combined with an examination of his statements on chivalry in his scholarly works. Tolkien’s views are then related to the scholarly discourse on the key elements of chivalry, which allows the reader to gain a deeper understanding of why Tolkien depicts the representatives of chivalry/knighthood in The Lord of the Rings the way he does.
This paper investigates the occurrence of the draco marinus in medieval and post-medieval texts, ... more This paper investigates the occurrence of the draco marinus in medieval and post-medieval texts, illustrations and maps, and discusses the question of why or why not, respectively, the sea-dragon constitutes an independent sub-category of draco. The evidence suggests that the dragon is a creature that inhabits the different elements so that the distinction into draco maris, draco terrestris and, theoretically, draco aeris, merely reflects a temporary feature and does not necessarily constitute a subdivision of classificatory relevance. As a consequence, the sea-dragon constitutes an optional category that is at the scholar’s, author’s or artist’s disposal if needed.
Fastitocalon 7. Subcreation: Worldbuilding in the Fantastic, 93-107, 2017
The term 'onomaturgy' goes back to Robinson ("Onomaturgy"). 2 The concept and term go back to Ric... more The term 'onomaturgy' goes back to Robinson ("Onomaturgy"). 2 The concept and term go back to Richard Dawkins' study The Selfish Gene (1976) but have acquired a variety of differing meanings and usages. We use meme to denote a cultural idea or concept that is transmitted by repetition and replication.
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Papers by Thomas Honegger
J.R.R. Tolkien's Aragorn (aka Elessar) is also rooted in the historicity of the Third Age of Middle-earth and reflects elements of the epic Arthurian tradition, but he also shares the archetype of the restitutor imperii, i.e. the renewer of the empire.
Finally, C.S. Lewis's work gives us King Peter Pevensie from the Narnia Chronicles, a representative of the fairytale-like tradition of kingship, while on the other hand we have Ransom (also known as the Fisher King) in 'That Hideous Strength', who combines aspects of the sacrificial king (Anfortas) with those of the pontifex maximus and the dawn of a new age. A comparative analysis of these four figures of kingship shows how the shared cultural and religious background of the Inklings has influenced all three authors, even though each author provides an individual interpretation of the concept of kingship.
See also: https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol13/iss1/1
J.R.R. Tolkien's Aragorn (aka Elessar) is also rooted in the historicity of the Third Age of Middle-earth and reflects elements of the epic Arthurian tradition, but he also shares the archetype of the restitutor imperii, i.e. the renewer of the empire.
Finally, C.S. Lewis's work gives us King Peter Pevensie from the Narnia Chronicles, a representative of the fairytale-like tradition of kingship, while on the other hand we have Ransom (also known as the Fisher King) in 'That Hideous Strength', who combines aspects of the sacrificial king (Anfortas) with those of the pontifex maximus and the dawn of a new age. A comparative analysis of these four figures of kingship shows how the shared cultural and religious background of the Inklings has influenced all three authors, even though each author provides an individual interpretation of the concept of kingship.
See also: https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol13/iss1/1
https://lecture2go.uni-hamburg.de/veranstaltungen/-/v/17895
Carolyne Larrington, Professor of Medieval European Literature (University of Oxford), author of Winter is Coming: The Medieval World of ‘Game of Thrones’ (2015) and All Men Must Die: Power and Passion in ‘Game of Thrones’ (2021).
With these words Tolkien replied to Raynor Unwin's comments upon first reading Book 1 of Lord of the Rings. Raynor had not commented on the comedy of Book 1 but on the overpowering effect of "the struggle between darkness and light", as he put it, and that omission disappointed Tolkien. If this was the response of Tolkien's famous first reviewer, it is not surprising that academic studies have also tended to overlook or disregard both the presence of humour in Tolkien's work and the effect of his work to inspire humour in readers' and artists' responses.
Laughter in Middle-earth: Humour in and around the Works of JRR Tolkien more than compensates for this critical oversight. From onomastic studies and parody, to historical, literary, and social contexts, a history of illustrations, textual interpretations, heroic forms of defiant laughter, and then to a reminiscence of the Inklings' tastes in humour, these scholarly articles analyse the broad range of comedy which arises against the darkness of the world in Tolkien's narratives. As well, interspersed between these studies are numerous comic illustrations, some of which appear in print for the first time, from well-known Tolkien illustrators.
As Eru is reported saying, in a typically egregious internet appropriation of Tolkien, "There is no joke that hath not its uttermost source in me." This book demonstrates that humour is truly a significant aspect of Middle-earth and its influences. Eru, like Tolkien himself, could, indeed, laugh.
The introductory part provides a general historical survey of medieval animal literature, its roots, its various genres, and its relation to the history of ideas. Yet, of this plethora of genres which use animals as their main protagonists, or at least objects, only three traditions are of importance for vernacular English literature. These are the Physiologus-tradition, the typically English genre of ‘bird debates’, and the ‘beast epic and beast fable’ traditions. In the ensuing chapters, the study follows a rough chronology, starting with the earliest tradition (i.e. the Physiologus-tradition) and closing with the ‘beast epic and beast fable’ traditions (of which Chaucer’s The Nun’s Priest’s Tale is the last and most accomplished representative analysed). Thus, after the introduction, the second chapter deals with the Physiologus-tradition, which comprises The Old English Phoenix, The Old English Physiologus, and The Middle English Physiologus. The third chapter analyses the ‘bird debate’ poems (The Owl and the Nightingale, The Thrush and the Nightingale, The Cuckoo and the Nightingale, and The Parlement of Foulys), and the fourth chapter is devoted to the English offshoots of the continental ‘beast fable’ and ‘beast epic’ traditions (The Vox and the Wolf and Chaucer’s The Nun’s Priest’s Tale). A brief survey of the subsequent development of these three main traditions and a final evaluation of the different genres treated in the preceding chapters provide the conclusion to the study.
As a rule, each new chapter begins with an introduction to the relevant literary, historical, cultural, philosophical, and religious backgrounds necessary for a full understanding of the function of the animal-protagonists in the poems dealt with. A ‘close reading’ of the poems and a detailed discussion of the function of the animal-protagonists follows. Even though most chapters could be read on their own, the roughly chronological presentation of the four traditions contributes to a step-by-step initiation into the increasingly complex interpretation of the animal-protagonists of the later poems. Thus, to give just one example, the hen, the cock and the fox in Chaucer’s The Nun’s Priest’s Tale are no longer merely the anthropomorphised animals known from the beast epic; they also contribute to the allegorical potential that is the heritage of the Physiologus-tradition, and which leads to a complex and multi-layered reading not only of the protagonists, but also of the narrative itself. Thus, each succeeding chapter takes into account the results of the previous ones, widens the reader’s horizon and enables him or her to achieve a fuller appreciation of the qualities and peculiarities of the individual poem. Thus, the study highlights the gradual development which took place in the use of animals as main protagonists. As a result, it can be said that the often rather simplistic and one-dimensional allegorical interpretations of the Physiologus-tradition gradually gave way to a more complex and increasingly secular outlook (see, for example, The Owl and the Nightingale). In the end, this new way of looking at things not only superseded the moralistic-religious bias, but was at the same time able to incorporate the symbolic potential of the older tradition, and thus to level the way for the creation of works of great sophistication, such as The Nun’s Priest’s Tale.
Available at: http://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol2/iss1/3