Elegies, Earth-Walkers, and the Lord of the Rings
It is no secret that J. R. R. Tolkien was very much influenced by old Anglo Saxon literature. When contemplating the connections in between his work and Old English literature, I remembered learning about an elegy titled, "The Wanderer." In it a man, known as the "earth-walker," laments losing his lord, companions, and (how could you forget) his mead hall. The sense of loss that pervades this poem is iconic of much archaic Anglo-Saxon literature. Here is the text in its original language . (Check out the use of thorn , I love that letter. Let's bring back þorn !) [Stop giggling that is NOT a "p."] In the poem, the method of mourning the loss of what the "earth-walker" holds dear is done by the use of the word "where" and "what." Here is an excerpt from the translation of " The Wanderer " by E. T. Donaldson: So the Maker of mankind laid waste this dwelling-place until the old works of giants stood idle, d...