I've always loved Bilbo's account of himself when being questioned by the dragon, Smaug. Even when his life is at stake, Bilbo manages to stay witty and even throws in a riddle or two. So here's the challenge: If you were to face a dragon with scales like tenfold shields, teeth like swords and wings [...]
Category: Tolkien
The Grip of Grace: God’s Hand in the Lord of the Rings
As a Christian who has both read and watched Lord of the Rings for years, I thought there was not much of its deeper meaning left for me to discover. How wrong I was! Brent King takes a classic we all know well and revisits it, bit by bit, uncovering things of value and eternal [...]
Fictional Forests: The Real-Life Inspirations
“Beyond the Wild Wood comes the wild world,” said the Rat. “And that’s something that doesn’t matter, either to you or to me. I’ve never been there, and I’m never going, nor you either, if you’ve got any sense at all.” ― Kenneth Grahame The Wild Wood Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows was inspired [...]
Death Means Life
Harry Potter is struck down by his archenemy, visits the in-between, and makes the choice to return and finish what needs to be done – that is, conquer evil in the form of Lord Voldemort, thus saving not only the wizarding world, but the world entire. Death, for Harry, meant life. Gandalf the Grey is [...]
The Birth of the Hobbit
The word Hobbit was soon to be as much a magical word for Professor Tolkien as Hocus-Pocus was for any fairy-tale magician. In fact, Hobbit was the most important single word that ever inspired him to invent a story. (David Day, The Hobbit Companion) Hob. A short enough word, simple and unsuspicious. Is this how [...]
Ashlee Willis, Author of Fantasy 