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March 2026  Candidate  Standard Module
Discussion-based • Medium intensity

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This course examines how J.R.R. Tolkien constructed his secondary world with the deliberate craft of a mythmaker and the precision of a master architect. Designed for participants already familiar with Tolkien's major works, the course delves into the rich philosophical, linguistic, and cultural foundations of Middle-earth.

Each discussion session analyses the building blocks of Tolkien's mythological framework: his theory of subcreation, cosmological blueprints, linguistic foundations, character archetypes, moral frameworks, environmental design, and how these elements combine to create an enduring fictional universe.

Participants will engage with primary texts alongside Tolkien's essays, letters, and posthumously published materials to gain deeper appreciation of how his scholarly background in philology and medieval literature informed his creative vision—illuminating how Tolkien constructed one of literature's most enduring secondary worlds.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:

Outline 8-Session Structure and Reading List by Session Readings List
Week 1 Session 1: The Mythmaker’s Vision Session 1 Reading list:
  • - "On Fairy Stories" (essay): Focus on concepts of "subcreation," "recovery," "escape," and "consolation"
  • - "Mythopoeia" (poem) - Complete
  • - Letter #131 to Milton Waldman - Selected paragraphs on Tolkien's passion for myth and fairy-story
Session 2: Creation Myths and Cosmology Session 2 Reading List:
  • - "Ainulindalë" and "Valaquenta" from The Silmarillion - Complete
  • - "The Music of the Ainur" from The Book of Lost Tales, Part One - Focusing on differences from the published Silmarillion version
  • - Selected passages from Morgoth's Ring - "Myths Transformed" essays I and II
Week 2 Session 3: Languages as Cultural Foundation Session 3 Reading List:
  • - Appendix F from The Lord of the Rings: "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age"
  • - "The Lhammas" from The Lost Road and Other Writings - Introduction and sections on Elvish languages
  • - Elvish poems with translations: "Namárië" and "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" - Complete texts with pronunciation guides
Session 4: The Hero’s Journey Through Ages Session 4 Reading List:
  • - "Of Túrin Turambar" from The Silmarillion - Sections describing Túrin's character and major confrontations
  • - From The Hobbit: "Riddles in the Dark" and "The Last Stage" - Complete chapters
  • - From The Lord of the Rings: "The Shadow of the Past" and "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm" - Complete chapters
Week 3 Session 5: Power and Corruption Session 5 Reading List:
  • - "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age" from The Silmarillion
  • - "The Council of Elrond" from The Fellowship of the Ring - Discussions of the Ring's history and power
  • - "The Mirror of Galadriel" and "The Breaking of the Fellowship" from The Fellowship of the Ring
Session 6: Death, Immortality and Time Session 6 Reading List:
  • - "Akallabêth" from The Silmarillion - Sections about the Númenóreans' growing fear of death
  • - "Leaf by Niggle"
  • - Letter #153 - Sections discussing the "doom and gift" of mortality
Week 4 Session 7: Nature, Technology and Modernity Session 7 Reading List:
  • - "Treebeard" and "The Voice of Saruman" from The Two Towers
  • - "The Scouring of the Shire" from The Return of the King
  • - Tolkien's foreword to the second edition of The Lord of the Rings
  • - Letter #178 - Sections discussing industrialization
Session 8: Legacy and Influence Session 8 Reading List:
  • - "The Quest of Erebor" from Unfinished Tales
  • - "The Notion Club Papers" from Sauron Defeated - Frame narrative and discussions of time and memory
  • - "Epilogue" from The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth
  • - Selections from The Road to Middle-earth by Tom Shippey - Chapter 1 "Lit. and Lang."

Required Texts

Copies of The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and The Hobbit are required. Copies of Leaf By Niggle and On Fairy-stories would be useful but not required. All other texts will be provided as a pdf.
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Days and Times

As soon as we obtain enough interest in this class we will be in touch to work out a meeting time that works for the group. Thank you for keeping your March 2026 availability up to date!