July 2026 Modules

A most fell warrior was he, whose deeds no man of the Mark could equal…

Let’s read a tale that directly inspired Tolkien!

Deep in the primordial Mirkwood, the free folk of the Mid-mark must take up arms to protect their home. When the Roman war machine rolls across their lands, the Valkyrie Wood-Sun and warrior chief Thiodolf rally their clan to save their idyllic way of life.

An epic romance of survival and heroism in the face of overwhelming odds, William Morris weaves his tale through archaizing prose and verse. Inspired by Norse storytelling, The House of the Wolfings is by turns bloody and otherworldly, a celebration of community and the natural world.

Although they were never completed in his lifetime, JRR Tolkien wrote what he considered his three "Great Tales" of the Elder Days and intended them to be a significant part of his wider Silmarillion. These Tales are The Tale of Beren and Lúthien, The Children of Húrin, and The Fall of Gondolin. Some parts of these Tales can be found within the published version of The Silmarillion, but the more recently available individual books provide additional and extensive details for each story.

In this course, we will have a ‘read-along’ discussion of The Children of Hurin. Each session we will consider our close reading of a section of the story, examining Tolkien’s use of language and narrative structure, as well as exploring ideas about what each Tale tells us about Tolkien’s secondary world.

Access to a copy of The Children of Hurin will be necessary, and you may find having a copy of The Silmarillion very useful.