In the 18 days leading up to the publication of A Secret Vice: Tolkien on Invented Languages yesterday, co-editors Dimitra Fimi and Andrew Higgins tweeted sneak previews from the book. Here are just some of the reason why you should read the new critical edition of one of Tolkien’s most important essays.
Mae Govannen
I was very excited earlier this week to take part in the last Mythgard Academy’s The Book of Lost Tales I class taught by Professor Corey Olsen. Corey and I have been talking for some time now about doing a recorded session on the role of Tolkien’s languages in his legendarium. Tolkien’s early invented languages, especially Qenya and Gnomish/Goldogrin, are a major focus of my current postgraduate research study for my thesis ‘The Genesis of Tolkien’s Mythology’ so I was very honoured to take part in the excellent Mythgard Academy course, voted on by supporters of the Mythgard Academy.
You never really know when J.R.R. Tolkien was joking in some subtle, philological way or if serendipity guided his choice of words. We have found so many interesting stories and associations behind his words that whole generations of future scholarship may have yet to unveil many of the secret references that influenced Tolkien’s writing.
As someone with only minimal training in etymological research I strive to avoid the more complicated discussions about which words arose when, but I cannot help but fall off the cliff into the seas of speculation from time to time when I come across something interesting.
Mae Govannen
My travels up and down the Oloremalle this week have been quite busy! On ‘my day’ job front we are on stage rehearsing the opening two productions of the 2014 Glyndebourne Festival – Der Rosenkavalier (Strauss) and Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky) with the opening Festival weekend looming in middle May (when yours truly puts on his DJ (tuxedo for Americans!) and spends the summer thanking, and thanking and thanking all of the supporters who make the Glyndebourne Festival possible). There is nothing like being on a train from Brighton at 1am in your DJ and I-pad!