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10 Things You Might Not Know About JRR Tolkien
10 Things You Might Not Know About J.R.R. Tolkien
There are plenty of things even the most ardent fans don't know about John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. 1. He had a flair for the dramatic. As a linguist and expert on Old English and Old Norse literature, Tolkien was a professor at Oxford University from 1925 until 1959.
mentalfloss.com
Guys... I just learned that JRR Tolkien had "Beren" engraved below his name and "Luthien" engraved below his wife's name on their shared headstone.
That is the most nerdily romantic thing I have ever heard.
Mental Floss was right. I did not know that.




I always feel like a jerk when I say this, but... I knew all those already. I guess they don't make lists like that for people who have studied Tolkien for years. Good little factoids, though. Especially the bit about the Nazis. Anyone who charges LotR with racism should get to know the author a bit more.
I seriously considered titling this post "10 Things Everyone But Craig Might Not Know About JRR Tolkien."
I've had my moments with these list where I only clicked to prove to myself how knowledgeable I am about a certain topic, usually Tarantino or one of his films.
This one I genuinely went into to learn, and I did. Even when I was familiar with the overall point being made I almost always learned a interesting new detail. With the exception of 2 and 3, 'cause I'm not a complete newb!
I've read two Tolkien biographies and I learned some things! Probably means I should go read them again...