Optron #37 09 августа 2000

Pages of History - Tolkien: the story of the famous writer.

                  Tolkien


  {} I. Bozhenko, 2000



  1 Name


  Even his name requires some explanation.

  John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.

  In Russian - John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.

  Initially, the translators handed his last name as she wrote 
in English: "Tolkien." Then felt that it was better, after all, 
as she in English says: "Tolkien." 

  And as for me, then "Reuel" it would be better
passed as the Norwegian "Roald" or more
habitual Spanish "Raul."

  There is a legend that his classmates "were broke," say so 
lush name, and they named it the mysterious acronym "JRRT". And 
then as it became call among themselves and fans.


  In fact, his name was simply
Ronald, abbreviated - Ron. And John and Ruehle -
They were, as instituted by the whole of Western
Europe, his family, "grandfather" names
by, respectively, mother and father.

  Next to the origin of the legend
his name and the fact that, ostensibly, is what
became the impetus for his passion for history.
Ostensibly a knight of the Prussian royal house of Hohenzollern 
excelled at Turks besieged Vienna (1592) and received a

nickname Tollkuhn - foolishly-brave.
His descendants moved to France, succeeding
"Klikuhu on relevant du Temeraire
(Du Temerer), and then fled to England,
escape from the horrors of the French Revolution.

  In fact, our great-grandfather
the hero was himself a refugee from Germany
Tolkyun, piano-maker. "

  These "little legend" a lot in the biography of Tolkien.



  2 Childhood


  He was born on 03.01.1892 at Bloemfontein, in the
the heart of South Africa, where a year before "to catch the 
happiness and officials" came with his fiancee, his father. 
This town was then the capital of the Orange Republic,

this currently gosudarstvishka Boers - Dutch colonists.

  It was then in the order of things: Britain
sent out his sons in all parts of the vast Victorian empire. 
And the fact that Boers have not yet been subjects to the crown,

particular did not matter: people must be prepared for future 
use! 

  Hot veld, poisonous snakes and spiders,
"Evil negros" and - since birth - a rich language environment: 
who knows how it all influenced his future work? How to

I, the earliest, even unconscious,
childhood memories determine a lot.

  In 1894, his brother is born.

  And in 1895 the mother and children returned
home in a suburb of Birmingham selcky
- The most that neither is on, the middle of England
(Crude England supposedly healthier for children than
sultry Africa).

  The father remains in Africa and in 1896, dies: infectious 
rheumatic heart disease and the subsequent stroke. 

  The widow of Tolkien in his 25 years knew German, French, 
Latin, drawing, playing music. Their knowledge - and devotion - 
she transfers to children. So that education and

passion for books began at Ron before
school.

  Even then he knew and loved "Alice"
Carroll. He reads and adventure books such as "Treasure Island" 
Robert Louis Stevenson, but ostensibly, it remains indifferent 
to them because of the lack of the add "fantasy elements." 
Another thing - stories about Indians: there he attracted the 
bows and arrows, weird language, ancient customs and, above 
all, of the forest. 

  Fascinated him, and collections of fairy tales, which made 
the writer Andrew Lang (1844-1912).


  1899 Mother and Child goes to Catholicism. A Roman Catholic 
("damned papist) in England was then - this is perhaps more 
abruptly, than the Russian Orthodox in the current Lviv.


  Then Ron comes to Birmingham
preferred school, King Edward -
at public expense, which required to be "the first disciple." 
Under the influence of teacher literature exploring the Irish, 
Old English, verhnesaksonsky, Old Norse languages: it allows 
him to read medieval literature in the original. 

  From the west, in Wales, delivered coal
for metallurgical factories of Birmingham. AND
here - another little legend: the alleged
Ron wanted to learn Welsh after seeing strange inscriptions on 
uglevozah. 

  Meanwhile, the Anglo-Boer War (18991902) completes the great 
Victorian era and opens the series of wars of the twentieth 
century. Place Ron's birthday - Bloemfontein - almost

every day is mentioned in newspaper front-line summaries.

  1904 Mother dies: aggravation of diabetes. At 13 years old - 
too early - ended childhood and started ...




  3 Youth


  According to the will of mother, his guardian
becomes a local Catholic priest.

  1908 In the 16 years Ronald acquainted with
his future wife (she was then 19 years old)
and immediately wants to marry. Guardian prohibits:
to adulthood, and completion of education on marriage and can 
be no question. 

  1910 He travels to the Saharan
Birmingham, Oxford and entered into one of
there the college. Again - at government
account that it is possible only at the second attempt. There 
he taught at the department of classical languages ​​(Latin and 
Greek). But soon he was transferred to the newly created 
Department of History of the English language (As is typical: 
first - strange story, and only then - his own!) 

  To have unlearned languages ​​added Finnish - specifically in 
order to read in the original "Kalevala." "I'd like to have in 
England was something like that!" - he says about it.


  At leisure, as befits a student at Oxford, enjoys playing 
rugby, on a vacation trip to Europe, limited, however, only 
France and Switzerland. There he was, presumably, involve 
forests, mountains, castles, paintings of mythical characters. 

  From the very first of his books his interest Gilbert Keith 
Chesterton (1874-1936): Ronald sees it as a "soul mate"

(Although Catholicism that took only
1922). Chesterton, incidentally, is considered a great master 
of Detectives. In vain. He - the author of fantastic tales, 
bizarre world of universal masquerade. A detective story - just 
one of its author receptions. 

  I think not passed by the Ronald and became
at the beginning of XX century. wildly popular opera
Richard Wagner's tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen ", created 
in 1854-1874 years. 

  1914 Many British students go to the army rank and file 
volunteers. But Ronald does not want to be a mere cannon 
fodder. He enlisted reservists and still continues to study, 
complete now "Commissar."


  22/03/1916, on reaching adulthood (at 24 years, according to 
English law), he marry the same on his long-beloved.

This had to wait 8 years. Romance, however!

  04/06/1916 A Lancashire Regiment - and with it
and communications officer Lieutenant Tolkien - is sent to the 
continent. And then immediately in front-line meat grinder.


  Battle of the Somme: one of many on the western front of 
fruitless attempts to get the stalemate of trench warfare. In 
the world history of wars, it became the first massive using 
tanks, but in the history of England - the fact that the 
British had hitherto not carried such heavy losses. "Animal 
horror of the trenches," - thought of her Tolkien. 

  Continuous heavy fighting lasted four months.
God has saved a young lieutenant from an injury or
death, but ... Then the "trench disease" -
typhus - decimated the people of any cleaner
weapons. Two years of hospital and - "demobilization."

  Adolescence is over. Started ...



  4 Maturity


  He returned to Oxford.

  Become "teachers". Participates in the creation of Dictionary 
of the English language. Is publishing Old English texts.


  Prodozhaet-depth study of ancient
languages. Creates in them new words and phrases that might be 
there. Invents new languages ​​and alphabets. Invents lyrics

in these languages, and to the texts, in turn - the history and 
mythology. 

  He feels that the existing languages ​​and
Legends - only the echoes of the old. They do not
preserved? Well, they must re-create the cross, for example, 
the English epic with the Irish against the Finnish.


  Craving for fairy tales, which appeared
in childhood and developed with the beginning of employment 
philology, under the influence of past war reaches his peak 
(which - to the question of division of fairy tales on 
"children" and "Adult").


  Still in the hospital in 1917, he began
create your own fantastic
World - "Middle Earth" (Middle). Over his
description, he worked all his life, improving and changing the 
components of this world of legend and even its fundamental 
laws. Draws its detailed map - in the same

time and in exactly the same as heroes Shvambranii Lions Kassil 
(1905-1970), classical Children's Literature of Stalin's time. C

the only difference being that this Kassil
involved boys, but here - mature
man, former soldier.

  1925 In 1933, he - a professor of literature. Too early, 
however! 

  By 1930 he was the father of three sons and
daughter. Little by little and he begins to draw in their game: 
the children to help draw Map of Middle-earth, listen to his 
legend. More than all those keen on youngest

Christopher.

  Another 'little legend' (damn
recalls the story of "Alice") refers to
history of the creation of his book "The Hobbit or
There and Back Again "(The Hobbit, or There and
back).

  Supposedly friends, hearing about the tales he told his 
children persuaded to publish them. A young son of the publisher

submitted manuscript and approved the coveted continue.

  Anyway, over the "Hobbit," it works, sort of, since 1930, 
gradually developing from existing developments more or less 
whole product. And in 1937, publisher Allen and Unwin "(George 
Allen ' Unwin, London) it produces (and is still

continues to maintain its monopoly on
edition of Tolkien's books in England.)

  The book differs quite successful and
Tolkien advised to continue in that vein.

  And he continues. Begins to be born ...



  5 of its General Ledger


  On the book "The Lord Of the Rings" (LOTR), he spent 18 years 
of life. 

  In this case, by his own admission,
in the process of writing the next episode, he
absolutely no idea what will be
on who actually turns out to be
one or another of his hero: premeditated plan he had.

  Fabula (story structure) and the characters
remained the same as in the "Hobbit," but
plot, in which basis - the myth of King
Arthur, blown up to huge proportions.

  1939, and again - the war.

  And our sons? The senior priest, from the call released. 
Average - in air defense. Jr. - Air Force (from other sources - 
"otmazatsya" from Army of the disease).


  Through a continuous stream of Oxford
northward transports of wounded and evacuated. Luftwaffe 
compared with the land located to the north-east of Oxford, 
Coventry. But the Oxford is not a bomb. There goes a familiar 
university life. 

  So it would seem, nothing prevents
completion of the book. However, the work does not go and
resumed only in 1944



  But strange, however, is a metamorphosis!

  "The Hobbit" - funny, full of true irony of the English fairy 
tale - it becomes a foreword by a grand heroic "Opupei. Funny 
amulet becomes Talisman sinister omnipotence. Magician and

son of a gun - in the Mighty Magician.

  A fairy tale creatures? Funny
prankster become epic warriors.
Jesters pea - Wise ancient peoples.
Sinister-klutz - a servant of evil.

  Meanwhile, his friend, the same as
Tolkien, the Oxford "don" (member of the Board
College), Professor of Theology at Clive Steplz
Lewis (1898-1963) began to publish their
"The Chronicles of Narnia" (1950-1956), recognized
later classic tolkinovskoy (!)
fantasy.

  And finally, in 1954-1955. "Rings" are published.

  In this book amazing, especially its
Size: publishers had to split it into
three separate volumes, and give them their own names. For two 
years, there are 350 characters (War and

Peace, however!) And yet - Annex: Chronology of 6,5 thousand 
(!) "preceding" and a hundred "future", 60 years of poetry "in 
translation Elvish ", a description of geography and languages

fictional world.

  Novel seen, examined, evaluated, transferred
Dutch (1956) and other European
languages. Then - silence ...

  Meanwhile, there comes the second half
60th. Crazy time, one of the key
history!

  The peak of popularity hippies, the Beatles, Che Guevara and 
Chairman Mao. The height of the Vietnam War and the antiwar 
movement. Negro riots. Killed Martin Luther King Jr. and the 
third of the Kennedy brothers. 

  The shooting of students at Berkeley. Student unrest in 
Paris, Belgrade, Warsaw. 

  Arab-Israeli war, and - a heavy toll of our Prikanalnoy 
groups. Indo-Pakistani and Sino-Soviet border conflict. 

  And in the midst of madness enveloped the world - the road 
from Prague to Mukachev pavers, smashed to pieces by tank 
treads; First Secretary of the Communist Party of Belarus

Masherau, vyryazhenny colonel in the field
shape and became a secret dictator of Czechoslovakia, the first 
secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, Dubcek, 
brought in an armored personnel carrier in Lviv, and from there 
by plane - Moscow, Lubyanka ... Many Lvov

- Reservists famous Iron Division -
visited while in Czechoslovakia, but still
day, they prefer to keep quiet about it:
disgusting ...

  Now, of course, are happening much more
crazy things, but then it was seen
much more acute: the effect of habituation has
has not acted.

  And now, at this time, in 1965-66. In the U.S.
again leave the "Rings" - without the consent of the author, 
paperback, in large numbers. Through the efforts of pirates 
Publishers Magic A tale for connoisseurs turned

a mass reading. At the bestseller. In the "cheap
fantasy. "And thus it is desired book, which appeared at the 
right time. And - Madness, a cult, which hit all the records

merchantability. The huge popularity and
great business ...

  But what is really new, except
detailed work he had created the world,
Tolkien introduced in the literature?

  By the beginning of the 60th have already begun to establish
their "fantastic saga" Moorcock and Norton. There was also a 
modern exposition arturianskoy Legends: T. White. King and 
former future (Once and Future King. 1958).

The foundations were laid, "arturianskoy fantasy": Henry 
Kuttner (1914-1956) - The Dark World "and other works; 
Dzh.B.Pristli (1894-1984) - "31 June" and "Hero of the Miracle 
Worker" (the latter, however, is not science fiction, but there 
is a plot constructed by all the canons of fantasy).


  Since 1932 published series "Conan." That -
genre "Sword 'Sorcery" (sword and magic), also called the 
"Heroic Fantasy" (Heroic fantasy). His Fundator - Robert E. 
Howard (1909-1936). Many believe that the main

here - Muscled Ambala, crushing all and
whole, so Howard does not pull on classic. I do not agree. The 
main thing with Howard - "Alternate world" in something much 
more reliable, recognizable and close to our Middle Ages than 
the Tolkien. A "AMBAL" - just one of the elements

this world.

  "Ambal, dominating all the others,
and not just so, and the glory of the Anglo-Saxon race, has 
appeared before: Edgar Burrows (1875-1950) - Tarzan of the same 
name cycle and Captain Carter ("The Martians").


  And "alternative world", Never-Never Land
(Country Never, ever, fantastic story) was
created earlier: Frank Baum. Magician
Oz. 1900. This book is better known
us charming remake of "The Wizard of Oz" by A. Volkov (1891 - 
1977). 

  And many others ...

  All of them are covered Tolkien as God turtle.
Was seen in the "Rings" something elusive, not classifiable ...

  But to be honest! Fantasy mostly
a light, well sell cheap
Fiction. And, just as in the case of Howard,
Numerous shustryaki smelled great
money - and began to develop a "gold mine".

  Why did the author and the reader to work, each time creating 
a new world? Tolkien had already done everything necessary! Was 
quickly proclaimed a "new genre" - "tolkinovskaya

fantasy. "And it took over - oh, what
Different Minds! And talent.

  Genre avalanche develops, there appear more and more 
milestones ...   A Tolkien? Well, apparently it is quite

reacted calmly to the fact that it has fallen ...



  6 World glory


  As a true Oxford don, he is quiet and attain the age. He
out four small collection:
poetry, journalism, short stories. Until
his death, he continues (purely for myself) to create your 
fatastichesky world by writing and correcting the episodes of 
"Rings" and the biographies of their heroes. 

  Columbus before the end of his days he assured everyone,
that he had not sailed to the New World and in India.
In the same way Tolkien considered himself the author
not some out there, "a new genre, but good
the old fairy tale.

  A rising around him, he allegedly ignored the hype. But it 
readily explains his future biographer Humphrey Carpenter story 
of his life abundantly usnaschaya its various "young legends". 
And then meticulously checks - that Ham has been written there?


  He died on 09.08.1973 in the same Oxford
lived for 80 years. And he began his ...



  7 Life after death


  He left a mass of disparate and
unpublished texts.

  And now his son Christopher filter material to obtain a 
homogeneous and internally consistent structure. But to achieve 
complete consistency, he had not succeeded. 

  What happened is published: The Silmarilion, 1977 (The 
Silmarillion). 

  Success - unheard of! Expensive edition
Hardcover spending millions of copies. Book proclaims "New 
Bible." And she realizes the fate of the Bible: buy, hold a 
place of honor, quote - of course! But to get a grasp and, 
moreover, re-read? 

  However, "behind the hill" has always been held in high 
esteem searches for "alternative Bible": her the role of 
trying, in particular, "Robinson Crusoe" Defoe, then - "Alice" 
and "Hunting of the Snark" Carroll. But this is - is another 
story. 

  At the same time and Carpenter published his biography of 
Tolkien. 

  Sketches not included in The Silmarillion,
collected in the book "Unfinished stories
Of Númenor and Middle-earth. "

  His popularity has not diminished.

  Multiplying the "scientific tolkiniana" - from "Guide to 
Middle-earth" to "funeral rites in the Tolkien trilogy. "


  Only by 1988, and in the U.S. only Tolkien
emit more than a hundred times a total circulation of more than
35 million

  And in the Soviet Union to reduce its issue, limited edition 
(1976 - "The Hobbit", 1982 - first part of the "Rings"). 
However, since then We came with all any

Noteworthy books.

  Then - "perestroika" and caused her
Ulysses. 1988-1993: one after the other
followed by various versions of translations and editions of 
Tolkien. It is published with us almost the whole. And again, 
as 20 years ago, moment of breaking world "Rings" were the 
desired book at the right time. (Ironically, by the time our 
'Boom Tolkien's "akkurat coincides with the" Boom of Spectrum, 
but it is another story.)


  What is the secret of the popularity of Tolkien?


           To be continued ...