Influence on Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R Tolkien’s fascination with old tales and sagas began at an early age. At sixteen, he was already able to read Middle English and Old Norse, and read the story of Sigurd in its original language (St. Clair 3; ch. 1).
Tolkien even translated the saga of Sigurd the Volsung from the original Icelandic language into English verse, which he titled The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún (Burns n.p.). His most famous works, The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, owe a great deal to his passion for and extensive knowledge about sagas like Sigurd the Volsung. One of his goals in writing the books was “to bring the power of Northern mythology and literature into modern times” (St. Clair 4; ch. 1). Therefore, his intention was not to imitate the ancient sagas, but to create something new that would allow contemporary readers to have the same feelings when reading his stories that people in an earlier era had when listening to a skald recite an epic or saga. However, there are several elements of the saga of Sigurd the Volsung that Tolkien indeed borrowed and altered for his own stories; it is interesting to consider which of those elements he selected and why.
The most basic element of Norse mythology that Tolkien borrows is the name of the world of his inhabitants. Midgard is the Norse name for the world of ordinary people such as human beings (Morris 4). Tolkien’s story takes place in Middle-Earth, the realm of ordinary mortals such as Hobbits and Humans. Midgard and Middle Earth sound alike, and it is in these locations that adventure happens. The heroes in both the Volsung and Tolkien’s works are in the middle of things, literally in the geographic schema of their worlds and figuratively, too, because they are in the middle of epic adventure. This choice of putting normal characters in the middle of things makes their involvement in extraordinary circumstances more credible.
The character of Gandalf, though not referred to as a God in Tolkien’s work, is a reflection of the Norse God Odin. Tolkien himself confirms this correlation in a 1946 letter to his publisher. He complained about the “Disnified” illustrations of Gandalf in a planned German edition of his books; he disliked seeing Gandalf portrayed “as a figure of vulgar fun rather than the Odinic wanderer that I think of. . .” (St. Clair 24; ch. 4). There is other evidence of Gandalf’s likeness to Odin. For example, at the beginning of the Volsung saga, Odin appears in the disguise of an old man to present a magic sword. Gandalf, too, takes on the disguise of an old man in Tolkien’s work. Odin’s steed, Sleipnir, was a gray horse known for its swiftness and abilities beyond a normal horse. Gandalf’s steed, Shadowfax, is renowned for its extraordinary speed and stamina. In both the Volsung and Tolkien’s writing, the presence of such strong figures present movement, bring wisdom to the adventurers, and also trials and tests.
Dragons exist in both the Volsung saga and Tolkien’s work. In the Volsung, the dragon is Fafnir, while in Tolkien’s writing the dragon is named Smaug, and both are greedy hoarders. In both the Volsung and Tolkien’s work, the dragons’ treasure comes from Dwarves. However, in the Volsung, Fafnir’s entire hoard of gold, gems, and jewelry is cursed, including a ring. A famous cursed ring also appears in Tolkien’s stories, though its origin is not the same.
Another correlation between the stories is the presentation of powerful swords. Both Aragorn of Tolkien’s stories and Sigurd of the Volsung come into possession of powerful but broken swords that are eventually forged anew. Another interesting association with swords is how Odin originally presents the sword to the Volsungs before it is broken, and how Bilbo presents the sword Sting to Frodo. Odin presents the sword as a challenge by thrusting the magic sword deep into the tree Branstock, and only a worthy person can withdraw it. Bilbo presents Sting to Frodo, but “instead of handing it to him, he thrust it with little effort deep into a wooden beam” (St. Clair 9; ch. 5). There is less trial for Frodo in actually acquiring the sword, however, than there is in the events that occur while he is in possession of Sting. These twists to the traditional Volsung story are ones that Tolkien thought modern readers would find to be more credible.
Another similar theme in both Tolkien’s work and the Volsung saga is the transformation of characters by greed. Fafnir, the notorious dragon of the Volsung saga, was once a human before he stole the Dwarf’s treasure. Over time, his beastly nature takes over his form so his physical nature is as terrifying and dangerous as the initial greed that motivated his thievery. In Tolkien’s work, the creature Gollum transforms with his possession of and greed for the Ring. It is startling to discover that the pathetic, greedy Gollum was actually once a Hobbit in the distant past. However, in the Volsung, though there is warning of a curse, there is little evidence to save the characters finally falling victim to its perils. In Tolkien’s work, Frodo has plenty of evidence to warn him of the danger of possessing a cursed item. The changes (or lack thereof) in Bilbo, Frodo’s knowledge of Gollum, and several other incidents are enough to warn him of the power and destructive nature of the item he possesses. These differences lead to very different endings in each story; in the Volsung, the end is dark for all, while in Tolkien’s work, redemption is found. Again, Tolkien brings what he feels a modern reader needs to read to his more contemporary story.
There are many more examples of how the Volsung saga, as well as a number of other works such as Beowulf, influenced Tolkien’s writing. Tolkien succeeded in selecting elements of the Volsung saga that have enduring appeal; not only was the Volsung considered one of the best sagas at the time of its creation, but many of the same elements that impressed and entertained audiences in centuries past continue to do so through the books and even the movie renditions in Tolkien’s writing. Tolkien’s perception of the perennial themes concerning humanity’s passions and his extensive knowledge of legendary tales in their original forms and languages allowed him success in bringing the power of the past into the future.
Works Cited
Burns, Marjorie. “An Old Norse Legend, Courtesy of J.R.R. Tolkien.” The Wall Street Journal 23 May, 2009. Web.
Morris, William. The Story of Sigurd the Volsung. 1922. Project Gutenburg, 17 Sept. 2004. Web.
St. Clair, Gloriana. “Tolkien's Cauldron: Northern Literature and The Lord of the Rings.” 1 Jan. 2000. Carnegie Mellon University. Web.
