Interesting facts about J.R.R. Tolkien

Most people are familiar with 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings,' two of the most celebrated works of fantasy fiction ever published. And even if you were one of those who hadn't read the books, 'The Lord of the Rings' film series introduced Frodo, Aragorn, Gandalf, and a host of other characters to cinemagoers around the world. But how much do you know about the man responsible for bringing to life the fictional world of Middle-earth?

Click through this gallery and read up on the life and work of J.R.R. Tolkien, and discover what inspired him to write his epic masterpieces of literary magic.

J.R.R. Tolkien was born in South Africa

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, to Arthur Tolkien and his wife Mabel, née Suffield, on January 2, 1892.

The family moved to Birmingham

Tolkien was the older of two sons: his younger brother Hilary Arthur Reuel Tolkien was born in 1894. In 1895, Mabel and the two boys moved to Birmingham, England. Arthur Tolkien died in South Africa before he could join them.

Prussian ancestry

The Tolkien family ancestors originated in the East Prussian town of Kreuzburg, near Königsberg. In 1945, Kreuzburg became Slavskoye; the following year, Königsberg became Kaliningrad. Both lie in Russian territory.

A dislike of Shakespeare

Curiously perhaps, Tolkien disliked having to study Shakespeare at school. He was particularly irked by the coming of the "Great Birnam Wood to High Dunsinane Hill" in 'Macbeth' as being purely rhetorical. In his fertile mind, Tolkien had already created a setting where trees actually marched to war—which he achieved several years later with Treebeard in 'The Lord of the Rings.'

Meeting Edith Tolkien

Tolkien met Edith Bratt when he was 16 and she 19. Also orphaned, Bratt would inspire the characters of Lúthien Tinúviel from 'The Silmarillion' and Arwen Undómiel from 'The Lord of the Rings.'

Devoted couple

The couple were formally engaged at Birmingham in January 1913, and married at St Mary Immaculate Catholic Church at Warwick on March 22, 1916. They remained devoted to each other until Edith's death in 1971.

Battlefield memories

In the forward to 'The Lord of the Rings,' Tolkien compares the Dead Marshes, the reeking wetlands that lay north-west of the Dagorlad, to Northern France after the Battle of the Somme.

Creating myths and legends

At the University of Leeds, Tolkien taught English literature and language, specializing in Old and Middle English. His grand ambition was to create a mythology for England, and this led to the inception of 'The Silmarillion,' a book consisting of a collection of myths and stories in varying styles that was published posthumously.

Kindred spirit

In 1926, Tolkien met Irish-born academic, writer, and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis. Lewis would go on to write his own fantasy novels, 'The Chronicles of Narnia,' published between 1950 and 1956.

'The Hobbit' (1937)

Tolkien and his wife were by now parents to four young children. It was while reading stories of Middle Earth to the youngsters as bedtime stories that he developed the inspiration for 'The Hobbit.' In 1937, 'The Hobbit' was published.

'The Lord of the Rings' (1954– 1955)

J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece, 'The Lord of the Rings,' was written in stages between 1937 and 1949. Intended as one novel, the epic fantasy was published in three volumes—'The Fellowship of the Ring,' 'The Two Towers,' and 'The Return of the King'—between 1954 and 1955. The first single-volume edition (pictured) appeared on bookshelves in 1968.

'J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography'

In 'J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography,' written by Humphrey Carpenter and published in 1977, Tolkien revealed that of all the fictional beings he'd created, he identified with hobbits the most.

Unique character traits

'The Lord of the Rings' is effectively an extension of Tolkien's 'Silmarillion' tales, which gave the new book a "history" in which Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, and Men were already established.

Retirement

Tolkien later quipped that had he known his books would become so profitable he would have retired earlier.

In Tolkien's footsteps

Tolkien's former homes in Leeds and Oxford (pictured) are landmarked with a Blue Plaque, a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event.

Lasting legacy

Meanwhile, movie director Peter Jackson's original 'Lord of the Rings' film trilogy ranks among the highest-grossing film series of all time, having grossed over US$2.9 billion worldwide.

Sources: (Book Riot) (Deseret News) (The Tolkien Society) (Britannica)