J. R. R. Tolkien
Poem in Elvish
By J. R. R. TolkienTopics: J.R.R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was Merton Professor of English language and literature for more than a decade and was recognized as an authority on Old and Middle English. He is perhaps best known for the popular novels based on his own mythology–”The Hobbit”and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy–however, in addition Tolkien published a number of philological and critical studies.
This audio is from a tape recording that Tolkien made in August 1952. “The Lord of the Rings,” on which he’d worked for over 14 years, had been refused by publishers and he had almost given up hope of ever seeing it in print. But this recording made him believe in it enough again to prompt him to send it to a former pupil who had become a publisher. The result was that even during his lifetime over three million copies were sold.
Listen to a rare recording featuring Tolkien himself reading from a poem in Elvish and beginning “Ailaurie lantar lassi surinen.” It can be found in “The Lord of the Rings,” Book Two, Chapter VIII.
Related Stories
More Related Stories
-
From global warming to fluoride: Why do people deny science?
-
What does it really feel like to fall out of a building?
-
How Dan Savage lost it
-
Diet soda rots your teeth "like meth and cocaine"
-
Is the Environmental Defense Fund ruining environmentalism?
-
Nancy Jo Sales on L.A. celeb robbers: "The Bling Ring kids were depressed"
-
“Arrested Development,” hurry up and get here so you can stop being so annoying
-
Top 5 investigative videos of the week: "Winning" Afghanistan
-
Will U.S. amphibians become endangered species?
-
Must-do's: What we like this week
-
Josh Ritter makes his "Blood on the Tracks"
-
I don't hate millennials anymore!
-
Illinois' fracking and coal rush is a national crisis
-
Jester clowns Westboro Baptist Church
-
GOP: Party of crybabies
-
What's 2013's "Gone Girl"? Here are this summer's best reads
-
Twitter talks back: Obama's missed salute
-
Fox executive behind "Does Someone Have to Go?" leaving the network
-
Developers evict historic women's shelter to build luxury hotel
-
Guantánamo prisoner on hunger strike cries for help on Twitter
-
Kaitlyn Hunt refuses plea offer, will go to court over high school relationship
Featured Slide Shows
The week in 10 pics
close X- Share on Twitter
- Share on Facebook
- Thumbnails
- Fullscreen
- 1 of 11
- Previous
- Next
-
Lisa Montgomery embraces her nephew Thursday after a tornado tore apart her home in Cleburne, Texas. The twister killed six people and destroyed entire swaths of the North Texas town.
Credit: AP/LM Otero -
Jack McMahon, the defense attorney for abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, speaks outside the Criminal Justice Center in Philadelphia Tuesday. His client was convicted of killing three babies in his clinic, and will serve multiple life sentences.
Credit: AP/Matt Rourke -
A photo taken Monday captures Vice President Joe Biden's response to a Milwaukee second-grader's innovative proposal to end America's epidemic of gun violence. This guy!
Credit: AP/Jenny Aicher -
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., flanked by a grouper-eyed Michele Bachmann, addresses the IRS' admission that it targeted Tea Party groups in advance of the 2012 election. In an op-ed for CNN Thursday, the Kentucky senator slammed the president for his faux outrage.
Credit: AP/Molly Riley -
Ousted IRS chief Steven Miller is sworn in on Capitol Hill Friday. Miller testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on the extra scrutiny the agency gave conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status.
Credit: AP/J. Scott Applewhite -
Attorney General Eric Holder pauses as he testifies on Capitol Hill before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday. Holder is under fire, among other things, for the Justice Department's gathering of phone records at the Associated Press.
Credit: AP/Carolyn Kaster -
O.J. Simpson sits during an evidentiary hearing at Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, Nev., Thursday. Simpson, who is currently serving a nine-to-33-year sentence in state prison for armed robbery and kidnapping, is using a writ of habeas corpus to seek a new trial.
Credit: AP/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Jeff Scheid -
Major Tom to ground control: On Sunday astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded the first music video from space, a cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity."
Credit: AP/NASA/Chris Hadfield -
When it rains it pours. President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference Thursday with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, inexplicably inspiring an #umbrellagate Twitter meme.
Credit: AP/Jacquelyn Martin -
A smoke plume rises high above a road block at the intersection of County A and Ross Road east of Solon Springs, Wis., Tuesday. No injuries were reported, but the the wildfire caused evacuations across northwestern Wisconsin.
Credit: AP/The Duluth News-Tribune/Clint Austin -
Recent Slide Shows
- Share on Twitter
- Share on Facebook
- Thumbnails
- Fullscreen
- 1 of 11
- Previous
- Next
Related Videos
Most Read
-
Judge tells lesbian couple to separate -- or lose kids
Irin Carmon
-
9-year-old slams Rahm over Chicago schools
Natasha Lennard
-
Greek yogurt, toxic waste hazard?
Kristen Gwynne, AlterNet
-
Tornado survivor to Wolf Blitzer: Sorry, I'm an atheist. I don't have to thank the Lord
Mary Elizabeth Williams
-
Kaitlyn Hunt refuses plea offer, will go to court over high school relationship
Katie Mcdonough
-
Experts: Fox News spying scandal a game-changer
Natasha Lennard
-
GOP: Party of crybabies
Jonathan Bernstein
-
Ted Cruz against the world
Joan Walsh
-
Glenn Beck: CNN interview with atheist tornado survivor was a setup!
Katie Mcdonough
-
Graphic video reportedly shows possible London machete attack suspect
Jillian Rayfield
Popular on Reddit
links from salon.com

29 points30 points31 points | 2 comments

11 points12 points13 points | comment
Comments
0 Comments