Building a Legendarium? | How Tolkien created Middle-earth

Tolkien spent a lifetime building his Legendarium. But where did his stories come from? How did they evolve? Why did Middle-earth turn into what it is?

#lordoftherings
#Middleearth
#tolkien
#lore

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Art Credits:

[quart-knee-lee]

And this is the story of how Christopher Tolkien still managed to make a career dedicated to his father's work but without exploiting it or "finishing it, " merely curating it, which is a gift he has given to us all.

[juho]

Whenever Christopher Tolkien comes up, it never ceases to amaze me how great of custodian and son he was. There doesn't seem to be any father-son duo nearly as great as they were. Christopher really might be the epitome of a son following perfectly in his father's footsteps and dedicating his long life to guarding and consolidating his father's work. The conclusion is clear; to be a good father, be like Tolkien.

[nadinemottley]

I'm only two minutes into the video and I just have to say I absolutely adore the respect you show for Tolkien. You can genuinely tell you have a deep love for his art and I wanted to thank you for sharing this with us. This channel is one of my favourites on YouTube. Thanks Dave we really appreciate you taking the time to do these ❤

[Nannada]

Love that it being really written down at all comes from his college buddies, encouraging him to keep writing.

[Deafmonkey]

The idea of Feanor being subjected to Tom Bombadil is one of the most hilarious images.

[sarahmayvencrocker]

In a way you are doing what Christopher did, Dave, you are making the works and life of Tolkein available as they were set out by him, and you show such profound respect which brings me so much peace and happiness

[haleyschreiter]

Bless Christopher Tolkien for being such a careful custodian of his father's work! He is dearly missed ❤

[juho]

Your videos never fail to make me feel atypically strong emotions. It's a rare thing to have such a captivating script, and your telling and soundtrack immensely supports the whole with every small detail in tone. These videos really showcase the hard work and your passion in Tolkien's legends. It's always good Friday when you upload. Keep staying groovy, and thanks for your amazing work.

[calico]

To absolutely psych myself, I like to think that the Legendarium is not just fictional, it is a parallel universe.. and those ppl and events actually happened and/or are happening, depending on your subscription to theory about time in a parallel universe. Tolkien was the only one who could actually peer into this wonderful world and write it down for us. That's why there are rewrites, and parts are not complete.. and many questions unanswered.

Sooo good to have you back, RD. Hope your break was refreshing. Waiting excitedly for you to pick up Simarilion.
Love ♥

[teddypeony]

I am in awe of Tolkien and of his creativity. He just so incredible. Thank you so much for these videos. I have learnt so much from them.

[VegetaX]

You are such a good storyteller and tell your stories with such passion that I cant stop myself from crying. Tolkien left such a great legacy that we are privileged to have.

[egoborder]

thanks again, Rainbow Dave! Tolkien's work was so special, and it's all because he imagined a world which he then shared and translated for our world. That's why it always feels so real. I fondly remember reading in The Fellowship of the Ring when Aragorn gets all excited about a hill of flowers in Lothlorien, only to learn in the appendices of The Return of the King that the hill was where he met Arwen. Simply beautiful

[grahamokeefe]

I like the fact that Tolkien had some contradictions and vagaries in his work, because that's how mythology is. There are conflicting stories in lots of traditions, and the Legendarium, despite being the work of one man, has the feel of being a collection of stories that accumulated over centuries. And I love the fact that to a great extent, he wasn't thinking of how his work would be perceived by an audience. It allowed him to stay true to his vision.

I'd like to echo the sentiments of @nadinemottley5229, that I really appreciate your devotion to Tolkien's work, and the way you've presented it to us. Especially for those of us who don't have the time to read everything the Old Man ever wrote. Things like LOTR are so much richer when you understand the history behind them.

[bityew]

THIS is the content I did not know I needed, but now lives rent free in my head! Thank you soooo much!

[llewenthen]

It's a beautiful day when you start out with Dave and Tolkien. Thank you for your continued dedication to meaningful content. Tolkien made every day count. He created light in the darkness. What a great motivation to get moving and turn all those sticky notes into stories. He showed us that every day and all the people in your life are your story. Have a glorious day! ✨️

[JeremyPickett]

It took me three tries to get through the Silmarion. There were plenty of, "Wait, what's??" 🙃 It is one of the greatest, densest books ever.

[_spacegoat_]

I always wonder how much of the personalities of Tolkien's friends who died in the Great War made it into the characters in his books, particularly in Merry, Pippin and Sam. If they were as tight a group of nerds as I like to think they were, I can't think of a more sincere tribute.

[koreydevine]

I'm always so grateful when I see you've posted yet another triumph! Your content is top tier Tolkien. No other creator even grazes your story telling ability and genuine passion for The Legendarium

[JonSalsberg]

Bravo. This instalment sits very nicely alongside the one you made a while back on how to read Tolkien. They each demonstrate a profound understanding of the man and his motivations. Both videos are, in their own ways, great works of scholarship.

[TheFeralFerret]

You are the Tolkien of youtube Tolkien analysis, Rainbow Dave.