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innumerable_stars2024-08-04 11:00 am
hhimring) wrote in innumerable_stars2024-08-04 11:00 am
Entry tags:
The Fall of Arthur (Promo Post)
Summary:
The Fall of Arthur is a narrative poem in alliterative metre by Tolkien. It takes elements from different Arthurian works and sources and recombines them in a way that is all Tolkien's own. As the title says, the subject is the collapse of Arthur's rule through betrayal and his death. It is not complete but reached quite a fair length (a bit less than 1000 lines, in 5 cantos), and there are some of Tolkien's working notes for the unwritten end included in the edition.
Why should I check out this canon:
As a kind of crossover, this work is likely to be especially interesting to those who have an interest in Arthur, Gawain, and the other Arthurian characters more generally. Tolkien is partly inspired by some less well-known medieval sources, so it may be a fresh angle on Arthurian lore to readers for that reason, too. Particularly interesting and original is the complex shading of Tolkien's portrait of Guinevere. The work will also appeal to those who like Tolkien's other narrative poems or read works in modern alliterative verse. There is some great storm imagery and description in there, for instance. The piece is also interesting as demonstrating one of the sources of inspiration for Tolkien that have received less attention than the Germanic tradition. The poem work could both inspire further Arthuriana and crossovers with Tolkien’s non-Arthurian works.
Where can I get this?
This is one of the lesser-known works of Tolkien, partly because it was published quite late, even though its existence was known much earlier. The text is available in a hardcover edition, with a significant amount of supplementary material for those who wish to delve deeper. An electronic copy of this is also available on the Internet Archive to those with print disabilities. It is also possible to get a taster by hunting down some substantial quotations online, as the online reviews that appeared on its publication tend to do a fair amount of quoting.
What fanworks already exist?
There are currently six works in the AO3 tag, of which four are crossovers with other Tolkien works (one is a poem) and one is a moodboard.
The Fall of Arthur is a narrative poem in alliterative metre by Tolkien. It takes elements from different Arthurian works and sources and recombines them in a way that is all Tolkien's own. As the title says, the subject is the collapse of Arthur's rule through betrayal and his death. It is not complete but reached quite a fair length (a bit less than 1000 lines, in 5 cantos), and there are some of Tolkien's working notes for the unwritten end included in the edition.
Why should I check out this canon:
As a kind of crossover, this work is likely to be especially interesting to those who have an interest in Arthur, Gawain, and the other Arthurian characters more generally. Tolkien is partly inspired by some less well-known medieval sources, so it may be a fresh angle on Arthurian lore to readers for that reason, too. Particularly interesting and original is the complex shading of Tolkien's portrait of Guinevere. The work will also appeal to those who like Tolkien's other narrative poems or read works in modern alliterative verse. There is some great storm imagery and description in there, for instance. The piece is also interesting as demonstrating one of the sources of inspiration for Tolkien that have received less attention than the Germanic tradition. The poem work could both inspire further Arthuriana and crossovers with Tolkien’s non-Arthurian works.
Where can I get this?
This is one of the lesser-known works of Tolkien, partly because it was published quite late, even though its existence was known much earlier. The text is available in a hardcover edition, with a significant amount of supplementary material for those who wish to delve deeper. An electronic copy of this is also available on the Internet Archive to those with print disabilities. It is also possible to get a taster by hunting down some substantial quotations online, as the online reviews that appeared on its publication tend to do a fair amount of quoting.
What fanworks already exist?
There are currently six works in the AO3 tag, of which four are crossovers with other Tolkien works (one is a poem) and one is a moodboard.