Summary of the The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

This video provides a detailed exploration of The Silmarillion, a foundational yet lesser-known work by J.R.R. Tolkien. It situates the book within Tolkien’s broader literary and historical context, emphasizing its significance for understanding Tolkien’s entire legendarium and the wider fantasy literature tradition. The discussion also connects Tolkien’s personal worldview, shaped by Christianity, modernism, and historical events, to the themes and narrative style of The Silmarillion.

Key Insights and Themes

• The Silmarillion as Tolkien’s Foundational Mythology:

  • It serves as the mythological and cosmological backbone for Tolkien’s more famous works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

  • Although Tolkien never finished the book during his lifetime, it was published posthumously in 1977.

  • The book contains the creation story, early history, and mythology of Middle-earth, providing crucial context for understanding the later narratives.

• Literary and Cultural Importance:

  • The Silmarillion is described as great literature and beautiful in its own right.

  • It is valuable for Christians and others interested in exploring the interaction of the beautiful, the true, and the good as reflections of God’s character.

  • Tolkien’s influence on modern fantasy literature is monumental and pervasive, with The Silmarillion offering essential insight into the origins and structure of this influence.

  • Understanding this work enriches comprehension of modern storytelling conventions and fantasy literature themes.

• Historical and Intellectual Context of Tolkien’s Work:

  • Tolkien was a product of Victorian and Edwardian England, shaped by the industrial revolution and the intellectual climate of modernism.

  • Modernism, emerging from Enlightenment rationalism, emphasized rationalism, materialism, individualism, and optimism.

  • Tolkien, a devout Christian, was critical of the modernist worldview’s reduction of reality to materialism and human self-sufficiency, seeing it as flawed and incomplete.

  • The industrial revolution’s rapid technological and societal changes, including urbanization and mechanization, deeply influenced Tolkien’s perspective, often reflected in his writings.

• Personal Experiences Shaping Tolkien:

  • Tolkien fought in World War I, a catastrophic event that shattered the optimistic modernist worldview.

  • He also lived through the Great Depression and World War II, witnessing profound global upheaval.

  • These experiences informed his literature’s themes of loss, providence, and the struggle between good and evil.

• Tolkien as a Philologist and Mythologist:

  • His academic expertise was in Saxon, Norse, and Germanic languages and mythology.

  • Tolkien’s interest in pagan myths was not an endorsement but a way to engage with ancient spiritual truths and contrast them with Christian revelation.

  • He argued that pagan myths were wrong about God’s nature but right in affirming a spiritual reality beyond materialism.

  • Tolkien’s literature reclaims these myths to point toward a Christian understanding of providence and ultimate reality.

• Central Theological and Philosophical Themes in The Silmarillion:

  • Creation and Subcreation: The narrative begins with a depiction of God (referred to as Eru or Ilúvatar) creating the world through the music of the Ainur (angelic beings), symbolizing divine creativity.

    • This act establishes human and elvish beings as “subcreators”, reflecting God’s image by making and shaping beauty in the world.

  • The Nature of Sin: Tolkien’s portrayal of sin is biblical and nuanced:

    • Sin is not an independent cosmic force but a perversion or corruption of God’s good creation.

    • The dark entity Melkor (later Morgoth, analogous to Satan) is a corrupting influence, not a co-equal opposing power.

    • Even the evil acts and intentions of Melkor serve God’s providence, as God ultimately uses these for the fulfillment of His plan.

  • Providence: God’s providence is a subtle, often hidden force rather than overt, miraculous interventions.

    • Unlike C.S. Lewis’s Narnia where Aslan actively and visibly intervenes, Tolkien’s providence works through indirect means and human free will, often turning evil intentions to good outcomes.

• Narrative Style and Reading Expectations:

  • The Silmarillion is more akin to a historical chronicle or mythic history than a continuous narrative or novel.

  • The timeline spans thousands of years, with a fast pace and brief dialogue.

  • Readers should not expect a story similar to The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit; rather, it is a complex mythopoeic history.

  • The book requires a mindset focused on understanding Tolkien’s worldview, theology, and mythological project rather than conventional fantasy storytelling.

Conclusion

The Silmarillion is a profound and complex work that requires readers to engage with Tolkien’s worldview, historical context, and theological themes. It is not merely a fantasy novel but a mythic history that lays the foundation for Tolkien’s entire legendarium and has shaped modern fantasy literature. Understanding this work enriches appreciation of Tolkien’s genius, the narrative depth of Middle-earth, and the broader cultural and philosophical questions embedded in his writing. It stands as a testament to Tolkien’s lifelong project to explore the beautiful, the true, and the good through the medium of myth and story.