Representations of Nature in Middle-earth

Representations of Nature in Middle-earth
Editor	Martin Simonson
Publisher	Walking Tree Publishers
Released	7 July 2015
Format	Paperback
Pages	235
ISBN	978-3-905703-34-4
Series	Cormarë Series
Preceded by	Deep Roots in a Time of Frost
Followed by	Laughter in Middle-earth

Representations of Nature in Middle-earth is a collection of essays edited by Martin Simonson examining nature in J.R.R. Tolkien's works. It was published as No. 34 in the Cormarë Series.

Contents

• "'Transform stalwart trees': Sylvan Biocentrism in The Lord of the Rings" by Andrea Denekamp
• "'As we draw near mountains': Nature and Beauty in the Hearts of Dwarves" by Jessica Seymour
• "'Behind a grey rain-curtain': Water, Melancholy and Healing in The Lord of the Rings" by Gabriela Silva Rivero
• "Eru will enter Ëa: The Creational-Eschatological Hope of J.R.R. Tolkien" by Yannick Imbert
• "Thinking with the Elements: J.R.R. Tolkien's Ecology and Object-Oriented Ontology" by Christopher Roman
• "On Trees of Middle-earth: J.R.R. Tolkien's Mythical Creation" by Magdalena Mączyńska
• "In Living Memory: Tolkien's Trees and Sylvan Landscapes as Metaphors of Cultural Memory" by Doris McGonagill
• "A New Zealand Perspective on the Tectonics of Middle-earth" by Peter Hodder
• "'Leaves of Gold There Grew': Lothlórien, Postcolonialism, and Ecology" by Gabriel Ertsgaard

From the publisher

Tolkien's portrayal of nature in Middle-earth has been interpreted in a variety of ways, often depending on the context of the reading. Some have seen Middle-earth and its potential destroyer, the Ring, as an allegory of the European continent under the threat of the atomic bomb, while others have embraced it as an artistic expression of the Green movement's agenda in the face of industrial abuse. Some have read nature in Tolkien's work in terms of myth and religion; yet others take the exhaustive descriptions of the physical environment as a sign that Middle-earth itself is the central protagonist of the stories. All in all, nature in Middle-earth plays a crucial role not only in the creation of atmospheres and settings that enhance the realism as well as the emotional appeal of the secondary world; it also acts as an active agent of change within the setting and the story. This collection of essays explores Middle-earth as an ecological entity, a scene for metaphysical speculation, an arboreal depository of cultural memory and a reflection of real-world natural and imperialistic processes.

External links

• Official product page