September 22nd is Hobbit Day, so I thought September would be a perfect time to talk about how The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit inspired me to write The Daughters of Tamnarae series! But first, a little background:
My parents are the ones who introduced me to Tolkien’s world by reading a chapter at a time, often ending on dramatic cliffhangers to make us excited about the next day’s reading. They also took me to all the movies when I was a teenager, and we even had a Lord of the Rings viewing party where we watched all three movies-uncut! It was crazy, but fun.
Since my parents read me the books, I didn’t really read them myself until I was older, and The Two Towers was my absolute favorite, though I really like The Hobbit, too. I think it is because those two books are faster-paced and have less description.
I am by no means a Tolkienite and have found so much about his worlds and history that I don’t remember, recall, or know. But I have enjoyed his series and definitely recommend that you read them at least once! The movies are an okay substitute, but as always, books have so much more richness (including the cultural background of the people groups of Middle Earth).
So then, how did Tolkien inspire me?
1. Elves = The Leici
Of all the peoples of Middle Earth, the elves are my favorite, followed by the Riders of Rohan. There’s something ethereal about elves, and I was fascinated by this idea of people with pointed ears, beautiful language, and lived in forests. Rivendell and Lothlorien inspired me and made me feel like I had been transported to the world of the elves along with Frodo and Bilbo. Thus, it was no surprise that such a beautiful race of people would inspire my own novels.
The Leici (Lay-see) are different than the elves, of course., but they have some similarities They only have blonde hair, pale skin, and blue/green eyes. They live in tree homes that are naturally grown. They are intelligent and more knowledgeable than other races about science. However, they can heal, which elves can’t do (at least not like the Leici), and they don’t have pointed ears. Also, elves can have brown hair, and the only Leici that can have brown hair is the “Lady” or highest noble lady of the court. Unlike the elves, the majority of the Leici do not have combat experience, and most of them are healers. However, there are some that use the bow like Legolas.
2. Aragorn & Arwen = Keyel & Etania
Although the movies played up the romance in The Lord of the Rings between Aragorn and Arwen, some of it is in Tolkien’s original books. Their relationship was somewhat forbidden, as elves and humans rarely married in Tolkien’s works. In fact, I believe there is a great tragedy involving an elf-human relationship in Tolkien’s Lost Tales (if any of you more versed in his work can tell me, comment below!). Anyway, the romanticism played out in the movies definitely made me want to create something similar.
Thus, the relationship with Keyel and Etania was born. Originally, the Leici were more elf-like, and their relationship was a lot more forbidden, but I changed that as time progressed. I also humanized Keyel, making him less ethereal and more flawed. However, the love between them, just like Aragorn and Arwen, was something I really desired from the very beginning. Aragorn’s warrior spirit and kingly rise is also something I embodied in Keyel throughout the books. Finally, Arwen’s supportive nature is something I try to embellish with Etania. That is why they are so perfect for each other!
3. Riders of Rohan = The Equus
I told you before that after the elves, the riders of Rohan were my second favorite race. I especially loved the outfits in the movie, with their horse etched helmets and beautiful horse banners. As for the book, losing Snowmane and the conversation around the horses of Rohan just drew me in. I’ve always loved horses (in fact, I own my own Arabian!), and so reading about the noble horse people of Rohan made me ecstatic. So, of course, I had to create my own type of horse people.
I knew I couldn’t just copy the Riders of Rohan, so I decided to change some things to fit my world and people. I researched the Mongolian riders and found out that they used Yurts as their primary homes. Thus, I decided that the patriarchal society of the Equus would travel in yurts throughout their lands. There is one main place with homes called Hovhan, where women and children primarily stay, which is considered their castle. And as for their mounts, I gave them unicorns who have great speed.
4. Nazgul & fell beasts = Daas/Narak
When I first watched The Fellowship of the Ring, the Nazgul terrified me. Especially that scene where one of them stabs Frodo at Weathertop. The ghastly features of the Ringwraiths and how they haunted Frodo and his party gave me shivers. The fact that they could stalk their prey with sensitive noses and seemed almost immortal made it even worse. These terrifying creatures definitely inspired the evil Daas and Narak.
In my original canon, I had Narak existing as a dragon and Daas riding him (sound like the Nazgul and fell beasts?). Over time, I developed Narak and Daas more. I decided that Daas used the gauntlets not only to amplify his powers, but also to possess Narak, a demon that needed a body that could hold his great power. However, I kept the creepiness I felt about the Nazgul in Narak. Even his voice on my future audiobook of Etania’s Calling, will give you the same goosebumps as that terrifying scream of the Ringwraiths.
5. Jakin = Gandalf and Bilbo = Etania
It’s probably funny to think of joke-cracking, young-looking Jakin as inspired by Gandalf, but he was! You’ve probably read of the Hero’s Journey, where the hero meets a mentor character who helps him in his journey. Well, when I originally wrote Etania’s Worth, Jakin was a lot more like Gandalf. He was more mysterious, wise, and pithy. It wasn’t until after consulting my brother that he suggested I reverse expectations. I made Jakin a jokester and found that Keyel ended up being more of a mentor than Etania’s father.
You also probably think it is odd to compare a fifty year old Hobbit to Etania, but hear me out. Just like Bilbo, Etania enjoyed the comforts of her home more than the call of adventure. It wasn’t until she was forced to flee her home for fear of her life that she left. She may not have been dragged out by dwarves and Gandalf, but she was certainly pursued by an evil king. Both Bilbo and Etania face many obstacles that grow and develop them into seasoned adventurers-even if they are ages apart!
Concluding Thoughts
A few of those in my circle have asked me why I prefer fantasy over a realistic/contemporary novel. I think Lord of the Rings is the reason. These books were instrumental in inspiring me to write high fantasy novels with Christian elements. They helped me create the cultures of Tamnarae, and made me realize that many could love something as “odd” as fantasy. Lastly, they showed me that some things are universal, even in a fantastical setting.
Read the Lord of the Rings: https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-50th-Anniversary-Vol/dp/0618640150/
Buy my book series: https://storyoriginapp.com/collections/086a2313-5f2b-47eb-a823-74b5361add8c