Resilient Seeker Coaching | Ross Raymond Nunamaker

‘There’s no place like home’ often calls to my mind the Wizard of Oz, but if HoME to you, as it is to me, refers to the History of Middle Earth, then when it is considered you could also say, ‘we’re not in Kansas anymore’.

HoME edited by Christopher Tolkien is a unique work encompassing unpublished works and drafts of JRR Tolkien along with commentary by Christopher.

In it the writing process is partially revealed and in some cases the curtain is drawn back helping the reader better understand back history, motivations, and potential directions some stories could have gone.

For me, it is how I justify viewing Tolkien’s work as historical legends translated into modern English from long, nearly forgotten times, places and languages.

This is particularly true of the Children of Hurin. One pair of versions we have are poems. One was a written account of Eltas’ oral presentation at a festival. Information is obtained from the Annals of Aman and of Beleriand. We know Dirhavel only translated and compiled one story and it was Children of Hurin. We learn that Aelfwine translated, along with Pengolod, Eriol, and Rumil recorded the earliest tales.

The Lost Road, The Notion Club Papers, the Teachings of Pengolod, and Aelfwine and Dirhavel are all available to learn more about the scribes, translators and historians.

Further there are works like the Athrabeth of Andreth and Finrod and the Tale of Adanel. There are prophecies of the end of time and we learn some of the afterlife.

There was The Problem with Ros, the Shibboleth of Feanor, and Myths Transformed.

For me, while I initially read them as a book from beginning to end, the benefit is across volumes for research. To understand a character, place or event more fully, read everything related to them. There is much to learn from each telling and like history there is no correct version, but instead a composite with potential variations.

This makes it more like to history. There is no ‘right’ version or ‘canon’ there are only stories from perspectives of varying viewpoints translated and transcribed through the ages for us to read and interpret as best we can.

While not an eBook fan, I do have both printed and ebook versions of HoME. The ebook gives me the convenience of portability and search, while the book allows for the tangible experience of physical, mental and emotional engagement.