Ross Raymond Nunamaker

Oxonmoot Presentation for 2026

RossRN

Presenting at the JRR Tolkien Society’s annual conference Oxonmoot is a highlight each year.

I’ve been fortunate to do so annually since 2021, and it is time again to prepare my submission.

I decided on my topic last summer while researching the Children of Hurin and reading the Athrabeth of Finrod and Andreth. In it they discuss the two types of hope and I decided to write “The Ordeal of Hope: Turin and Aragorn”, who represent ‘amdir’ and ‘estel’ respectively.

In doing so I’m going to address how these forms of hope are similar and different and how each embodies them. Their parentage and maternal influence, guardianship and mentorship, and their armament will be analysed.

I’ll conclude that while Túrin is the tragic victim of a failed Amdir, Aragorn is the triumphant restoration of Estel, both men of hope, and one redeems all of mankind.

My past presentations:

2021: Exploring Tolkien’s Tragedy: The Stories of the Children of Hurin
- My Approach to reading Tolkien as history, the story structure across versions, the authors and translators, and the endings
2022: Neithan the Wronged: An Approach to Better Understanding Turin
- The World Framework, The Curse, The Decisions, The Afterlife
2022: Lessons to Be Learned from Bad Decisions: Turin, Thorin, Theoden, and Denethor
- Co-Presentation with Michael Urick
2023: The Women in the Children of Hurin
- Morwen and Rian; Melian and Nellas; Nienor; Finduilas and Aerin
2024: The Evolution and Impact of Story: The Children of Hurin
- The impact of the Kalevala on the Children of Hurin (not other potential influences)
2025: On Dragons
- What we know from Tolkien’s writing about the dragons of Middle-earth