Elvish: The Depth of a Culture Hidden in Langauge

There are many things to love about The Lord of the Rings; it is filled with imagery, history and depth to a degree found in few other books. With such a rich amount of material, it can take several readings to absorb it all, and even then, different people will be affected by its elements in different ways.

To some Tolkien’s invented languages are merely nice touches while to others they are one the highlights. Indeed, some of those who had wondered if Peter Jackson would do the books justice were won over by hearing Elvish spoken so beautifully on screen. From the Sindarin of Rivendell to the Dwarvish chants of Moria, the diverse and often subtle use of Elvish helped capture, at least in part, the depth found in the original.

This is because these languages were the foundation of the mythology itself. In his foreword to the second edition of Lord of the Rings, Professor Tolkien states that his mythos “was primarily linguistic in inspiration and was begun in order to provide the background of ‘history’ for Elvish tongues”. Though the idea may seem strange at first glance, a closer look will reveal why this unconventional beginning makes Tolkien’s works unlike any other.

Language is one of the cornerstones of culture whether real or imagined. Across the planet, languages differ as much as the cultures they stem from. But such differences are not limited only from one language to another, for example, British English is quite different from American English and even then there are differences from region to region, which reflect the values of the places in question. By creating the languages first, Tolkien helped solidify in his own mind, the basis and nature of his cultures before building the history around them. This is an essential reason why they feel so real. It gives them a depth they would not otherwise have had and adds richness to one of the greatest literary masterpieces of our time.

There is also a strong chance, given Professor Tolkien’s reason for delving deeper into the story, that without Elvish Middle-Earth as we know it would not exist. Its history and languages are forever intertwined. Although you do not need to study Elvish to appreciate the significance it lends to the story, the next time you come to an Elvish portion of the text and start to skip to the translation, I hope you will take just a moment to see the depth of a culture hidden in language.

by ~Mirimë~