Reshaping Northern Heroism: Tolkien's Definition of Courage in &quot;The Children of Húrin&quot;

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Engelse taal en cultuur (BA)

Sastrosoedjono, Gessica (2020)

Reshaping Northern Heroism: Tolkien's Definition of Courage in "The Children of Húrin"

Bachelor thesis | Engelse taal en cultuur (BA)

J.R.R. Tolkien took the values and virtues found in Anglo-Saxon heroic literature and applied them to his Legendarium. Tolkien established his own form of modern heroism by examining Old English works such as "Beowulf" and "The Battle of Maldon". He admired the Germanic heroic tradition, yet condemned its pagan nature. This comparative paper discusses four works of heroic literature - i.e. "Beowulf", "The Battle of Maldon", "The Lord of the Rings", and "The Children of Húrin" - focusing on the heroes of each work and how their actions reflect their ethics. The author emphasises Tolkien's disapproving views of Anglo-Saxon heroism found in "The Children of Húrin" in which its prideful hero Túrin brings about disaster and tragedy upon himself and those around him.

The Children of Húrin

Anglo-Saxon literature

Heroic literature