B A

Masaryk University in Brno
Faculty of Arts
Department of English and American Studies
Fairy tale elements in J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings
and J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter stories
By Tereza Havov
Supervisor: doc. Mgr. Milada Frankov, CSc., M.A.
Brno 2005
Acknowledgement
I would like to thank my supervisor, doc. Milada Frankov for her time and her
advice; and my friends who provided me with the books from distant libraries.
I declare that I have worked on this dissertation independently, using only the sources
listed in the bibliography.
2
Contents
Acknowledgement......................................................................................................................................2
Contents.....................................................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................4
FAIRY TALES...................................................................................................................................................5
FANTASY...........................................................................................................................................................7
THE LORD OF THE RINGS.........................................................................................................................10
HARRY POTTER...........................................................................................................................................13
FAIRY TALE ELEMENTS............................................................................................................................14
THERE AND BACK AGAIN ..............................................................................................................................15
GOOD VS. EVIL..............................................................................................................................................18
TYPICAL AND UNTYPICAL HEROES................................................................................................................23
LANGUAGE....................................................................................................................................................27
Narrative language..................................................................................................................................28
Language of naming................................................................................................................................33
Lyrical language......................................................................................................................................35
MAGICAL OBJECTS........................................................................................................................................37
SUPERNATURAL CREATURES..........................................................................................................................44
Dragons...................................................................................................................................................45
Trolls........................................................................................................................................................46
Orcs.........................................................................................................................................................47
Ghosts and wraiths..................................................................................................................................48
Dwarfs.....................................................................................................................................................49
Elves........................................................................................................................................................50
Traditional creatures...............................................................................................................................51
Hobbits....................................................................................................................................................51
Ents..........................................................................................................................................................52
Wizards....................................................................................................................................................53
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................................54
CZECH SUMMARY/ SHRNUT.........................................................................................................................56
WORKS CITED...............................................................................................................................................57
Primary sources.......................................................................................................................................57
Secondary sources...................................................................................................................................57
3
Introduction
If we are not like children we wont enter.1
Do we live in a disenchanted world or do we still need fairy tales? Are there any
skillful fairy tale tellers left? And are our modern fairy tales any good?
This work deals with fairy tale elements used in two works of modern fantasy
literature J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) and J. K. Rowlings Harry
Potter stories. The work goes back to the definition of fairy tale, mentioning its probable
roots, its typical audience, and its function in different historical periods. It deals with its
traditional elements and the question whether they can be used independently on fairy tale
context especially.
Apart from fairy tales, it is going to focus on the genre of fantasy its definition as
well as the differences and similarities it has with fairy tales. The work also gives concrete
examples of fairy tale elements used in LOTR and Potter, such as the opening formula
Once upon a time, usage of typical and extraordinary heroes (e. g. Harry the orphan,
Frodo the hobbit, Aragorn the king), supernatural creatures (e. g. dragons in Potter, elves in
LOTR, dwarfs in both Potter and LOTR); or magical objects (e. g. the enchanted ring,
invisibility cloak, magical mirror).
It also poses some questions concerning up-to-date state of fairy tales and their
possible mutation into fantasy on the ground of similarities between the two genres.
1
Nebudeme-li jako dti, nevejdeme. Neubauer, 2
4
Fairy tales
Fairy tale is one of the oldest genres of human culture. Dictionaries describe it as a
tale about fairies, of strange incident, coincidence and marvelous progress2 or a story,
usually for children, about elves, hobgoblins, dragons, fairies or other magical creatures.3
Susan Sellers in her essay Myth versus Fairy tale stresses the various labels it was
given, such as folktale, wonder tale, fairy story. Russian folklorist Vladimir Propp deals
with the genre thoroughly in his study The Morphology of fairy tale. According to him,
fairy tales are the chains of variants of individual fairy tale motifs and elements. 4 He also
succeed in gathering all the fairy tale motifs in a systemized list which enables creating
new fairy tales by putting the motifs in a combination.
Detailed description and definition of the genre provides J. R. R. Tolkien in his
essay On fairy stories too. He is heavily against the word fairy in the term because it
implies that fairy stories are inevitably texts about fairies, i. e. tiny supernatural creatures:
I said the sense stories about fairies was too narrow. It is too narrow, even if we reject
the diminutive size, for fairy-stories are not in normal English usage stories about fairies
or elves, but stories about Fairy, that is Faerie, the realm or state in which fairies have
their being. Faerie contains many things besides elves and fays, and besides dwarfs,
witches, trolls, giants, or dragons: it holds the seas, the sun, the moon, the sky; and the
earth, and all things that are in it: tree and bird, water and stone, wine and bread, and
ourselves, mortal men, when we are enchanted.
2
Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English
3
Websters Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of English Language
4
Propp. Morfologie pohdky, 99
5
Stories that are actually concerned primarily with fairies, that is with creatures that
might also in modern English be called elves, are relatively rare, and as a rule not very
interesting. Most good fairy-stories are about the adventures of men in the Perilous
Realm or upon its shadowy marches.5
He also deals with the origin of fairy tales, which similarly as Propp connects with the
origin of fairy tale motifs. As far as Tolkien is concerned, the best collectors and re-tellers
of fairy stories were Charles Perrault in France who heavily influenced English fairy tale
tradition; and Andrew Lang with his colourful fairy tale books of the end of 19 th century (e.
g. Blue Fairy Book - 1889, Red Fairy Book - 1890, Yellow Fairy Book - 1894).
Fairy tale was always a popular genre and an essential part of folklore tradition. It
carried a moral message as well and functions also as a mean of passing the knowledge. At
the turn of 18th and 19th century it was transferred from oral to written form by scholars,
researchers and folklore collectors in the search for national identity. Mapping the folk
heritage was a part of literary/cultural enlightenment in most European countries. Among
the most important collectors were the Grimm brothers, the already mentioned Charles
Perrault, Hans Christian Andersen or Boena Nmcov. At the same time, wave of new
fairy tales influenced by Romanticism and based on the traditional narrative principles
appear (written for instance by Oscar Wilde).
However, as Tolkien points out, the form of fairy stories was changed in the process
of writing down fairy tales were made harmless and non-violent because of their
potential audience children. Generalized and simplified form of fairy tales was suitable
for children and not enough good for adults. It was not until the end of 19 th century when
German Romantics, such as Novalis or E. T. A. Hoffmann helped to give fairy tale the
5
Tolkien. On fairy stories
6
status of a genre worth reading and working with. Thus most fantasy literature of 19 th
century was written in the form of fairy tale.
Fantasy
Fantasy as an independent genre is a recent invention. It was long considered to be
an inferior part of science-fiction literature. According to a dictionary, fantasy in literature
is an imaginative or fanciful work, especially one dealing with supernatural or unnatural
events or characters.6
C. N. Manlove who deals with the subject in detail in his work Modern Fantasy
gives a more specified and sophisticated definition of the genre. In his opinion, fantasy is:
A fiction evoking wonder and containing a substantial and irreducible element of the
supernatural with which the mortal characters in the story or the readers become on at
least partly familiar terms.7
And what about the books this work deals with? Are they true members of the
genre? Do they fit Manloves definition?
LOTR is work of fiction because it does not make the readers believe that it depicts true
historical events of our world. It contain an irreducible element of the supernatural
represented by the setting (imaginary land) as well as the characters (elves, wizards,
dwarfs). What is more, Manlove points out the difference between fantasy and horror
stories in the last point of his definition (the mortal characters of the story or the readers
6
Websters Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of English Language
7
Manlove. Modern Fantasy, 1
7
become on familiar terms with the supernatural) in horrors, the supernatural stays evil
and alien. In opposition to it, in LOTR there is no shock when meeting the supernatural.
Similarly, Harry Potter is undoubtedly a fictional story even though it is sometimes
located in existing places, such as London. It does not pretend that the story is real. Its
substantial part deals with magic and supernatural creatures, which fits the fantasy
definition as well as the supernaturally-friendly attitude of the author, the characters and
the readers.
Fantasy literature seems to have less to do with the past than with alternative
realities or projected futures. However, it is heavily influenced by folklore motifs and
traditional literary genres. C. W. Sullivan focuses on the connection between folklore and
fantasy in his article:
The writer of fantastic literature, the creator of impossible worlds, has need of and uses
folklore to make those imagined worlds accessible to the reader. In short, fantasy and
sci-fi authors use traditional materials, from individual motifs to entire folk narratives, to
allow their readers to recognize, in elemental and perhaps unconscious ways, the reality
and cultural depth of the impossible worlds these authors have created.8
Especially in LOTR, there is a strong echo of medieval tradition. Its possible roots
are examined in Manloves Impulse of Fantasy Literature:
Many modern fantasies draw part of their inspiration from the meaning of the medieval
world order. The impulse is on the whole nostalgia for a world simpler, less populated,
better ordered and more natural than the writers own, although this nostalgia may be
8
Sullivan. Folklore and fantastic literature
8
extended to a mystic longing or even the belief that such apparently lost world are
eternally co-present with this one.9
Tolkiens LOTR is a perfect example of the quoted features it finds delight in simple
being and shows love for ordinary items:
Faerie contains many things besides elves and fays, and besides dwarfs, witches, trolls,
giants, or dragons: it holds the seas, the sun, the moon, the sky; and the earth, and all
things that are in it: tree and bird, water and stone, wine and bread, and ourselves, mortal
men, when we are enchanted.10
Fantasy was long seen as a part of low-brow culture and it was not until recently
when fantasy was acknowledged as an independent literary genre. It was also because of
the works, such as LOTR and Harry Potter stories, which are not only among the best of
fantasy but also among valuable works of English literature of 20th century.
The Lord of the Rings
The work represents a middle part of Tolkiens trilogy The Hobbit, LOTR and
Silmarillion. It is also a continuation of the story from The Hobbit where Bilbo Baggins
finds a magical ring on his there and back again journey with dwarfs and a wizard. It
consists of three volumes The Fellowship of the Ring (1954), The Two Towers (1954)
and The Return of the King (1955).
9
Manlove. Impulse, 93
10
9
LOTR begins sixty years later when the power of the Dark Lord Sauron grows
again and Bilbos ring turns out to be the Ring of Power which Sauron seeks to control the
whole of Middle Earth. Therefore, the Ring must be destroyed in the Mount Orodruin in
the dark land of Mordor where it was originally forged. This task is appointed to Bilbos
nephew Frodo who is on his way to Mordor accompanied by three other hobbits (Merry,
Pippin and Sam), a wizard (Gandalf), a dwarf (Gimli), an elf (Legolas) and two mortal men
(Aragorn and Boromir). The group is called the Fellowship of the Ring. At Part Galen near
Mordor, Frodo and Sam are divided from the rest of their companions and make their way
through Mordor guided by a treacherous former-hobbit Gollum who is a slave to the Ring.
The rest of the Fellowship eventually allies with the ents (living trees) and the men of
Rohan, conquer a evil wizard Saruman, help in the defeat at Pelennor Fields of one of
Saurons army and then march with the last Alliance of the West to fight the battle at the
Black Gate of Mordor. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam overcome many obstacles and succeed
in destroying the Ring. With this, Saurons power fades, his armies collapse, Aragorn is
restored King of Gondor and the hobbits return to their homeland the Shire. A few years
later, Frodo who has been badly wounded in his quest leaves the Shire and Middle Earth
with Gandalf and the last of the elves for Undying Lands of the Far West.
This is in brief the plot of LOTR which except for the main storylines mentioned
here contains a lot of subtler motifs, themes and levels of meaning:
Tolkiens intention in his book was to create a species of heroic epic. The trilogy has epic
scale; we journey over what W. H. Auden tells us is 1,300 miles form the Shire to Mordor,
taking in a variety of races and regions on the way the land of hobbits, the Elf-kingdom
at Rivendell, the mines of Moria, Lothlrien, Rohan, Ithilien, Mordor; men, ghosts, orcs,
Elves, wizards, Ents, dwarves and hobbits. The sense of extension in space is completed by
10
one in time: we are made continually aware of thousands of years of the past lying behind
the story of the Ring, indeed that the history of its evil maker stretches back into the First
Age of Middle-earth.11
From the form of the narration it is easy to trace the sources of Tolkiens
inspiration. As Zdenk Neubauer in his essay Do svta na zkuenou mentions, LOTR
follows the tradition of both heroic epic, such as Iliad, Aeneis, Beowulf; or Nibelungen
saga, and fantastic epic represented by medieval romances (Arthurian legends) and
fantastic novels of the end of 19th century (W. Morris, E. R. Edison).12
Apart from these, Tolkien also uses features form folktales and combines these together:
Tolkien structures both work [The Hobbit, LOTR] like folktales and then overlays and
fleshes them out with characters, scenes and other items borrowed from or modeled after
the traditional materials he had studied all his life western European prose and poetry
composed in the middle ages or earlier. ... It is because of both the traditional materials
and his synthesis of them that Tolkiens novels are the standard by which all of the others
are judged.13
LOTR is considered to be one of the founding stones of the genre of modern
fantasy. Tolkien create in it whole new mythology based on languages invented by him.
The impact of the work is aptly expressed in a quotation from Sunday Times which is
enclosed in almost every English edition of LOTR:
11
Manlove. Modern Fantasy, 171
12
Neubauer. Do svta na zkuenou, 14
13
Sullivan. Folklore and fantastic literature
11
The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read The Lord of the Rings
and The Hobbit and those who are going to read them.
Harry Potter
In contrast with Tolkiens LOTR, Harry Potter stories by J. K. Rowling are quite
recent piece of literature. The first book in the series Harry Potter and the Philosophers
Stone appeared in 1997 and the sequels followed: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
(1998), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999), Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire (2000) and Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix (2003). The sixth part, Harry Potter
and the Half-blooded Prince is about to come (June 16 2005). Rowling has also written two
other companion books, Quidditch through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to
Find Them. Harry Potter stories were the first children books on the bestsellers list of
New York Times since 1950s.
Frequently, a question is posed whether Harry Potter books are only a passing fad
or really contributive work of fiction. They bring a classical story Harry Potter is an
orphan who is brought up by the Dursleys, his relatives who hate him. On his eleventh
birthday he is told by a stranger that he is a wizard and is transported to a mysterious castle
where the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is located. There he gains new
friends (Ron and Hermione) and starts to learn of his true heritage and potential. He is also
told by the headmaster of the Hogwarts Albus Dumbledore, who takes him under his wing
about the death of his parents and the evil wizard Lord Voldemort who murdered them and
after an unsuccessful attempt to kill Harry died. However, Harry meets Voldemort in
various forms (for he is recovering from his death) during next years of his studies and has
to face various dangerous situations where he proves his worthiness and bravery.
12
This is in brief the summary of the plot of the whole series. Individual parts have a
similar structure the story begins in the summer which Harry spends at Dursleys and is
being tortured and humiliated by his cousin Dudley. On September 1st he leaves for
Hogwarts. The term involves his studies and playing Quidditch as well as the struggle with
the dark powers (mostly presented by Voldemort). He succeeds in the fight eventually and
returns to the Dursleys for another horrible holidays.
In further parts, the plot grows more elaborate and sophisticated. Rowling involves
in the text allusions to medieval tradition presented by alchemy, heraldic, and descriptions
of landscapes and buildings used to evoke melancholy (her typical props are castles, ruins;
or gloomy Scottish landscape).
Apart from the characters and the setting, there is another significant element of the
plot the magic. It could be considered one of the characters because it is an intrinsic part
of Rowlings reality. Nonetheless, Harry Potter books are not stories about magic. Magic is
what makes the story unreal though not untrue. The magic is the most obvious reason why
Harry Potter is among fantasy literature.
As far as the structure of the narration is concerned, the author follows the fairy tale
principles on one hand and employs the features of Gothic novel and Bildungsroman on
the other. Not surprisingly, Harry Potter is usually among the genre of childrens literature
because its heroes are children. Still, there are more levels of meaning and symbolism in
the texts which make it a valuable piece of fantasy literature.
13
Fairy tale elements
The core of the work deals with the typical elements used in the genre of fairy tale
and their application and usage in fantasy literature. From the great variety of the features,
I chose formal as well as thematic ones to illustrate the differences and similarities between
the two genres.
There and back again
One of the features typical for both fairy tale and fantasy is circular structure of
narration. The story often returns to the point where it began: lost children find their way
home, Harry Potter returns to the Dursleys after his school year in Hogwarts and Frodo
comes back to the Shire after destroying the Ring.
According to Propp, one of the typical opening situations of fairy tale is lack of
something. The lack causes heros desire for something extraordinary and when is he told
about wonders of distant lands or beautiful ladies he sets out on the journey. 14 During his
travels he gains experience and returns wiser and sometimes even wealthier or married to a
princess. However, his wisdom (in Czech zkuen) is something abstract and impractical
which cannot be used in his everyday life. Neubauer deals with the phenomenon of the
fairy tale experience (zkuen) thoroughly in his essay Do svta na zkuenou ili O
cestch tam a zase zptky. In general, he stresses the positive results of the experience:
even though there are no giants, wizards or dragons to be killed in his homeland he lives
happily ever after. Neubauer sums the experience as gained wisdom. 15 And as he points
14
Propp. Morfologie pohdky
15
Tak si pi nvratu nepinej dnou konkrtn praktickou dovednost ani vun list. Doma toti nejsou
obi, ernoknnci i draci, aby na n mohli vhodn aplikovat osvojen metodick postupy. A pesto bv
nvrat spn a tn takov, kter stoj za vyprvn. Hrdina se ze svta, kam odeel na zkuenou,
nevrac s njakmi uritmi zkuenostmi, nbr prv jen s onou zkuenou. Dky n se bda z chaloupky
vysthuje a vichni ij od t doby astn a do smrti eknme, e tato zkuen je porozumn du
skutenosti, , je vzelo ze zitku zsvt, tj. svta za tmto nam svtem. A hrdina se v nm osvdil jako
14
out, an important aspect of the heros experience is a positive change of character and his
relationship to people and his homeland.
As was said before, one of the features of the genre fantasy is conservatism. The
effort of conserving things as they are is closely connected with the circularity within the
story. While fairy tales involve dynamic development of the hero (growing wiser) in
fantasy it may look like the starting point being the same as the ending one:
Unlike the traditional fairy tale, in which hero often betters himself in the world and may
move place, most modern fantasy involves the notion of a return to a starting point so that
one ends where he began. This motif of circularity is an image of the preservation of things
as they are, and thus one expression of fantasys delight in being. It may take the form
simply of coming home at the end of ones adventures. Tolkiens Bilbo and Frodo come
back to the Shire from their distant adventures at the end of The Hobbit; or, There and back
again and The Lord of the Rings respectively.16
Nevertheless, there is a change involved. It may not be the change of the outside world
because home is in fantasy literature viewed as a sacred place, a sanctuary; but it can be an
inner change of the hero himself. The change may be slight and can be seen only as a
peculiar feature by the people as in case of Bilbo Baggins:
Bilbo was very rich and very peculiar, and had been the wonder of the Shire for sixty
years, ever since his remarkable disappearance and unexpected return. The riches he had
brought back from his travels had now become a local legend, and it was popularly
vrn a dobr navzdory propastn rznosti onoho od tohoto. Zkuen je dosvdovna tm, e se hrdina
vrtil pozitivn promnn a nikoliv pokozen i zmrzaen (Neubauer 9).
16
15
believed, whatever the old folk might say, that the Hill at Bag End was full of tunnels
stuffed with treasure.17
Furthermore, the adventure can have more serious results as in case of Frodo who was
wounded and weakened both in body and mind on his travels. Frodos change is more
obvious in comparison to other three hobbits who accompanied him on his journey
Merry, Pippin and Sam return to the Hobbiton more or less untouched and continue their
lives. Frodo, on the other hand, survives on the verge of the community and lacks his
former hospitality and cheerfulness. He himself feels that he is changed forever:
I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved but not for me. I must often be so, Sam,
when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may
keep them.18
The circular direction of narrative is stated in Tolkiens The Hobbit right at the
beginning in its subtitle There and back again The same title can be applied to LOTR
because its quest begins and ends in the Shire and to Harry Potter stories too for each of
them starts and ends at the Dursleys in the Privet Drive. The opening and closing setting
stresses the difference between the two worlds presented in the story. They differ in various
ways and often function on different rules. Therefore, nontypical heroes (such as the
youngest or the weakest) are there capable of great fortitude and endurance. The striking
contrast between the two worlds can be illustrated also by the lack of magic and
supernatural creatures in one of them:
17
Tolkien. LOTR, 21
18
Ibid. 1006
16
A further mode in which fantasy often returns to its starting point is in the departure of the
supernatural. The magic realms, creatures, objects, actions or persons appear, disrupt
normal life and then depart once more at the end of the story. Such removal need not
always be final. Nor does it suppose a return to happy ignorance and indifference.
Thanks to the supernatural the world is by the end seen differently, and characters may
have been altered spiritually through their experience of it. There is not only a circular
mode of There and back again but a spiral one, whereby the return is at a higher level of
insight.19
A concrete example of this statement is in Harry Potter stories Harry is a wizard but in
the world of muggles he is not allowed to perform any magic. So he lives in two realities
one of them is full of spells and supernatural creatures and the other is absolutely deprived
of any of these.
The cyclic structure of LOTR is similar to the quest a heroic journey from the
known world into the unknown and back. The only difference is that the goal of the
Fellowships quest is not gaining of the magical object (e. g. holy grail) but its destruction.
Structurally, quest is series of exciting events which evoke the sense of epic scope of
narration. Thematically, quest enables development of the sense of self in the heroes. The
cyclic notion of the story is represented also by the Ring of Power a symbol of never
ending fight between good and evil and endlessness of telling stories.
19
17
Good vs. Evil
Fairy tale as one of the oldest literary genres has a set of strict rules. Among them is
a specific relation between good and evil in the story. In terms of good and evil, fairy tale
presents a simplified version of reality. Since the primary audience and readership of fairy
stories were children direct classification of the goodies and the baddies was necessary for
an easy identification with the characters. There is no doubt whether Red Riding Hood or
Jack is good and the wolf or the carnivorous giant bad. For fairy tales, it is typical that a
person is wholly good or wholly bad. There is no space for complicated inner conflicts and
dilemmas.
Simplicity and non-ambiguity were among the reasons why authors of fantasy took
fairy tales as one of their source:
The main writers of fantasy in the nineteenth century all look back very markedly to the
traditional fairy tale: twentieth century fantasy does so also, though not so much to the
traditional tale directly as to writers already indebted to it. Whenever modern authors
discuss fairy tales, they do so with profound admiration tinged with a longing to imitate
the simplicity of the form.20
The equal distribution of good and evil powers belongs to one of the virtues of the genre of
fairy tale.
Unsurprisingly, the evil characters are in the narration as important as the good
ones. And what is more, the bravery and determination of the main hero depends on the
villain he/she has to face. The stronger and more terrifying the villain is, the more
courageous the hero must be.
20
Manlove. Impulse, 4
18
As was said, the powers of good and evil should be in balance formally. However,
as far as descriptions and characteristics of the figures of fairy tale and fantasy is
concerned, there are plenty of evil forms and supernatural creatures which can be described
in detail to evoke horror, fear and panic there are orcs, trolls, ogres, giants, evil wizards,
dragons, wild beasts, vampires, werewolves, living deads and so on.
On the other hand, the goodies appear to be always the same: he/she ought to be handsome,
wise, courageous, unselfish and always ready to face the enemy.
As for the generalization and strict boundaries between the good and evil, colour
specification is often used both in fairy tales and fantasy light colours, most typically
white is used as a co-characteristic feature of the goodies (Gandalf the White, Albus
Dumbledore). In the opposite, dark colours match with the evil characters (in LOTR, there
is the Dark Lord, Black Speech of his realm and Black riders as his servants). This
simplified and effective picture of the moral spectrum is common also in other genres, e. g.
science-fiction (Star Wars have the light and the dark side of the Force).
In LOTR, there is a strong humanistic message and the sense of catharsis after the
minority of the good destroys the evil forces. Nevertheless, the portrayal of the evil is very
impressive.
The title itself shapes the major character the lord of the rings which is the Dark Lord
Sauron. He and his land Mordor are in the centre of the story because they are the aim the
Fellowship has to achieve. Tolkien made Sauron the most powerful character though he
never describes him directly. Manlove points out the impression it makes:
Paradoxically, Sauron is more real than anything else in The Lord of the Rings because
Tolkien has chosen never to present him directly. We can say that Sauron is more
terrible than anything else in the book because he alone feeds on the power of his Ring,
19
even though he does not possess it, but this does not explain away the mode of his
presentation. He alone is a mystery; he alone draws us, is felt as a presence, as nothing
else in The Lord of the Rings.21
Most of the readers need some positive examples to identify with, such as Frodo or
Aragorn but they will always be fascinated by the dark powers presented by Sauron or the
Nazgls.
Besides the highest danger personificated in Sauron, there are nameless and
faceless hordes of enemies in LOTR. They are represented by orcs, trolls and other
servants of the Dark Lord who has no will and are blindly obedient. This way of describing
of the bad characters can be seen as a relic of one of the fairy stories principles in fairy
tale, there is more important what a creature does than who it is. Generalization is quite
common feature of the narration because of the simplified form of the genre.
However, it does not matter how impressive the depiction of the dark powers is, the
reader will always be on the side of the good (as well as the author is). Tolkien portrays the
forces of the good far weaker so that the war between good and evil armies resembles the
fight of David and Goliath. At the same time, he puts in opposition self-destruction and
shortsightedness of the dark side with innocence and benevolence of the light side. Tolkien
also employs biased fortune and lucky accidents to help his heroes. In his essay On fairy
stories he defines the lucky twist in the plot and happy ending as eucatastrophe a word
from Latin (eu good, catastrophe twist, change) seen as a necessary element of fairy
tale structure:
21
Manlove. Modern Fantasy, 190 - 192
20
But the consolation of fairy-tales has another aspect than the imaginative satisfaction of
ancient desires. Far more important is the Consolation of the Happy Ending. Almost I
would venture to assert that all complete fairy-stories must have it. At least I would say
that Tragedy is the true form of Drama, its highest function; but the opposite is true of
Fairy-story. Since we do not appear to possess a word that expresses this oppositeI will
call it Eucatastrophe. The eucatastrophic tale is the true form of fairy-tale, and its highest
function.
The consolation of fairy-stories, the joy of the happy ending: or more correctly of the good
catastrophe, the sudden joyous turn (for there is no true end to any fairy-tale): this joy,
which is one of the things which fairy-stories can produce supremely well, is not
essentially escapist, nor fugitive. In its fairy-taleor otherworldsetting, it is a
sudden and miraculous grace: never to be counted on to recur. It does not deny the
existence of dyscatastrophe, of sorrow and failure: the possibility of these is necessary to
the joy of deliverance; it denies (in the face of much evidence, if you will) universal final
defeat and in so far is evangelium, giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of
the world, poignant as grief.22
In LOTR, eucatastrophe is widely used, for instance when Gandalf the Grey gives up his
life for his friends in Moria and later returns as more powerful Gandalf the White; or when
Sam who thinks that Frodo after being stung by a giant spider is dead finds out that he is
alive and rescues him from the tower full of orcs.
In Harry Potter stories, there is also variety of dangerous and evil creatures some
of fairy tale tradition (dragons, werewolves, vampires) and some of the authors
imagination (professor Umbridge). Similarly as in LOTR, there is one major villain evil
22
21
wizard Lord Voldemort. Rowling uses similar strategy as Tolkien in her first four books
the unseen evil is more terrifying. Therefore, until the end of the fourth part, Harry Potter
and the Goblet of Fire Voldemort he is never shown in the form of the adult male wizard.
However, he is always present in the story as an unspoken threat almost like Saurons
lidless eye which from the distance watches what is happening.
In terms of the positive characters, Rowling is less direct in their defining. Her
heroes are more like real people with their faults, doubts and mistakes than like black and
white fairy tale beings. For example, Sirius Black is from the beginning portrayed as an
evil and dangerous character but the reader finds out his motivation and his real status
eventually which brings him on the good side.
Tolkien puts on the side of the good the hobbits with their innocence, naivety and
cheerfulness. Rowling acts in a similar way when as the opponents of the evil choose
children. Harry, Ron and Hermione are also innocent, a bit nave and extremely energetic
and cheerful. In both cases, it is partly the good spirit and the sense of friendship that
conquer the enemy.
To sum it up, there is a clear cut between the good and the evil in modern fantasy
because it attempts to view things in their pure and unalloyed states. But the characters are
not as schematized as in fairy tales they are tempted, they have doubts about themselves
and they can question their own part in the story.
Typical and untypical heroes
Characters are essential in every story. They have to be interesting, fascinating and
believable at the same time because they are the key to the story. Usually, the readers tend
to identify themselves with them. While fairy tale heroes are heavily schematized and
22
simplified in their desires, opinions and attitudes heroes of fantasy carry more individuality
and are more real and likeable.
According to Propp, a typical hero of fairy tale is a person who lacks something or
suffers by deeds of an evil-doer and is about to do something about it. The fairy tale hero
often carries a magical object which helps him in different situations.23
Among common fairy tale heroes are princes, princesses, kings or knights but also
Simpleton Jack, orphans or step-children. The hero has to pass various tests and prove
good intentions and bravery. After heros gaining experience and wealth a happy ending
follows.
Tolkien in LOTR introduces a whole set of heroes: the title of the novel implies that
it is about Sauron who is in fact a mighty power behind the scene. Then Tolkien shapes the
Fellowship of the Ring a group of nine characters (four hobbits: Frodo, Sam, Merry and
Pippin; two men: Aragorn and Boromir; Gandalf the wizard, Legolas the elf and Gimli the
dwarf). Each of them can be a hero because their paths are divided into three different
storylines Frodo and Sam go right to the Mount Doom; Merry and Pippin are kidnapped
by the orcs and the rest of the Fellowship follows them to rescue them. Therefore every
one of them undergoes his own quest. However, not surprisingly, on the basis of fairy tale
and romance structure, Aragorn is viewed as a leading typical hero of the story.
As Robley Evans points out, Aragorn resembles lost princes from fairy tales
because he is of the true birth and identity and is the heir to the throne as well but is
somehow prevented from being a king.24 His long way from the wild to the throne of
Gondor is apparent from names he carries at the beginning of the story when the hobbits
meet him for the first time in Bree is he called Strider and introduces himself as one of the
23
Propp. Morfologie pohdky
24
Evans. J. R. R. Tolkien
23
Rangers who look after borders in the wild. In Gandalfs message Frodo learns his real
name and a short poem which characterize him aptly:
All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does no wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.25
Later on the hobbits as well as the reader get to know that Aragorn is the heir of the
Gondorian kingdom and the lawful leader of the army of the free peoples of Middle Earth
against Sauron. However, as compared to the character of another ruler king Thoden of
Rohan who is also respectable and courageous, Aragorn is closer to the readers because his
journey to kingship is long and they make it with him. Apart from this, Aragorn is depicted
not only as a fighter and responsible ruler but also as a healer and comforter: The hands of
the king are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be known.26
Tolkien relies upon the traditional conventions of heroic descriptions Aragorns identity
is shaped through his predecessors (he is entitled Aragorn, son of Arathorn or Isildurs
heir); his task is presented in a form of prophetic fulfillment of the legends (the king will
return with the Sword that was broken).
In brief, Aragorn stands for everything Tolkien emphasizes in his work: loyalty,
companionship and sacrifice. The connection of the character with medieval romances is
25
Tolkien: LOTR, 167
26
Ibid. 844
24
also in the love motif of LOTR. Aragorn, a human falls in love with the princess of the
Elves, Arwen. Although their love has to face many obstacles it has a happy ending.
Apart from the traditional hero, Tolkien introduces an untypical one: Frodo the
hobbit. There are two complementary quests in the plot Aragorns assertion of his true
self and his return to the throne and Frodos effort to destroy the Ring. Hobbits as a race
are designed to surprise the reader. Their heroism is unexpected and inevitable as was
proved in The Hobbit already. Evans said that the hobbit is like the typical hero of romance
it is his unexpected call to perform heroically that brings out his best. 27 Manlove
mentions a possible contradiction in Tolkiens choosing such a hero in genre of epic
fantasy:
At the centre of his epic, Tolkien has set out to place an ethic of heroic endeavour: the
Ring-bearer against the whole might of Sauron. Yet he has chosen no conventional hero,
no Beowulf nor Aeneas nor Roland of almost unthinking honour or courage, but a little
man, a four-foot Halfling of a race happiest just to eat and sleep. The idea is to give us in
Frodo a protagonist who grows into being a hero as his journey proceeds.28
In this point, the hobbit resembles fairy tale hero Jack (or Hloup Honza) who is also
considers to be unfitting for the task but perfects himself during the journey and proves his
worthiness to be treated as an independent and grown-up person.
For Tolkien, hobbits represent humanity and inexperience of the readers. Therefore,
he tells the story from a point of view of the hobbit. It is a third-person narrative; however,
the narrator is not omniscient. He knows only as much as hobbits do. The events are
27
Evans. J. R. R. Tolkien, 111
28
Manlove. Modern Fantasy, 174 -5
25
depicted to the readers in exciting and fascinating way as they would seem to the hobbits.
That makes the story easier to follow and the hobbits very likeable creatures.
As far as Rowlings heroes are concerned, she picks up more traditional ones. Harry
Potter is an orphan who is brought up as a step-child by his aunts family. Predictably, he is
treated badly hence the fact that he belongs to another world is no disaster for him. It is not
difficult for him to desert Dursleys and left for an unknown place Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry. While in the world of muggles he was peculiar, weird and the
least popular in magical world he proves his bravery and skills and abilities.
Among other typical characters derived from folktale tradition included in Harry Potter
stories are loyal friends (Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid) and a caring guardian (Albus
Dumbledore).
To sum it up, affirmative heroes are the key to the story and both Tolkien and
Rowling create believable characters that the readers get quickly familiar with. However,
because the heroes are partly derived from simplified fairy tale characters they scarcely
contain more complicated psychological developments. Far more important than inner
world of the person are his/her outer actions and deeds.
Language
One of the formal features which fairy tale and fantasy have in common is simple
language. Both of the genres also use variety of expressions such as spells, oaths or
opening and closing formulae. Another important point is the authors might of naming
created characters as well as places and things.
26
Narrative language
As for the framing sentences, phrases like Once upon a time and And they live
happily ever after are used. They signalize that we are in the genre of fairy tale. Dictionary
defines expression Once upon a time as happened on a certain but unspecified past
occasion29 which is apt for defining the fairy tale setting. Tolkien in his essay On fairy
stories defines typical attributes of fairy tales and these phrases are among them.
According to him, these expressions are the essential element of fairy tale language
because their effect is immediate. However, he also points out that the ending formulae put
artificial borders to the narration:
The verbal endingusually held to be as typical of the end of fairy-stories as once upon
a time is of the beginningand they lived happily ever after is an artificial device. It
does not deceive anybody. End-phrases of this kind are to be compared to the margins and
frames of pictures, and are no more to be thought of as the real end of any particular
fragment of the seamless Web of Story than the frame is of the visionary scene, or the
casement of the Outer World. These phrases may be plain or elaborate, simple or
extravagant, as artificial and as necessary as frames plain, or carved, or gilded. And if
they have not gone away they are there still. My story is donesee there is a little
mouse; anyone who catches it may make himself a fine fur cap of it. And they lived
happily ever after. And when the wedding was over, they sent me home with little paper
shoes on a causeway of pieces of glass.
Endings of this sort suit fairy-stories, because such tales have a greater sense and grasp of
the endlessness of the World of Story than most modern realistic stories, already
29
27
hemmed within the narrow confines of their own small time. A sharp cut in the endless
tapestry is not unfittingly marked by a formula, even a grotesque or comic one.30
Accordingly, Tolkien views a fairy tale as a part of the endless World of Story where all
the characters, the events and the deeds are connected. This notion of his may be the source
for the historical depth he employs in his works.
In contrast, Neubauer disagrees with the notion of endlessness. As far as he is
concerned, every fairy tale is an independent unit:
In terms of Tolkiens endeavour to put The Lord of the Rings and all his stories set in Arda
among fairy tales are his statements understandable. However, those who really know fairy
tales perceive that every one of them is complete in itself - they have beginnings their
once upon a time or there was a king and their endings expressed in used formulae.
Those phrases make strict borders between fairy tales. There is no sense of endlessness. It
is this feature that differ fairy tales from history, myths or legends because these genres
really go on and on right in the way Tolkien implies to the fairy tales.31
He also stresses that fairy tales need no context for understanding the story. Neubauer
supports his opinion that individual stories are not connected with the fact that a hero (such
as Jack or Honza) appear in more than one fairy tale without being tied up to his previous
adventures.
30
31
Z hlediska Tolkienovy snahy zaadit Pna prsten a snad veker sv vyprvn o Ard mezi pohdky,
jsou tato tvrzen celkem pochopiteln. Avak ten, kdo zn skuten pohdky, v, e kad z nich je v sob
cel, m svj zatek sv bylo nebylo i byl jednou jeden a svj konec, jak ho vyjaduj ve
zmnn slov. Tyto meze nejen oste oddluj pohdky mezi sebou. O dn nekonenosti neme bt ei.
Tm se pohdky li od djin, mt i legend. Ty toti skuten poukazuj dl a dl, prv tak, jak si to Tolkien
pedstavuje (Neubauer, 16).
28
Fantasy literature does not take the exact expressions from fairy tales. There is no
Once upon a time or And they live happily ever after in LOTR or Harry Potter.
Nevertheless, the effect of the opening and closing parts is the same: The opening contains
no specification of the time setting
When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his
eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and
excitement in Hobbiton.32
in LOTR and Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways.33 in Potter.
Furthermore, the closing phrases evoke the possible continuation of the story as well as
fairy tales do He drew a deep breath. Well, Im back, he said.34 in LOTR or the
running endings in Potter books:
And, grinning broadly at the look of horror on Uncle Vernons face, Harry set off toward
the station exit, Hedwig rattling along in front of him, for what looked like a much better
summer than the last35. and And together they walked back through the gateway to the
Muggle world.36
However, the continuation of the story is not the subject matter in fairy tales. Only fantasy
deals with it to give the reader more complex picture of the alternative reality of the
created world.
32
Tolkien. LOTR, 22
33
Rowling. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
34
Tolkien. LOTR, 1008
35
36
Rowling. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
29
Another feature of the fairy tale language is generalization. Narrators of fairy
stories are not concerned with details they use ordinary adjectives mostly. Usually, a
princess is beautiful, a dragon is terrifying and a king is mighty. In LOTR, Tolkien follows
this tradition of generalized style of narration. His portrayals of various characters are
poetic rather than descriptive as in the picture of Aragorn:
Suddenly Frodo noticed that a strange-looking weather-beaten man, sitting in the shadows
near the wall, was also listening intently to the hobbit-talk. A travel-stained cloak of
heavy dark-green cloth was drawn close about him, and in spite of the heat of the room he
wore a hood that overshadowed his face; but the gleam of his eyes could be seen as he
watched the hobbits. As Frodo drew near he threw back his hood, showing a shaggy
head of dark hair flecked with grey, and in a pale stern face a pair of keen grey eyes.37
Or Eowyn, the Lady of Rohan:
Grave and thoughtful was her glance. Very fair was her face, and her long hair was like
a river of gold. Slender and tall she was in her white robe girt with silver, but strong she
seemed and stern as steel. fair and cold, like a morning of pale spring that is not yet
come to womanhood.38
Tolkien uses a lot of similes in his descriptions. Analogies between human figure and
nature function as a general pattern in his imaginary. As well as in fairy tales, characters in
LOTR are better described through their actions.
37
Tolkien. LOTR, 153
38
Ibid. 504
30
As for descriptions in Harry Potter, they function on the same principle. Rowling
does not give the reader a detailed portrayal of a character. Usually, she focuses on the
striking physical or facial features as in description of Ron:
He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.39
professor Lupin:
The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizards robes that had been darned
in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Thought quite young, his light brown hair
was flecked with gray40.
or Sirius Black:
A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If eyes hadnt been shining out of the
deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly
over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin. It
was Sirius Black. 41
After mentioning the essential features of a persons appearance, Rowling continues with
the characterization by action as well as Tolkien does.
39
Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone
40
41
Ibid.
31
Language of naming
Apart from the appearances, there are also inner properties which can be described.
Here also both fantasy and fairy tales employ a simplified way of doing it they work with
labels. Often a being is characterized enough by its origin, e. g. orcs are ugly and smelly,
dragons are always hungry and cruel, princesses are beautiful; and dwarfs are small and
skillful. Beside this, both Rowling and Tolkien use speaking names which tell something
about their owners. Rowling derives some of the names from Latin (e. g. Severus is from
Latin sevrus which means strict, cruel, severe; Lupin is derived from Latin lupus which
means wolf; albus is Latin for white) or use the English meaning (Cornelius Fudge). As
compared to Rowling, Tolkien works with names differently: almost every character is
given several names a formal name, a nickname and various titles. There are also
different forms of a name in different languages of Middle Earth. These names and titles
play an important role in determining the identity of the characters Frodo is called the
Ring-bearer or Elven-friend; Aragorns transformation from Strider to King Elessar
symbolizes his long journey to the throne.
Tolkien and Rowling agrees in stressing the power of language and the names
especially even the sound of Black speech can disturb the peace in distant Rivendell in
LOTR as well as the name of Voldemort (You-know-who) which is so terrifying that it is
never to be spoken.
While in the descriptions of people have fantasy and fairy tale a lot in common they
differ in the way they treat spatial setting and naming places. As far as fairy tales are
concerned, they apply the generalized language even for places. Fairy tales work with
labels such as the village, the town; or the forest. For stressing the difference between
homeland and an adventurous land, names like the kingdom far far away or Czech
krlovstv za sedmero ekami a sedmero horami are used.
32
On the other hand, fantasy tends to work with detailed spatial settings of imaginary
lands. Creating of new maps is an essential part of fantasy genre. Thus the story of LOTR
can be followed step by step on a map of the Middle Earth which is part of the book.
In LOTR the role of language is an outstanding one. Apart from naming new
creatures and new places, Tolkien develops brand new languages. Lingua franca of Middle
Earth is Common speech represented by English, naturally. However, Tolkien as a linguist
pays a lot of attention to languages of specific races, such as elves, dwarfs, ents or orcs. He
creates whole language systems and uses them as a way of characterization of the heroes:
The languages of various land and races have specific qualities and can or cannot be used
by others. For instance, the language of the elves is intrinsically good and melodic and
cannot be used by orcs or other servants of evil. In contrast, the Black speech is harsh and
heavy apt for giving brutal orders.
To sum it up, language is important for Tolkien both as the narrator and the linguist.
Likewise, language plays a significant role in Harry Potter stories. It is used as a
powerful tool in form of spells among the wizards. Rowling creates whole set of spells and
magical formulas. She derived them mostly from Latin. For example, Lumos (light), Nox
(night, darkness), Immobilus (for petrifying somebody) or Fera Vert (fera means beast,
vert, re means to turn; the spell for turning a beast into a goblet). For her magic world
the expression power of words is appropriate because wizards can master the supernatural
and magical elements only through words. In the opinion of Evans, even Tolkien
understands the magic in this way:
Gandalf is the artist working with words, with the imagination, to affect the lives of created
beings.42
42
33
Lyrical language
Another point closely connected to language which fantasy borrowed from fairy
tales is usage of lyrical folk forms such as songs and poems. They are often used in fairy
tales either in versed form:
Hocus, pocus, through the window, swish!
Take me, bed, wherever I wish!43
or
Fee fi fo fum
I smell the blood of a Christian man!
Be he dead or living, I pledge my word,
To dash hi brains out with my sword!44
Or in plain text:
Open, open, Green Hill, ale let us come out!45
Tolkien retells legends in form of songs and poems either to evoke the notion of
historical depth as in the song of Beren and Lthien 46 or Erendil the Mariner47 or to
43
The Enchanted prince. Scandinavian fairy tales, 190
44
Roland and Helen. English fairy tales, 49
45
Ibid. 50
46
Tolkien. LOTR, 187
47
Ibid. 227
34
express the love of language of the elves or hobbits. The love of oral and written poetic art
is for Tolkien one of the ways of distinguish good races from the evil ones orcs have
neither legends nor songs. In contrast, the elves gather their wisdom in songs and stories.
Not surprisingly, Tolkien as a linguist emphasizes the power of words throughout the story.
As Evans points out, he shows
the close connections between words and basic human desires in stories of magic and
magical incantations where, if the right words are spoken in the right way, reality will be
revealed according to the speakers wish. Words are put in contact with the elemental
forces.48
Strictly speaking, this argument can be applied to Rowlings stories too.
To sum it up, language shows up in LOTR and Harry Potter stories in various ways
the language itself characterized by generalized style, natural imaginary a fairy tale
framing phrases; creative approach to language in inventing place and personal names; and
language stressing the emotional power of words in retold legends, song and poems which
are part of the culture of the created world.
Magical objects
Another point that makes fairy tales distinct among other genres of fiction is
existence and usage of magical objects as an essential part of the narration. These items
represent the old human desire for something they cannot achieve, for instance invisibility,
immortality, fast traveling, limitless power over other creatures; or understanding animals.
48
35
There is a great variety of magical things; most of them cause troubles as well as help the
hero magical beans show Jack the way to another world but also let him meet a
dangerous giant; a wonderful lamp brings wealth and love of a princess to Aladdin but at
the same time puts his life in danger. In fact, it depends on the owner of the enchanted
object whether he/she uses it for good or evil purposes. One can use as well as abuse the
invisibility cloak, the seven league boots, magical mirror, even the cloth that prepares food.
Sometimes the hero is deprived of the magical object eventually so that the moral message
of the story could be that life without magic is also possible and valuable.
Of course, there are fairy tales where the magical objects are totally absent. This
lack of supernatural features is not a deadly sin of the genre. A good fairy tale can function
even without magic: Little Red Riding Hood, Jack sells the cow; or Emperors new
clothes. Nevertheless, it is magic which makes the stories more interesting and thrilling for
it opens new unexpected storylines and twists in the plot.
LOTR is described as a story with supernatural elements, but there is less sorcery
than one expects:
There is little that is absolutely magical or numinous within his trilogy: it is only in
relation to our world that Middle Earth is supernatural as we have defined the term. The
ultimate powers of Good and Evil that we are told are behind the wizards and the Dark
Lord Sauron never appear; the magical Rings, the One, the Three and the Nine, were
originally forged by elvish craft (the emphasis is much more on superlative natural skill
than on the purely supernatural) in Eregion; and the Nazgl, the wraith-like Black Riders,
were once human kings who were enslaved by Sauron and the power of the Nine Rings.49
49
Manlove. Modern Fantasy, 166 - 7
36
Similarly, David Harvey does not agree with the exact term magic in LOTR:
Frankly, I dislike the use of the term "magic" applied to Middle-earth. With very few
exceptions, the major characters do not practise magic as I have defined it [magic as a
strong belief in a spirit world, communication or invocation of which could result in
changes to established natural patterns]. Gandalf uses his knowledge to develop truly
glorious fireworks, and is able to control fire, and declares himself as the servant of the
Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor to the Balrog. The Elves also have powers that
are greater than those of mortals. The answer to the problem, I think, lies in an
understanding of the issue of power and the levels of power that there are within Middle-
earth. This takes us, once again, to the issue of the Two Worlds, and the ability of Elves to
pass between and be aware of the physical and spiritual realms as separate but co-existing
realities.
If one is to look for a word other than "magic" to describe the mystical or "magic-like"
attributes of items in Middle-earth, the word "virtue" is most apt. I do not mean virtue as
valour, worth, merit or moral perfection. I mean it as the embodiment of power or
operative influence in a supernatural or divine being, or as a particular quality that things
may have.50
To summarize, Tolkien stresses the natural powers rather than magic arts and
crafts of different races as well as beauty and purity of nature which also shows its might
(for instance, when ents who are the living trees release river and flood the evil wizards
tower). What is more, magic is rarely considered wonderful or exciting among the peoples
of Middle Earth except for the hobbits. Because they are as inexperienced as the reader is
50
Harvey: One Ring to rule them all
37
they find it thrilling to meet the Elves and wizards who seem to them to be like the heroes
of old tales. This attitude is aptly expressed in a meeting of the hobbits Sam and Frodo
with the Elven queen Galadriel:
I fancy now that she [Galadriel] could do some wonderful things, if she had a mind. Id
dearly love to see some Elf-magic, Mr. Frodo! Ive often wanted to see a bit of magic
like what it tells of in old tales. 51
For this [mirror of Galadriel] is what your folk would call magic, I believe; though I do
not understand clearly what they mean; and they seem to use the same word of the deceits
of the Enemy. But this, if you will, is the magic of Galadriel. 52
Magical objects and magic itself (seen form the point of view of the hobbits) involved in
the story are not used accidentally and fit into the natural laws of Middle Earth entirely.
The most obvious enchanted item is the Ring itself. The motif of ring is often used
not only in fairy tales. It is a symbol of love and eternity. It can also function as an emblem
of authority or hereditary possession. In fairy tales rings can stand for various magical
powers, for example, ring as an object which can instantly grant anything its owner wish
for (Czech series Arabela by Milo Macourek, Bronze King53) or a gift of the good fairy,
which pricks its owners finger whenever he is doing any evil deed (Prince Darling54).
In LOTR, there are twenty rings; their importance is obvious from a rhyming at the
beginning of the book:
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
51
Tolkien. LOTR, 352
52
Ibid. 353
53
Lang. Blue Fairy book
54
Ibid.
38
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the land of Mordor where Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them,
In the land of Mordor where Shadows lie.
However, only the One Ring appears to be magical because it can make its bearer invisible
when on finger. Apart from this, the rings have no obvious magical power the dwarf rings
were given into the treasures of dwarf kings, Elven rings preserve timelessness of the place
where the elves live and mens rings made slave of their masters. One Ring can control all
the other ones and stands for the embodiment of evil and concentration of Saurons power.
It can not be wielded by anyone else than the Dark Lord and tempts every character which
comes to encounter it. The ones who give in to these temptations are driven mad and
become the slaves of the Ring, for instance Gollum or Denethor. On the other hand, those
who resist show their moral qualities and are rewarded (Sam, Faramir).
The other talisman of power and magical object in LOTR is the Palantir, a seeing
stone. Palantir is a globe of crystal, dark but glowing with a heart of fire.55 It serves for
communication between distant places. Palantiri were also called stones of wizardry and
were placed in towers of various kingdoms of Middle Earth (Palantir of Orthanc, Palantir
of White Tower). They were made and used for sheer practical reasons until the war began
and they were abused when taken by the enemy. However, palantir is in the plot not treated
as a wonder or an extraordinary item of sorcery.
55
Tolkien. LOTR, 569
39
What could be considered more magic-like is the phial of Galadriel. When the
Fellowship met the queen of Lorien she gave to every one of them a gift. Frodo as a Ring-
bearer was given the Elven light:
For you I have prepared this. She held up a small crystal phial: it glittered as she moved
it, and rays of white light sprang from her hand. In this phial, she said, is caught the
light of Erendils star, set amid the waters of my fountain. It will shine still brighter when
night is about you. May it be a light to you in dark place, when all other lights go out.56
Later, in a cave where a terrible giant spider dwells Frodo uses the gift:
Slowly his hand went to his bosom, and slowly he held aloft the Phial of Galadriel. For a
moment it glimmered, faint as a rising star struggling in heavy eastward mists, and then as
its power waxed, and hope grew in Frodos mind, it began to burn, and kindled to a silver
flame, a minute heart of dazzling light, as though Erendil had himself come down from
the high sunset paths with the last Silmaril upon his brow. The darkness receded from it,
until it seemed to shine in the centre of a globe of airy crystal, and the hand that held it
sparkled with white fire.
Frodo gazed in wonder at this marvelous gift that he had so long carried, not guessing its
full worth and potency.57
With its sudden and amazing effect it can be considered as the magical object, however
there is a great deal of hope and strength of its master involved hence it is not purely
magical item.
56
Ibid. 367
57
Tolkien. LOTR, 704
40
Probably, the most magical thing in LOTR is Gandalfs staff. It is an emblem of his
authority and position in his order as well as his weapon. He uses it rarely as a source of
magic for in the War of the Ring Gandalf is more of a fighter. However, his sorcery makes
him stronger, more powerful and ready to face the supernatural evil (Nazgls or the ancient
daemon Balrog).
All in all, LOTR being a work of fantasy contains some enchanted elements;
nonetheless, the fact that they are magical is not necessary for the plot the Ring is not in
the centre of the story because it is magical but because it must be destroyed. Tolkien
shapes the character of his magic as a helper or servant of living creatures. He also stresses
the fact that all the magical things were made once in contrast with fairy tale where the
reader never gets to know how they come to be. Agreeably, Harvey said that magic is not
the right word for expressing the powers of Middle Earth:
Although it may seem that there is magic in Middle-earth, there are degrees of virtue and
power vested in characters and beings that allow them to achieve certain goals that are
not within the natural order of things. Magic may be a convenient word, but it is, in my
view, too loose, and carries incorrect and unfortunate connotations. 58
While in LOTR is magic subordinate to living creatures and their skills, in Harry
Potter stories it is an essential part of the narration. The story is set in the world of wizards
and witches where magic functions as every day reality. Rowling distinguish two types of
people wizards and muggles. Her as well as readers sympathy is ultimately on the side
of wizards. Muggles (those who cannot practise sorcery) are depicted mostly as ignorant,
intolerant and dull primitives who are not enough heedful to notice that there is also
58
Harvey. One Ring to rule them all
41
another world apart from the one they live in. The wizards are portrayed in far more
favourable way yet Rowling implies in their culture problems of our own civilization, such
as racism, slavery or violence.
An interesting authors invention is the Mirror of Erised the magical mirror which
reflects the deeper desires of the heart (Erised is reversed of Desire). The roots of the motif
go probably to the speaking fairy tale mirror showing what the owner wants to see used for
instance in Show White:
Mirror, mirror, in my hand,
Who is the fairest in the land?
Fair there be both near and far,
But queen, of them you the fairest are.59
By showing profound longings of the person adds Rowling an interesting layer to her
heroes character Harrys greatest desire is to meet his parents, Ron wants to win a
Quidditch match; and Dumbledore longs for a pair of warm socks.
In LOTR the motif of the magical mirror appears too. The queen Galadriel has a
gift of foreseeing things in a small pool which is called the Mirror of Galadriel. There she
shows to Frodo the consequences of his failing the task.
As well as Tolkien, Rowling uses existing fund of folktale motifs in her narration
appear invisibility cloak, magical wands, brooms or the philosophers stone. Furthermore,
she invents a lot of enchanted items for her magical reality. Thanks to these detailed
innovations the story is more believable because it gives the picture of complete alternative
reality. Rowling deals with magical school items (students of Hogwarts write with quills on
59
The Treasury of Fairy stories, 10
42
parchments, their basic equipment are wands; and in their free time they play Quidditch
flying on their brooms), household itinerary (spells are used for knitting, washing dishes,
cleaning the table or serving the plates), ways of traveling (flying on brooms, using
Portkeys or the net of fireplaces with the Floo-powder) or various magical inventions and
improvements, such as a Howler (type of letter with sound effects), a Sneakscope (a device
which reveals a dishonest person); and photographs, paintings and books with their
pictures in motion.
Magic and magical objects play a significant role in the world of Harry Potter.
However, they appear to be exciting and extraordinary only to a stranger, such as Harry or
the hobbits in LOTR. For the rest of the characters they are part of reality as well as for the
heroes of LOTR.
Supernatural creatures
There is a great variety of supernatural creatures appearing in traditional fairy tales.
Many of them have been modified and transferred into other literary genres, such as horror
stories (vampires, ghosts, werewolves) or romances (princesses, knights). Fantasy also uses
the fund of fairy tale creatures for its imaginary settings.
It is hard to trace the origins of the more or less believable creatures which sprang
from human imagination. Some of them have their probable roots in superstitions and
irrational fears, such as vampires, house elves, ghosts, specters or speaking animals.
Another probable source of the fictional fauna could be medieval bestiaries which enlisted
not only real animals but also strange mutants and legendary beings, for instance unicorns,
dragons, centaurs, sirens or the phoenix.
43
While in fairy tales are supernatural creatures used mostly to terrify, in fantasy they
widen the variety of the inhabitants of the created alternative reality.
One of the main ideas of Tolkiens LOTR is the idea of friendship, tolerance and respect
among peoples of Middle Earth. Similarly, Rowling deals with the issue of cooperation
between different races. She also poses a question of purity of race by including the feature
of pure-blood wizards despising half-blood and muggle-born wizards in the story.
At this point, I want to concentrate on specific examples of supernatural creatures
of LOTR and Harry Potter stories and their relationships with the traditional fairy tales.
First, I am going to focus on the evil creatures:
Dragons
One of the typical fairy tale monsters is a dragon. Etymologically, the word comes
from Latin draco which means a serpent, dragon and is derived from Greek drakon (drak
to see clearly) with a possible literal sense the one with the deadly glance. Dragons are
big and dangerous; they usually breathe fire and feed on princesses. A precise description
of a dragon gives Rowling in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when Harry faces the first
task in the Triwizard Tournament:
And there was the Horntail, at the other end of the enclosure, crouched low over her clutch
of eggs, her wings half-furled, her evil, yellow eyes upon him, a monstrous, scaly, black
lizard thrashing her spiked tail, heaving yard-long gouge marks in the hard ground.60
60
Rowling. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
44
In fairy tales, dragons are often used as an obstacle the hero has to overcome (i. e.
kill) to become a king, for instance in The Dragon of the North 61 or The Story of Sigurd.62
Motif of killing a dragon appeared also in myths and legends as well as in heroic epic
(Beowulf); Propp suggests that in western culture it might be derived from the popular
folktale of the fight of St. George with the dragon.63
Trolls
Another monster is a troll. The label is derived from Old Norwich troll giant,
fiend or from Old German truzlan the one who walks clumsily. There is no unified
definition what a troll is a dictionary says it is a giant or a mischievous dwarf;64 a troll
can have three heads and be carnivorous as in the Norwegian fairy tale The Cat and the
Troll65 or can be depicted as a hard-working dwarf who is on good terms with the villagers
as in The trolls beer.66
Tolkien employs trolls in The Hobbit already. Similarly as in The Cat and the
Troll, his trolls turn into stone when touched by sunshine.
On the contrary, Rowling does not mention this feature of trolls and focuses on
their primitiveness and stupidity:
Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite grey, its great lumpy body like a boulder with
its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It has short legs thick as tree trunks with
61
Lang. Yellow Fairy book
62
Lang. Red Fairy book
63
Propp. Transformace kouzelnch pohdek
64
65
Scandinavian Fairy tales, 136 - 46
66
Ibid. 181 - 5
45
flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden
club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.67
Obviously, trolls are not as perilous as dragons, yet they are not very pleasant
companions.
Orcs
Next evil creature appearing in both fairy tales and fantasy literature is an orc.
According to an etymological dictionary it is a word of unknown origin with the nearest
connections to Latin word orcus which means hell. Orcs are usually seen in a negative
light, however Tolkiens and Rowlings attitude towards them differ in LOTR are orcs
represent the servants of evil and are closely tied to the imaginary of hell, in Potter they
were given the responsibility and control over money and treasures in a wizard bank:
A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall.
About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling
in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through
eyeglasses.68
Ghosts and wraiths
A special category can be established for ghosts, specters and wraiths of all kinds.
In fairy tales, they function in two ways they are either an ominous sign of future event;
or they carry message or advice of a dead beloved person (mother, father).

67
68
46
In LOTR, wraiths are doomed servants of the Ring of Power who seek the Ring-
bearer. Apart from that, Tolkien goes back to the myth of a living mans journey through
underworld known from ancient mythology (Orpheus and Eurydice) - he let Aragorn meet
the army of the dead who have to fight on behalf of the rightful king to regain their honour
and break the curse:
Then Isildur said to their king: Thou shalt be the last king. And if the West prove
mightier than thy Black Master, this curse I lay upon thee and thy folk: to rest never until
your oath is fulfilled. You shall be summoned once again ere the end. And they fled
before the wrath of Isildur; and they hid themselves in secret places in the mountains and
had no dealings with other men, but slowly dwindled in the barren hills.69
The motif of the curse which has to be broken by doing a good turn is also known from
fairy tales, for instance, a wise cat who helps Jack is a bewitched prince.70
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, there is a specter too. It is not a typical
ghost it is a memory of Lord Voldemort in a shape of thirteen-year old boy which
preserved in his diary. It is capable of possessing and controlling a childs mind, which he
proves on Rons sister Ginny who under Voldemorts command attempts to kill Harry.
Apart from the evil one, there are also quite nice ghosts in Rowlings reality. They
live in Hogwarts castle and help students occasionally.
It is evident, that Rowling uses traditionally negative and scary creatures in a
slightly different way than fairy tales do. In her version, the dragons are endangered
species, orcs assimilated the human community and ghosts are used as mascots of
69
Tolkien. LOTR, 765
70
The Cat and the Troll. Scandinavian Fairy tales, 136 - 46
47
Hogwarts colleges. As far as Tolkien is concerned, he uses the evil creatures in a traditional
black and white way.
Except for the negative creatures, there are also ones that stand on the side of the
good:
Dwarfs
Both in fairy tales and fantasy are dwarfs presenting as guardians of the treasures
beneath the earth, skillful craftsmen and miners (Snow White, The Trolls Beer,
LOTR).The word dwarf has its roots in Old English (dweorh something tiny).
As for Rowling, there is the most significant shift in her treating with the traditional
motif in Harry Potter books, dwarfs are called gnomes and are portrayed as a species of
garden vermin. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry and Ron are discussing
the differences between a muggle notion of gnomes and the magical reality:
Muggles have garden gnomes, too, you know, Harry told Ron as they crossed the lawn.
Yeah, Ive seen those things they think are gnomes, said Ron like fat little Santa
Clauses with fishing rods This is a gnome, he said grimly.
It was certainly nothing like Santa Clause. It was small and leathery looking, with a large,
knobby, bald head exactly like a potato.71
Dwarfs are beings with long folklore tradition as well as the elves are:
71
Rowling. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
48
Elves
Elves are the essential part of the mythology of British Isles. The word itself is of
unknown origin; however, it has probably some connections to Old English elf, aelf
(white). The creatures come from a Teutonic mythology apparently and undergo an
interesting development in British literature. Floris Delattre describes elves as supernatural
creatures teasing and worrying people, living in woods, dancing on meadows and
sometimes helping with household duties.72 This notion of his matches with the conception
of elves as tiny creatures presented for instance in Shakespeares Midsummer Nights
Dream.
Rowling uses the feature of the elves helping with household tasks and creates a
character of Dobby the house-elf, who clumsily helps Harry against Voldemort in the
second part of the series.
On the other hand, there is Tolkiens vision of the elves as noble, wise, beautiful
and immortal beings. Elvess past in LOTR is heavily sentimentalized and shapes the
historical layer of the story. This level of narration also resembles medieval heroic
romances the Elven princess Arwen falls in love with the mortal man Aragorn; and the
court of the Elven queen Galadriel and king Celeborn of Lothlrien looks like the court of
Camelot. Elves are the key creatures for Tolkien they provide LOTR with subtle beauty
of a fading world and historical depth.
Traditional creatures
As for other supernatural creatures with long tradition, Rowling inhabited her
magical reality with unicorns and centaurs (both of which are living in the forest near
72
Delattre. English Fairy Poetry
49
Hogwarts), the phoenix (which is a Dumbledores pet); or a three-headed dog (called
Fluffy domesticated by Hagrid) reminding of the ancient guard of the gate to the
underworld Kerberos.
Hobbits
In contrast to the established beings, Tolkien creates some of his own. Evidently,
his best invention is a hobbit. At the beginning of LOTR puts Tolkien a whole chapter
about hobbits so that the readers who are not acquainted with The Hobbit get to know them
thoroughly.
Hobbits are an unobtrusive but very ancient people, more numerous formerly than they are
today; they are a little people, smaller than Dwarves: less stout and stocky. Their
height is variable, ranging between two and four feet of our measure.73
Apart from their physical appearances, he mentions their history, customs and architecture.
Most of all, hobbits remind one of a peasant who is content with his warm fireplace and
cup of tea. Because hobbits practice no sorcery they are the closest creatures to the reader
who is inexperienced to the same degree as they are.
Tolkien also often stresses that even that they are no full-grown warriors they are
useful and indispensable in the plot. For instance, when Merry the hobbit helps to kill the
wizard king of Angmar who according to a prophecy cannot be killed by a living man:
The small hobbit came along at the right moment in history for his task.74
73
Tolkien. LOTR, 1
74
50
He also points out that hobbits may seem as a people with simple desires and no
spectacular virtues; still, when there is need, they are ready to prove their worthiness and
resilience.
Ents
The result of Tolkiens love for trees is another invented creature of his bestiary
tree shepherds called ents. The author made them one of the oldest inhabitants of Middle
Earth created by the nature-loving goddess Yavanna. He also divided all living beings into
two groups kelvar and olvar; and established ents the guardians of olvar beings that
cannot move. A typical example of an ent is Treebeard who is met by Merry and Pippin:
They found that they were looking at a most extraordinary face. It belonged to a large
Man-like, almost Troll-like, figure, at least fourteen foot high, very sturdy, with a tall head,
and hardly any neck. Whether it was clad in stuff like green and grey bark, or whether that
was its hide, was difficult to say. The lower part of the long face was covered with a
sweeping grey beard, bushy, almost twiggy at the roots, thin and mossy at the ends.75
Ents are representatives of the powers of nature which in Tolkiens work have dominion
over the mechanics and technologies.
75
Tolkien. LOTR, 452
51
Wizards
Characteristically, wizards in fairy tales serve as villains. They usually kidnap a
beautiful princess, keep her in a distant tower or castle and try to eliminate the valiant
knights who want to rescue her. Conversely, Tolkien introduces an order of wizards who
were sent to Middle Earth as its guardians. There were three of them Saruman the White
(the head of the order), Gandalf the Grey and Radagast the Brown. However, after some
time, Saruman grew too proud and began to desire power embodied in the One Ring. His
treason was punished by expelling him of the order. Gandalf became the head and a
dignified opponent of both Sauron and Saruman. Tolkiens wizards are wise and very old.
Still, their magic is more of a craft and understanding natural elements than using spells
and searching for immortality.
To return to Harry Potter stories, Rowlings conception of wizards is quite different
they are neither very old nor scarce as in LOTR. There is a whole population of wizards
and witches which is built on the parallel principles as our own society. Thus there is a
school for wizardry and witchcraft where spells, making potions and defense against black
magic is taught; there is a Ministry of Magic and a valid magical currency Knuts and
Sicles. In her point of view, wizards are normal people only they use their wands and
spells to make life easier.
In conclusion, there are a great number of supernatural creatures both in fairy tale
and fantasy literature. Because they are mostly of folklore origin, they have simplified
characteristics and can be divided into the good and the evil ones. As a result of the deeply
rooted notion of them, they usually keep their features also in the genre they are transferred
to. However, Rowling tries to show some of them in unexpected roles, for example orcs as
bank managers. This innovations and experiments of hers, which can be seen as one of
52
necessary elements of topical challenging the genre of fairy tale, bring fresh air in the stiff
traditional fairy stories environment.
Conclusion
All in all, fairy tale elements appear in LOTR and Potter in various forms they
influenced them structurally, thematically, in terms of characters and language. In some
cases, they are slightly changed (more complicated characteristic, language of naming) and
in others remain the same (happy endings, strict definitions of good and evil).
Owing to mentioned examples, it is apparent that fairy tale elements are used with
the same intention in LOTR and Harry Potter stories as in folktales. Their function is to
enrich the plot, make it unpredictable and by exaggerated examples show virtues and vices
of our own world terrible monsters are only the personification of abstract evil, brutality,
violence and cruelty of everyday reality. On the other hand, the perfect valiant heroes have
the ability to reaffirm the faith of the readers that despite its dark side, the world is good
and worth fighting for.
After the brief insight into the genres of fairy tale and fantasy focusing on the two
pieces of fiction mentioned in the title, there is time to reconsider the posed questions and
offer some satisfactory answers.
Do we live in a disenchanted world full of muggles? In comparison to simpler and
idealized imaginary lands of fantasy authors, our reality may seem grey, over mechanized
and overcrowded. However, there are ways of improving our senses so that we could feel
the beauty behind the things; there are ways of changing oneself. Neubauer dedicates his
essay to the happiest who went through Tolkiens trilogy and returned changed. 76 He
76
Toto zamylen je ureno tm nejastnjm. Tm, kdo proli Tolkienovou trilogi, ocitli se v jejm svt a
kdo se vrtili promnni. Tm, kdo vykonali cestu tam a zase zptky. (Neubauer, 2)
53
viewed reading of good fantasy literature as an initiation which as the rituals of old
cultures brings the reader to deeper sensual experience and moral maturity.77 Thus, after
reading LOTR or Harry Potter stories one can find magic in our world too.
Are there any skillful story tellers left and are their modern fairy tales any good? As
far as this question is concerned, the popularity of LOTR and Potter should be mentioned.
In both cases, the authors managed to create a consistent universe, a new mythology with
lots of characters and rules of their own. And there is a large audience and readership
which accept them and admire them. In my opinion, this proves the quality of both, the
author and the story.
As for the readers of modern fantasy they bring a valuable sacrifice to the story
their time. Thanks to good stories it is not wasted. And they find out that the real world
also consists of stories eventually and then live happily ever after.
Czech Summary/ Shrnut
Clem tto prce je seznmit vs s pohdkovmi prvky uvanmi ve dvou titulech
modern fantasy literatury v Pnu prsten J. R. R. Tolkiena a Harrym Potterovi J. K.
Rowlingov.
V vodu jsou nastoleny otzky tkajc se modernch pohdek jejich kvality,
zrunosti autor i pbuznosti s jinmi literrnmi nry.
Prce se dle zabv podrobnj definic pohdky, jej histori v 19. a 20. stolet a
zejmna jejmi vazbami na nr fantasy, kter z n z velk mry vychz. Dle je prostor
77
Neubauer, 12
54
vnovn definici fantasy erpajc hlavn z publikace C. N. Manlovea Modern Fantasy a
charakteristickm znakm tohoto typu literatury.
Od obecnch zsad a tradic zmiovanch literrnch nr se dostvme ke
konkrtnm dlm prce obsahuje pevyprvn zpletky obou titul, jimi se zabv a
tak zkladn daje o jejich vydn, pijet teni i kritikou a jejich vlivem.
V dal sekci se u vnuji konkrtnm pohdkovm prvkm, kter se objevuj
v Pnu prsten a knkch o Harrym Potterovi: struktue vyprvn formou vpravy
(quest), zpsobu len dobra a zla, tradinm i netradinm hrdinm, jazyku vyprvn,
kouzelnm pedmtm a nadpirozenm stvoenm. Kad podkapitola je uvedena
tradinm vskytem onoho prvku v pohdkch, kter je potom srovnvm s uitm u
Tolkiena a Rowlingov.
V zvru prce se pokoum zodpovdt otzky poloen v vodu a zdraznit
kvalitu nru fantasy, kter mnohdy svrznou formou pivd pohdky nebo jejich prvky
zptky do modern literatury a je jejich dstojnm pokraovatelem.
Works Cited
Primary sources
English fairy tales. London: Paul Hamlyn, 1965.
Jacobs, Joseph. Keltsk pohdky. Praha: Ando, 1996.
Lang, Andrew. Blue Fairy book. 2 April 2005.
<http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/LanBlue.html>.
---. Red Fairy book. 2 April 2005.
<http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/LanRedF.html>.
Nmcov, Boena. Velk kniha pohdek. Praha: Albatros, 1985.
55
Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter Book Collection. 25 March 2005.
<C:\profa2.phil.muni.cz\usersdata\74471\dokumenty\Harry_Potter[1]>.
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings. London: Harper Collins Publisher, 2001.
The Treasury of Fairy stories. London: Treasure Press, 1984.
Secondary sources
Black, Sharon. The Magic of Harry Potter: Symbols and Heroes of Fantasy.
Springer Science+Business Media. 4 April 2005.
<http://www.springerlink.com/app/home/contribution.asp?
wasp=353b7f709c254bd8857fc09f94e306bd&referrer=parent&backto=issue,4,5;journal,7,
33;linkingpublicationresults,1:104754,1> .
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1976.
DuBois, Tom, Mellor, Scott. The Nordic roots of Tolkien's middle earth.
Scandinavian Review (New York) (90:1) Summer 2002, 35-40.
Evans, Robley. J. R. R. Tolkien. New York: Warner Paperback Library, 1972.
Grant, John. Gulliver unravels: generic fantasy and the loss of subversion.
Extrapolation (Kent State Univ., Kent, OH) Spring 2000, 21-27.
Harvey, David. One Ring to rule them all. The Tolkien Encyclopedia.
20 October 1995. 4 April 2005. <http://www.tolkienonline.de/etep/ring_toc.html>.
Manlove, C. N. The Impulse of Fantasy Literature. London: The Macmillan Press,
1983.
Manlove, C. N. Modern Fantasy. Five Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1975.
Miller, Karl. Harry and the pot of gold. Raritan: a quarterly review (Rutgers Univ.,
New Brunswick, NJ) Winter 2001, 132-140.
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Neubauer, Zdenk. Do svta na zkuenou ili O cestch tam a zase zptky.
Roversk kmen 22 (2001): enclosure.
Propp, Vladimir Jakovlevi. Historick koeny kouzeln pohdky. Morfologie
pohdky a jin studie. Pel. Miroslav ervenka. Jinoany: H&H, 1999.
Propp, Vladimir Jakovlevi. Morfologie pohdky. Morfologie pohdky a jin
studie. Pel. Miroslav ervenka. Jinoany: H&H, 1999.
Sellers, Susan. Myth and Fairy Tale in Contemporary Womens Fiction.
Basingstoke: Palsgrave, 2001.
Strimel, Courtney B. The Politics of Terror: Rereading Harry Potter. Springer
Science+Business Media. 4 April 2005.
<http://www.springerlink.com/app/home/contribution.asp?
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Sullivan, C. W., III. Folklore and fantastic literature. Western Folklore (California
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Masaryk University in Brno

Department of English and American Studies

Fairy tale elements in J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings

and J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter stories

Supervisor: doc. Mgr. Milada Frankov, CSc., M.A.

listed in the bibliography.

If we are not like children we wont enter.1

invisibility cloak, magical mirror).

new fairy tales by putting the motifs in a combination.

Detailed description and definition of the genre provides J. R. R. Tolkien in his

ourselves, mortal men, when we are enchanted.

Realm or upon its shadowy marches.5

heritage was a part of literary/cultural enlightenment in most European countries. Among

appear (written for instance by Oscar Wilde).

century was written in the form of fairy tale.

Fantasy as an independent genre is a recent invention. It was long considered to be

an inferior part of science-fiction literature. According to a dictionary, fantasy in literature

is an imaginative or fanciful work, especially one dealing with supernatural or unnatural

least partly familiar terms.7

genre? Do they fit Manloves definition?

historical events of our world. It contain an irreducible element of the supernatural

Similarly, Harry Potter is undoubtedly a fictional story even though it is sometimes

realities or projected futures. However, it is heavily influenced by folklore motifs and

fantasy in his article:

are examined in Manloves Impulse of Fantasy Literature:

eternally co-present with this one.9

being and shows love for ordinary items:

men, when we are enchanted.10

The Lord of the Rings

and The Return of the King (1955).

here contains a lot of subtler motifs, themes and levels of meaning:

inspiration. As Zdenk Neubauer in his essay Do svta na zkuenou mentions, LOTR

fantastic novels of the end of 19th century (W. Morris, E. R. Edison).12

LOTR is considered to be one of the founding stones of the genre of modern

enclosed in almost every English edition of LOTR:

New York Times since 1950s.

birthday he is told by a stranger that he is a wizard and is transported to a mysterious castle

returns to the Dursleys for another horrible holidays.

or gloomy Scottish landscape).

Harry Potter is among fantasy literature.

the texts which make it a valuable piece of fantasy literature.

the two genres.

There and back again

comes back to the Shire after destroying the Ring.

relationship to people and his homeland.

again and The Lord of the Rings respectively.16

peculiar feature by the people as in case of Bilbo Baggins:

stuffed with treasure.17

former hospitality and cheerfulness. He himself feels that he is changed forever:

supernatural creatures in one of them:

fairy tales as one of their source:

the simplicity of the form.20

courageous the hero must be.

dragons, wild beasts, vampires, werewolves, living deads and so on.

wise, courageous, unselfish and always ready to face the enemy.

presentation. He alone is a mystery; he alone draws us, is felt as a presence, as nothing

else in The Lord of the Rings.21

essentially escapist, nor fugitive. In its fairy-taleor otherworldsetting, it is a

existence of dyscatastrophe, of sorrow and failure: the possibility of these is necessary to

the world, poignant as grief.22

alive and rescues him from the tower full of orcs.

lidless eye which from the distance watches what is happening.

eventually which brings him on the good side.