The Influence of the Christian faith on J.R.R. Tolkien's works

Note: This article was first published (in Romanian) in the online science-fiction journal Galaxia 42: Influența religiei creștine asupra operei lui J.R.R. Tolkien

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Professor, by Kimberly

The influence of Christianity on the Middle-earth universe, described in J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, is undeniable, for the author was a devout Catholic Christian. Perhaps some readers and cinephiles will be surprised by this observation, given the apparent lack of any religious cult or practices within the renowned The Lord of the Rings trilogy; with the exception of a few blessings that allude to the Valar. The author himself stated in one of his letters that:

“The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is why I have not put in, or have cut out practically all references to anything like 'religion,' to cults or practices, in the imaginary world. For the religious element is absorbed into the story and symbolism.”

You will see along the way that it is not at all difficult to recognize certain elements of the Christian myth within this «legendarium» – perhaps you have already glimpsed some of them! I will focus mainly on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as it is J.R.R. Tolkien’s most famous work, and on the author’s correspondence and interviews, but I will also occasionally refer to The Silmarillion.

Dio Padre, byCima da Conegliano

In an interview given in 1968, later published in The Telegraph, Tolkien emphasized that although the events of the three volumes take place in an imaginary pre-Christian era, his legendarium is monotheistic. When asked who exactly is “the One God of Middle-earth” [1], Tolkien replied:

“The One, of course! The book is about the world that God created—the actual world of this planet.”

So there is no doubt that, in Tolkien’s mind, the demiurge of Middle-earth, called Eru or Ilúvatar (meaning «the All-father») was not a distinct fictional entity, but rather the literary equivalent of the God of the Abrahamic religions – Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

After the Creation of the World, Eru delegated authority and regency to the Lords of the West, the Valar—angelic beings of the highest order; we are told that among the Valar, “Manwë is dearest to Ilúvatar and understands most clearly his purposes”. However, this does not mean that the demiurge does not involve himself in the events of Middle-earth, especially at key moments:

“The Other Power then took over: the Writer of the Story (by which I do not mean myself), 'that one ever-present Person who is never absent and never named'.”

Ilúvatar’s interventions include:
• The blessing of Aulë’s creation of the Dwarves (the smith Vala), to whom he gave souls before adopting them; Eru performed a similar act in the case of the Ents, the shepherds of the trees, at the request of Yavanna (Aulë’s wife and the Vala equivalent of Mother Nature).
•

Downfall of Numenor, by Edvige Faini

The Númenórean Catastrophe: Facing the immense armada of the Númenóreans, who, “led by Sauron, might have ruined even Valinor itself”, the Valar pleaded with Eru to intervene. Then a chasm opened in the sea, swallowing the entire Númenórean fleet, while a great wave crashed down upon their island, submerging it; the Faithful Númenóreans were able to escape the disaster in their ships, driven by a west wind toward Middle-earth. Not even the Dark Lord escaped the demiurge’s wrath: Sauron was caught by the destroying wave, and “the fair form in which he had done so much evil” was destroyed as well; as divine punishment, Sauron would never again be able to take a fair shape, only monstrous ones. The entire scene is comparable to the biblical story of Noah’s Ark and the Flood, but Tolkien’s version also carries echoes of the Atlantis myth.
• The Changing of the World: As a result of the Númenórean catastrophe, Eru reshaped the World: the Earth was no longer flat but became round, and Aman (the land of the Valar across the Sea) was removed from the visible sphere of mortals—only the Elves could henceforth find the way to the West.
• The Resurrection of Gandalf: The wizard himself tells the Three Hunters (Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli) when he meets them that he has been “sent back” [3] to complete his mission. Of course, Gandalf does not reveal to readers or viewers who exactly sent him back—some have assumed it was the Valar. Tolkien, however, clarifies in one of his letters that this was one of Eru’s interventions, that of the supreme “Authority” of Middle-earth.

Statue of Hades and Cerberus from Assassin's Creed: Odyssey

Surely, some might now wonder how truly monotheistic Tolkien’s imaginary world can be, given the presence of the Valar. Admittedly, they form a kind of pantheon, and the influence of Greco-Roman mythology in the shaping of these characters cannot be denied. For instance, the ancient gods Hephaestus–Vulcan, Poseidon–Neptune, Ares–Mars, and Hades–Pluto have direct counterparts in Tolkien’s work: Aulë, Ulmo, Tulkas, and Mandos, respectively. Others have also pointed out the influence of Germanic mythology as a source of inspiration for some of the Valar. Thus, Tulkas, the strongest among the Valar, is said to be based on mighty Thor, the most powerful of the Æsir (the Norse gods) and bearer of the hammer Mjölnir. Even within the imaginary universe itself, some inhabitants of Middle-earth—particularly among Men—refer to the Valar as «gods» (a term occasionally used by the author as well). However, as theologian Ralph C. Wood pointed out:

“The Valar are not polytheistic divinities but subordinate beings that Ilúvatar has created with the Flame Imperishable of his own Spirit.”

Thus, although they borrow attributes from pagan deities, “the Valar and their lesser attendants” [1] (the Maiar) more closely resemble the angels of Christianity. Indeed, Tolkien himself described these spirits as angelic powers organized in a hierarchy. The Valar could be seen as a literary equivalent of the seraphim and cherubim, while the Maiar are akin to archangels; both groups are further divided into several levels according to their power, knowledge, and respective spheres of influence. (Sauron, for instance, was a being “of the same kind as Gandalf and Saruman, but of a far higher order.” )

Eönwë, by Gerwell

Since we have brought up the Maiar, one of their chiefs, Eönwë, “the banner-bearer and herald of Manwë” [2], can be seen as a kind of hybrid between the Greco-Roman god Hermes–Mercury and the archangel Michael from Christianity: he is both a messenger of the «gods» (the Valar) and a warrior-angel. Tolkien notes that his skill in the use of weapons is unsurpassed. Eönwë is sent with the Host of the West to defeat Morgoth in the Great Battle, much as the archangel Michael leads the host of angels in the celestial war to cast out the Devil and his followers from Paradise.

Theologian Ralph C. Wood also argues that the cosmogonic story presented by Tolkien in The Silmarillion bears a distinctly Abrahamic influence:

“Just as in Genesis, Yahweh [i.e. God] creates in concert with his heavenly court (‘Let us make man in our image’), so does Ilúvatar employ his 15 valar in making the music of the cosmos.”

But where there is God, angels, and a cosmogonic myth, there must, of course, also be a rebel angel to bear the mantle of the Devil. And indeed, in Middle-earth, that mantle is worn in turn by two characters! In one of his letters, Tolkien explains that, like the angelic beings of Christianity, the Valar and the Maiar in his stories were not exempt from temptation and from the possibility of falling:

“But in this ‘mythology’ all the ‘angelic’ powers associated with this world were capable of multiple degrees of error and failure between the absolute satanic rebellion and evil of Morgoth and his satellite Sauron, and the indolence of some other higher powers or  ‘gods’.”

Ainulindale, by Alystraea

Melkor (later known as Morgoth, «the Black Enemy») is the primordial manifestation of the Satanic spirit, being the source of many calamities that befell Men and Elves. Like the Devil in Christianity, he was initially the most powerful of the angels. Yet dissatisfied with his status as a mere creation and coveting the place of the demiurge, he ultimately rebels against his Creator, drawing a portion of the heavenly court into his service. (Sauron and the Balrogs who follow Morgoth are thus comparable to Satan’s retinue of demons.) Bitter that he cannot fashion new beings of his own, creatures that would revere him as «Father» or «Lord», Morgoth’s wounded pride can only be satisfied by the corruption and destruction of Arda, the world created by Eru:

Morgoth, He Who Arises in Might, by Dymond Starr Austin

“Thus, as ‘Morgoth’, when Melkor was confronted by the existence of other inhabitants of Arda, with other wills and intelligences, he was enraged by the mere fact of their existence, and his only notion of dealing with them was by physical force, or the fear of it. His sole ultimate object was their destruction.”

Through this nihilistic obsession, Morgoth once again resembles Satan. In the Gospel of John, it is said regarding the Devil’s intentions that:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”

And just as Lucifer tempts Eve in the Garden of Eden with the Fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, thus creating a rift between the progenitors of humanity and God, Melkor during his years of captivity in Aman uses lies to sow discord between Elves and Valar. I mentioned earlier the expulsion of the Devil from Paradise: in the biblical episode, Satan takes the form of “a great red dragon, having seven heads” (who is defeated by the archangel Michael), while in Tolkien’s story, Morgoth unleashes the Dragon Ancalagon against the Host of the West.

The fall of Morgoth, however, does not mark the end of Satanic presence in Middle-earth, as he is only the “First Enemy”. His successor is Sauron, the eponymous Lord of the Rings, the new embodiment of evil, whom Tolkien himself acknowledged as representing “as near an approach to the wholly evil will as is possible”.

Sauron, by gaiiihal

Of course, Sauron is not a beginner of Satanic rebellion, for in the beginning he was merely Morgoth’s disciple. Yet Sauron represents Lucifer in the role of the tempter—a master of seduction and corrupter of souls. Likewise, in the Gospel of John, we are told about Lucifer that:

“[…] from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Sauron, whom Gandalf calls “the Base Master of Treachery” [5], fits this description of Satan perfectly, using lies and empty promises to lead Men astray from the righteous path and to lure them into his service:

“For now, having the ears of Men, Sauron with many arguments gainsaid all that the Valar had taught […]”

Moreover, actor Viggo Mortensen, who played Aragorn in Peter Jackson’s films, described Sauron as “the Devil in disguise”; his comment alludes to the Dark Lord’s ability to take on various forms that appear fair and wise, in order to deceive the Free Peoples of Middle-earth.

Even in Sauron’s case, there are details reminiscent of the biblical episode in the Garden of Eden:

• 

  Sauron, by Warren Mahy

         The form Lucifer adopts there is that of a serpent. It should therefore come as no surprise that Sauron himself, in his confrontation with Huan in the story of Beren and Lúthien, takes the shape of a snake. Even on the banner of the Southron warriors from Harad, who were tributary to Mordor, a black serpent is depicted

• When he tried to bring the Elves under his dominion, Sauron promised them the same thing Satan promised Eve: knowledge! Before the Elves, “Sauron posed as an emissary of the Valar”  and suggested that together they could “make a separate independent paradise” [2] as beautiful as Aman. In other words, just as Lucifer encourages Eve to eat the Fruit under the pretext of gaining knowledge of all the secrets of the World, in a similar fashion Sauron urges the Elves to follow him, supposedly to become as skilled and wise as the Valar.  
•  J.R.R. Tolkien assigns to Sauron, in an unfinished text titled Sauron: Arising and Fall of Men—later published by Carl F. Hoffstetter in The Nature of Middle-earth—the role of the Luciferian corrupter of the first Men:

“The arising and fall took place during the ‘Captivity of Melkor’, and was achieved not by Melkor in person, but by Sauron.”

Even the name Sauron carries a resonance that evokes Satan or the Greek sauros (“lizard”)—and thus the Serpent and the Dragon of the Bible. The term satan in Hebrew meant «adversary», and Sauron is frequently called the Enemy throughout The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and once even “the One Enemy” by Frodo Baggins. Just as the Devil is perceived in Christianity as a catalyst of evil—a malevolent entity that haunts the world in search of either converts or victims—so too Sauron’s influence over Middle-earth is described as a Shadow stretching across Arda, stirring all wicked creatures and sowing discontent in the hearts of Men. Within Tolkien’s imagined universe, Sauron’s Shadow is an almost tangible force: when the Dark Lord is defeated and his spirit banished “into the Void, from where there could be no return” [1], the Free Peoples feel that a tremendous burden has been lifted from their hearts.

Lucifer, by Guillaume Geefs

There is another fundamental similarity between the two characters: Lucifer’s sin is pride. That is why, in John Milton’s Paradise Lost, the Devil famously declares:

"Hail horrours, hail Infernal world, and thou profoundest Hell
Receive thy new Possessor: One who brings
A mind not to be chang’d by Place or Time.
The mind is its own place, and in it self
Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.
What matter where, if I be still the same,
And what I should be, all but less then he
Whom Thunder hath made greater? Here at least
We shall be free; th’ Almighty hath not built
Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign secure, and in my choyce
To reign is worth ambition though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heav’n." 

Even after being banished from Heaven to Hell, the Devil is not moved to appeal to God’s infinite mercy: his pride is far too great for such a display of humility! Similarly, Sauron is consumed by hubris. Recall that out of pride he refuses to repent after Morgoth’s overthrow, unwilling to humble himself before the judgment of the Valar, and especially reluctant to submit to prolonged servitude to prove his good faith. (Remember that even his former master, Morgoth, after his first defeat and captivity in Aman, “abased himself at the feet of Manwë and sued for pardon” [2], feigning repentance!) Sauron, therefore, is a being utterly devoured by hubris, believing it to more fitting to turn back to evil and his old machinations and dedicate himself to the endeavor of becoming the “supreme Lord of Middle-earth” … Out of the same pride, Sauron “ceased to fear the God's action in Arda” [1], deluding himself that, with the Valar having failed, Ilúvatar had abandoned his creations alltogether, leaving him free to to do with the world as he saw fit. Emily Hunt also drew attention to the Dark Lord's choice for an infernal wasteland as his domain, remarking that it was not hard to make "analogies of Sauron as the Devil and Mordor as the Devil's realm".

Wallpaper for The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War

But there is also another character from Christian religion who may have influenced Tolkien in creating Sauron. In one of his letters, written in response to a review of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien explained that:

“In The Lord of the Rings the conflict is not basically about 'freedom', though that is naturally involved. It is about God, and His sole right to divine honour. The Eldar and the Númenóreans believed in The One, the true God, and held worship of any other person an abomination. Sauron desired to be a God-King, and was held to be this by his servants; if he had been victorious he would have demanded divine honour from all rational creatures and absolute temporal power over the whole world.”

Longing to be revered as “master and god of Men”, Sauron embodies the spirit of the Antichrist. As Tolkien explains, the tyranny of the Dark Lord is an “evil theocracy (for Sauron is also the god of his slaves)”, which can be interpreted as a parallel to the global dominion that will be achieved by the Antichrist, according to the Bible. Additionally, during his time in Númenor, Sauron deceived the island’s inhabitants by claiming that Eru did not exist, in order to propound a new cult:

“He denies the existence of God, saying that the One is a mere invention of the jealous Valar of the West, the oracle of their own wishes. […] A new religion, and worship of the Dark, with its temple under Sauron arises.”

Predica e punizione dell’ Anticristo, de Luca Signorelli

And here is what the Gospel of John tells us about the Antichrist and his followers:

“[…] every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,  and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” 

And in the Gospel of Matthew, people are warned not to trust false prophets, the chief of which is  the Antichrist:

“False messiahs and false prophets will arise, and they will perform signs and wonders so great as to deceive, if that were possible, even the elect.”

Sauron himself appears all-powerful to the people of Númenor when he defies the storm raised by the Valar:

“But the Temple itself was unshaken, and Sauron stood there upon the pinnacle and defied the lightning and was unharmed; and in that hour men called him a god […]" 

If Sauron is an antagonist with an Antichrist-like aspect, is it not natural that, in order to oppose him, there would be a messianic protagonist of Middle-earth? According to philosopher Peter J. Kreeft, in The Lord of the Rings we are not dealing not with just one such character, but three! Here is what he says in his work The Philosophy of Tolkien: The Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings:

"[Jesus Christ[ is more clearly present in Gandalf, Frodo, and Aragorn, the three Christ figures. First of all, all three undergo different forms of death and resurrection. Second, all three are saviors: through their self-sacrifice they help save all of Middle-earth from the demonic sway of Sauron. Third, they exemplify the Old Testament threefold Messianic symbolism of prophet (Gandalf), priest (Frodo), and king (Aragorn).These three 'job descriptions' correspond to the three distinctively human powers of the soul, as discovered by nearly every psychologist from Plato to Freud: head, heart, and hands, or mind, emotions, and will."

Gandalf and Aragorn, by reacool

Of the three, however, I would say that Gandalf is the character with the most clearly messianic traits:

• Both the wandering Wizard and the Savior have a divine origin: Gandalf is a Maia, "a spirit of the angelic people", while Christ is the Son of God and part of the Holy Trinity.
• Both are emissaries of the Creator: Gandalf is sent by the Valar and by Eru, while Christ is the Word of God.
• Both are teachers: Gandalf preaches that it is not power but "small acts of kindness and love" [7] that keep evil at bay, and Christ himself taught that love, understanding, mercy, and generosity are the feelings that will lead man on the path to Heaven.

• 

  Gandalf, by Jerry Vanderstelt

  
  Both are humble: Gandalf is at first clothed in worn "garments grey as ash", while Christ was dressed as a simple carpenter.
• Both resist the temptation of evil:
• After his Baptism, Christ is tempted threefold (in body, mind, and spirit) by Satan, yet remains steadfast. 
• Frodo offers Gandalf the Ring, but the Wizard, unwilling to fall into its snares, refuses to take it. Thus, the Grey Pilgrim does not succumb to the temptation of endeavouring to imitate the Dark Lord in his lust for power; Gandalf does not stray from his mission and does not give in to greed. (Whereas Saruman, for instance, was enticed and became "an ally or servant of Sauron".)
• Both exorcize unclean spirits:
• Among the Miracles performed by the Savior is the liberation of people under the dominion of demons. Emblematic in this regard is the Exorcism in the synagogue of Capernaum: according to the Gospels, Jesus, accompanied by his Apostles, went on the Sabbath to Capernaum, where he began to preach. Among those gathered there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit. And Jesus sternly commanded the demon:

“Come out of him!”

Jesus casts out the devils, by Julius Schnorr Carolsfeld

And the evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a loud cry. 

"All the people were amazed. They said to each other, 'What he says is amazing! With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits. And they come out!'” 

Other possessed people encountered by the Savior showed signs such as loss of sight or muteness. 

• In The Lord of the Rings, Théoden, weakened by the poisons of his treacherous counselor, Gríma Wormtongue, falls under Saruman’s spell. He sits thus upon his throne — silent, bent, powerless, and pale, with his mind sunk in darkness — while Rohan is threatened by "a league between Orthanc and the Dark Tower". In Peter Jackson’s film adaptation, we are shown that Saruman could even possess Théoden and speak through him; it is a trick the evil Wizard learned from his "new master" (Sauron): in Morgoth’s Ring from The History of Middle-earth series, we are told that Sauron practiced possession and "taught his followers how to achieve" it. Saruman’s domination over Théoden’s will ends when Gandalf the White, accompanied by the Three Hunters, arrives at the court of Rohan in Edoras. The Wizard exorcizes the old king, saying: 

"I will draw you, Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound." 

Screenshot from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 

And in Peter Jackson’s film adaptation, the moment he is driven out of Théoden’s body, Saruman lets out a terrifying scream, and the king of Rohan’s body convulses. Moreover, the screenwriting team acknowledged in the director’s commentary the influence of the biblical episode in the synagogue of Capernaum on this scene in the film. 

• Both sacrifice themselves selflessly in order to fulfill their mission:
• Christ endured great suffering and gave His life on the Cross; His death made possible the redemption of all humanity.
• Gandalf "suffered terribly and was slain" even as he struck down the Balrog of Morgoth; Gandalf’s death allowed the Fellowship, the last hope of the Free Peoples, to continue its path and its mission to destroy the Ring, and thus defeat Sauron once and for all.
•  Both return from the great beyond, according to the will of the demiurge. Gandalf even follows the pattern of Jesus, being clothed in a white shroud (white being a symbol of light, purity and innocence):

"[…] being sent back from death for a brief time, [Gandalf] was clad in white, becoming a radiant flame (hidden, but revealing itself only in great need)."

• Both reveal themselves after their return to their disciples: the Savior to the Myrrh-bearing Women and the Apostles, and the White Wizard to the Three Hunters.
• Just as it is said that Christ will cast down the Antichrist at the end, so too is it Gandalf’s purpose to oppose Sauron and to overthrow him. The fateful element of the Wizard’s actions is reinforced in his own solemn declaration to Aragorn, once his mission has been fulfilled:

"The Third Age was my age. I was the Enemy of Sauron; and my work is finished."

The Shadow of Sauron, by Ted Nasmith

In a passage from Unfinished Tales, Tolkien once again emphasizes that Gandalf was destined to become Sauron’s nemesis, and he presents the labors of the Grey Pilgrim as an important part of the great plan of the Valar and of the Creator for Middle-earth:

"Elsewhere is told how it was that when Sauron rose again, he also arose and partly revealed his power, and becoming the chief mover of the resistance to Sauron was at last victorious, and brought all by vigilance and labour to that end which the Valar under the One that is above them had designed."

I would also like to add, regarding Gandalf, that in his relationship with Aragorn he plays a role similar both to that of the Holy Spirit and to that of the prophet John the Baptist. John foretells the coming of the Savior, and Gandalf upholds the need for the return to the throne of Gondor of the heir of Isildur, the only one who can unite the race of Men. 

Battesimo di Cristo, by Leonardo da Vinci and Andrea del Verrochio

The scene of Aragorn’s coronation may be interpreted as a small parallel to the Baptism of the Savior: Jesus is baptized by John in the waters of the Jordan, and the Holy Spirit descends from the heavens in the form of a white dove to bless Him and acknowledge Him as the Son of God; Aragorn is anointed king by Gandalf the White, who places the crown upon his brow and blesses him:

"Now come the days of the King, and may they be blessed while the thrones of the Valar endure!" 

In Wilderness, Wanderers, and Their Theological Significance in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Emily Hunt revisits the hypothesis of philosopher Peter J. Kreeft, according to which Aragorn is also a messianic character, and states that:

"Aragorn represents the messiahship of Christ-as-king." 

For example, the prophetic character of Aragorn’s ascendance to the throne (reminiscent of the announcement of the Savior’s coming by the prophets) is illustrated in a poem from The Lord of the Rings, attributed to Bilbo Baggins:

Aragorn, by Greg Horn

"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." 

Further proof of the Savior’s divine nature was his power to heal people. Among Jesus’ Miracles are: the Healing of a Leper, the Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-law, the Healing of the Centurion’s Servant, the Healing of the Two Blind Men, and so on. The similarity between these feats of Christ and the episode with Aragorn in the House of Healing in The Lord of the Rings has not gone unnoticed by Emily Hunt:

"Likewise, Aragorn's ability to heal has strong messianice overtones. To cure the 'black breath' that affects Faramir, Éowyn and Mery, he asks for the herb 'athelas', otherwise known as 'kingsfoil'. The notion that the hands of the king are the hands of a healer is one that grows in significance as the time draws nearer for Gondor to acknowledge Aragorn's claim to the throne, and of course there are clear parallels to Christ's healing works in the Gospels." 

She also noted a possible similarity between the title under which Aragorn was anointed king and one of the names given to Christ:

"There may be a reflection of 'Emmanuel' ('God With Us') in Aragorn's title 'Elessar' ('elfstone')."

Wallpaper for The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War

And the heir of Isildur also endures the hardships of the wilderness and temptation: instead of Christ’s time in the desert, there are Aragorn’s years of wandering in the wilderness of the North, and in place of the Devil is the Ring in Frodo’s outstretched hand — in Peter Jackson’s film adaptation, the Ring’s voice can be heard whispering, in a seductive tone, "Elessar".

Now let us turn to the Ring-bearer, Frodo Baggins. Several critics have remarked that, in the way he makes his way through the land of Mordor, he recalls Jesus Christ carrying His Cross to Golgotha. As the hobbit approaches Mount Doom, the Ring becomes an unbearable, crushing burden, just as the Cross proved to be for the Savior. Sam, his faithful companion and friend, carries Frodo on his back, perhaps alluding to Simon of Cyrene, who helps Christ bear His Cross further.

Salita al Calvario, by Il Garofalo (Benvenuto Tisi)

What is remarkable about Frodo is his courage: although he is part of the hobbit race, a diminutive people who have played no significant role in the major events of Middle-earth’s history, he resignedly accepts to bear the Ring, aware of the immense burden this evil object represents due to its power to ensnare the minds of the unwary, and conscious that his path is fraught with dangers. Even when he loses hope of ever returning home to the Shire, Frodo does not waver in his mission. He is willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of the Free Peoples, demonstrating altruism: like the Savior, he does not consider his own life more important than that of others.

The Lamb of God, de Nathan Greene

Furthermore, Peter J. Kreeft compares the suffering endured by Frodo Baggins to that of Jesus Christ in the role of the Lamb of God (the lamb being a sacrificial animal in several ancient cultures, such as the Hebrew and Greek).

Crucified on the Cross, when He felt the moment of His mission’s fulfillment, Jesus Christ would have solemnly said:

"It is done."

Frodo utters the same words in The Lord of the Rings, after Sauron’s Ring has been consumed by the flames of Mount Doom. And just as Jesus ascends to Heaven, Frodo boards the last Elven ship to depart Middle-earth and sails toward Valinor, the Valar’s paradise in Aman.

Regarding the character of Gollum, the hobbits’ guide in the land of Mordor, Emily Hunt argued that Frodo’s betrayal by this treacherous creature is a necessary evil, which inadvertently ensures the fulfillment of destiny. It serves the same role as Christ’s betrayal by Judas Iscariot:

"Gollum bites the Ring and its finger from Frodo's hand and accidentally topples into the volcano, destroying the Ring. Could Frodo have destroyed the Ring himself? I think not; the power of the Ring was too strong. There is another parallel here with the story of Christ's betrayal; Jesus knew that he was to die. Would he have surrendered himself to the Jewish authorities? It was through Judas' betrayal that Jesus' arrest and death was achieved."

An Old Starved Pitiable Thing, de Matthew Stewart

Greed and distrust are the defining traits of Judas, and we find them in the character of Gollum as well. Although initially counted among the Apostles, Judas cannot fully follow in Jesus’ footsteps and, in a moment of weakness, betrays him to the Pharisees for a pouch of silver coins. Towards Gollum, Frodo shows compassion, offering him a path to redemption, to become Sméagol once again. However, when the moment of trial comes, Gollum is not willing to take the final step toward Frodo, succumbing once more to suspicion and the selfish desire to claim the Ring for himself.

Screenshot from The Passion of the Christ
(Fun fact: the actress that plays the Virgin Mary
is Romanian-Jewish actress Maia Morgenstern)

Do not think that Tolkien’s female characters are an exception to Christian influence! Father Murray, a friend of the Tolkien family, sent the author a letter pointing out the similarities between Lady Galadriel of Lothlórien and the Virgin Mary, Mother of God. Here is J.R.R. Tolkien’s reply:

"I think I know exactly what you mean by your references to Our Lady, upon which all my own small perception of beauty both in majesty and simplicity is founded."

We should not be surprised by Tolkien’s immense respect for the Virgin Mary: the veneration of the Mother of God is an important element of Christianity. Mary’s defining traits are humility, gentleness, wisdom, temperance, generosity, and purity of heart. These virtues are also reflected in the portrait of Galadriel, the beautiful elf clad in white (a color symbolizing light and purity; as noted in the case of Gandalf and Christ), whom Tolkien described as "untainted". In an article titled Mary in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Lawrence Yuen observed how:

"Catholic tradition has always honoured Mary as the dispenser of graces, or the mediatrix of graces. God, in his wisdom, chooses to act with and through his human agents. Before leaving Lothlorien, you may remember that Galadriel bestows upon each member of the fellowship a gift that is fitting for their mission. I find it interesting that her gift to Frodo was a glass phial containing the light of the star Earandil. This is because two of the most ancient titles for mother Mary are Star of the Sea, and Morning Star. Mary’s mission is always to guide weary travellers to her Son, just as the stars of night guide weary sailors back home. Remember, on Good Friday, Mary experienced what it was like to ‘lose’ the presence of God, and be shrouded in the darkest of nights for three whole days. Hence when the Light of the World seems to have gone out in our lives, we turn to Mary’s light to be our guide. Likewise, we know that both Frodo and Sam use Galadriel’s glass phial during their darkest moments “when all other lights go out” and at the hour of death."

Concept art by WETA Workshop for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Lawrence Yuen also points out that, when Samwise Gamgee is in the lair of the Great Spider Shelob, he thinks he sees Lady Galadriel:

"Just as Mary apparates through places like Fatima and Lourdes and Guadeloupe during times of our greatest crisis, so too does Galadriel appear to Sam during his."

Later, Tolkien explicitly confirmed the validity of the hypothesis, acknowledging the role played by the Mother of God in the creation of the Elf-queen, noting, however, that the resemblance was not entirely perfect:

"[...] it is true that I owe much of this character to Christian and Catholic teaching and imagination about Mary, but actually Galadriel was a penitent: in her youth a leader in the rebellion against the Valar (the angelic guardians)."

I admire J.R.R. Tolkien’s love for the Christian religion. My impression is that the sense of the sacred has, unfortunately, been somewhat lost in our era, or exists only on a superficial level. And this is sad, considering that this sentiment is a fundamental element of our Romanian culture. I am not speaking of bigotry or of petty people who use religion as a pretext for hatred. I am speaking of that sincere devout feeling, of man’s need to believe that there exists a higher entity watching over him, protecting him, and to whom he can always confess his burdens. Here is what the Romanian historian Neagu Djuvara said in one of his books:

“Amid so much uncertainty and injustice, which one encounters everywhere and at any time, the Romanian has only one refuge: the Church. Kneeling in the dark little church, before the iconostasis, where the flames of hundreds of candles flicker beneath the frozen faces of the saints, he feels – only there – at home; protected, saved, and perhaps even loved. The dominant traits of his religion are humility and serene acceptance of the divine will. […] The prayers, the kneelings, the endless sign of the Cross, the passionate kissing of the icons and of Christ’s bleeding feet – all these gestures are not ostentatious; neither obligation nor phariseeism, but humility and sincere contrition, a plea to the boundless mercy of God.” 

Fresco from Voroneţ

I would say that humility and the acceptance of fate determined by divine power – described by Neagu Djuvara as the ‘dominant traits’ of Romanian Christianity – are clearly reflected in the story told by J.R.R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings.

Keep in mind that this masterpiece by the British writer was not conceived as an allegory – as you have seen, influences and similarities exist (many acknowledged by the author himself), but they are not perfect: Tolkien’s aim was not to copy the Bible, which he considered unparalleled, but to preserve its essence and to promote its teachings within a fantasy framework! At the foundation of the legends of Middle-earth, alongside his fascination with Norse mythology, lies J.R.R. Tolkien’s deeply rooted love for the Christian religion!

Bibliography

• The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Harper Collins, 2011

• JRR Tolkien: 'Film my books? It's easier to film The Odyssey', The Telegraph, 2016

• Silmarillion, RAO, 2014

• Good & Evil in Middle-earth, Christian History Institute

• The History of Middle-earth: Morgoth’s Ring, Harper Collins, 2015

• Bible, Interconfessional Bible Society of Romania, 2016

• The Philosophy of Tolkien: The Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings, Ignatius Press, 2005

• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (film), New Line Cinema, 2002

• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, RAO, 2010

• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, RAO, 2010

• Wilderness: Essays in Honour of Frances Young, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2005

• Mary in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, The Myth Pilgrim, 2020

• Between East and West, Humanitas, 2011