Overview

The structural and symbolic purposes of ruins in literary texts have a long history, yet few scholars explore their importance within J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium. From the ruins of Erebor and the relics of Gondolin appearing in The Hobbit to the various images of Amon Sûl, Moria, and Osgiliath in The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien constructs a distinct mood—one that captures characters’ awareness of the glories of the past and a desire to emulate them. The scholars who do engage Tolkien’s relics and ruins tend to limit the scope to Tolkien’s debt to the Middle Ages. While such scholarship begins important conversations, the full story of Tolkien’s relics and ruins is left untold. Tolkien’s Medievalism in Ruins takes corrective action and expands this historical and critical literary scope. This collection seeks to promote a more comprehensive approach to Tolkien’s legendarium.

Full Product Details

Author:   Nick Katsiadas ,  Carl Sell
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint:   Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN:  

9781666971484

ISBN 10:   1666971480
Pages:   268
Publication Date:   08 January 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  Professional & Vocational ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  

Table of Contents

List of Figures About the Contributors Introduction Nick Katsiadas and Carl Sell Part One: Ruins in Tolkien’s Literary Criticism Chapter 1 ‘to look out upon the sea’: Tolkien’s Allegory of the Ruined Tower in Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics Mark Doerksen Chapter 2 Tolkien’s Tower by the Sea: Ruins and the Danger of the Nostalgic Gaze Angela Fulk Part Two: Relics and Ruins in Arda Chapter 3 Ruins of Past Tongues: Tolkien’s Timeless Philology K. J. Waldron Chapter 4 ‘What do you Elf eyes see?’ Perceiving Ruin in Middle-earth Joseph Burton Chapter 5 Ruins as Landscape Runes Nancy Ciccone Chapter 6 Ruin, Fire, Wealth, and Wergild in Tolkien’s Dwarven Civilizations Victoria Smurthwaite Chapter 7 ‘Too greedily and too deep’: Decadence as Ruin of Empire in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Sandra Leonard Chapter 8 Romantic Nostalgia in Tolkien’s Relics and Ruins: Longing for Aman, Gondolin, and Númenor in The Lost Road Nick Katsiadas Chapter 9 The Blade of the King: Tolkien, Arthur, and the Remnants of Kingship Carl Sell Part Three: Relics and Ruins in Tolkien Adaptations Chapter 10 ‘What Are These Towers of Silver?’ Ruins as Relics in the Middle-earth Game Series J. Seth Lee Chapter 11 ‘You Wield Aiglos, spear of Gil-galad’: Relics as Signposts in The Two Towers MUD J. Emerson Lowell Chapter 12 Marching through Mordor: Ruins and Landscape in Summoning’s Minas Morgul Dean Swinford

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Author Information

Nick Katsiadas is Assistant Professor in the Department of Languages, Literatures, Cultures, and Writing at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Carl Sell is Associate Director for McNair and Undergraduate Research Programs at the University of Pittsburgh.

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