Welcome to my section about JRR Tolkein. There's so much to say and much said on the subject that I am
limiting my pages essentially to some of the amazing Tolkien inspired
artwork around on the Web.
I've included some notes, here and there, but they are mainly developments
of topics that intrigued me like the Beor family tree, Aragorn's ancestors,
or the case of Glorfindeln, not to mention pages dedicated to Gadadriel, Gandalf and Moria.
Oh! by the way. The artwork is for sharing but remember that it does originally belong to someone.
Tolkien People
Tolkien Graphics
Tolkien Maps
Special Feature
Bo Hansson's musical interpretation of LoTR - 1970
Click on image to enlargen
Along with the wealth of graphical work Tolkien's literature inspired there was also the Musical work. Numerous musicians have been inspired by Tolkien,
including Rick Wakeman, but the musical interpretation
I prefer is the one done by the Scandinavian Bo Hansson. His album originally
came out in 1970 so you can't really say he jumped on bandwagon, as certain
did, in the wake of Peter Jackson's trilogy.
In 1996, Virgin released the re-mastered version and it was
by pure chance (or frustration at not having found the music on Kazaa)
that I went looking for it on Amazon and, lo! I found and bought it!!!
Bo Hansson's interpretation (no lyrics, only the seagulls of the Gray Havens) of LoTR is, well, his own! You either like it or find that
it has nothing, apparently, to do with the book. Knowing the story
of the Ring almost backwards I have no issue with this album and find
it enjoyable enough to have bought the CD some 30 years after I bought
the original LP/33/Vinyl, which I still have but can't listen to because
I don't have a turntable on my satanic mini HIFI.
The style of Bo Hansson's album reflects different chapters from the Ring book,
from leaving the Shire back to the Gray Havens, via the Horns of Rohan
and the battle of Pelennor fields. The mood varies from relaxing to
urgent and from thoughtful to soaring and I think I can safely recommend
it to Tolkien fans objective enough to appreciate Hansson's work.
Research and text courtesy of
The Encyclopedia of Arda
©Nick Richards Nov 2004, updated Oct 2016