Online course: J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth and Middle-earth in Context starts again in October (03.09.11 by Pieter Collier) - Comments

The Journey to Middle-earth begins again in October 2011!

We are delighted to announce that the UWIC Masters Level online course J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth and Middle-earth in Context will run again during the autumn semester, beginning in October 2011.

Enrolment is now open! Potential students are advised to enrol as soon as possible as places are limited.
The Journey to Middle-earth begins again


The course has been designed and will be taught by Dr Dimitra Fimi (author of Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits, winner of the Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies 2010).

The course will be taught entirely online and it is open to students and adult learners all over the world. Students will explore in detail the mythology, medieval inspirations, linguistic invention and cultural context of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy work.

All online students will also have access to UWIC’s electronic resources including:

• Electronic journals such as Tolkien Studies
• E-books such as the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia (ed. M. Drout) and Tolkien the Medievalist (ed. J. Chance)
• Selected digitised articles and chapters from the best of Tolkien scholarship

This course can be taken for credit (20 credits at Masters Level) or for pleasure – it’s up to you!


J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth and Middle-earth in Context 

Course Length: 10 weeks

Entry Requirements: None

Course Content: 
This course will examine the J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium, from his much-loved The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, to his extended mythology most commonly known from the published Silmarillion. We will explore Tolkien’s early project for a “mythology for England” and trace his inspiration and creative re-working of myth and folklore (including Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse, Celtic, Arthurian and Classical material) and the literary tradition (from Shakespeare to Victorian and Edwardian literature). We will look at Tolkien’s invented languages and alphabets as an integral part of his mythology; discuss Tolkien’s portrayal of the “races” and cultures of Middle-earth, and end with a consideration of Tolkien’s continuing influence on popular culture, including Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.


Course Objectives:
 • To examine the work of J.R.R. Tolkien as one of the main authors of the fantasy literature genre
• To examine the creative uses of Tolkien’s sources in medieval and renaissance literature, myth and folklore, and Victorian and Edwardian literature
• To explore how Tolkien’s work responds to contemporary cultural changes and intellectual and social developments
• To explore major themes and continuities in Tolkien’s work
• To investigate recent critical and theoretical approaches to Tolkien’s work
• To re-evaluate Tolkien’s position in the literary canon
• To examine Tolkien’s influence in modern popular culture

Academic Credit: 20 credits at Masters Level

Course aimed at: Postgraduate students and adult learners interested in fantasy literature

Programme Leader: Dr Dimitra Fimi

Cost: £340

Additional Information: This is an online course, delivered through UWIC's virtual learning environment.

Additional courses of interest: Fantasy Literature: Tales Before and After Tolkien

Enrolment and payment information can be found on the Tolkien and Fantasy home page.

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