By Jovan Stipić

Many a reader of Tolkien, especially those who have devoured his works time and time again, are well aware of places he drew inspiration from. Be it the rural hamlet of Sarehole, where he grew up and which later inspired the Shire or the Malvern Hills that fueled the birth of Gondor and Rohan. 

Yet it is still remarkable, considering just how popular his books and movies based upon them are, that few people know of the tales and legends that inspired his greatest work. 

Our story, or rather his story of The Hobbit, begins and finds root in the Old English poem of  Beowulf. The story of this pagan hero today survives in but a single manuscript, dated to the 16^th century and was discovered in possession of the famed antiquarian Laurence Nowell. Akin to Lake-town, it too almost went up in flames back in 1731. Thankfully, though scorched, the manuscript can be found in the British Library even today.

But let us get back to Beowulf and the impact it had on Tolkien.

While reading his work, it becomes apparent rather quickly that Tolkien was a mythology buff, especially when it came to those of Celtic, Anglo Saxon and Germanic origin, with bits of Slavic sprinkled in. The dragon motif, especially, was rather prominent not only in Anglo Saxon literature but in both Germanic and Anglo-Saxon shipbuilding, jewelry, and the design was even used in weaponry. 

Smaug, for one, is a perfect example of dragons and patterns in old Germanic myths, wherein they would hoard treasure and gold, guarding it against anyone who would be silly enough to try and steal it. The whole of the pagan Germanic people were rather infamous for hoarding treasure and boasting about it while singing of heroism. That hoarding problem would be something that both the dwarves and Grendal’s mother shared as well. 

Though that isn’t the sole correlation, dragons, Tolkien’s or otherwise, are also prominent as a symbol of guarding forbidden treasure. The symbolism of guarding treasure that was buried with the dead did not first appear with the Anglo Saxon, yet they are the first who started using the dragon motif upon gravesites. This would later become even more prominent as, in heraldry, dragons were used by only the richest of noble families or by those that guarded the king’s treasures. 

In this respect, Smaug is certainly very similar to the dragon in Beowulf. Both guard a horde of gold, and from each, a jeweled cup was stolen. Both dragons also set fire to the countryside in ire and fury after their respective treasures are looted and taken away.

Runes, especially, are prominent in the dwarven culture of Tolkien’s middle earth. But in reality, they have been used by the Germanic people, at the earliest, from the first century onwards. In both instances, they were symbols and letters that were used for phonetic sounds. In the story, they could be seen upon the map to the Lonely Mountain and upon the weapons that the dwarves used. Engraving the runic alphabet upon weapons was also something done by both Christians and pagans of Scandinavia and the British Isles. 

We already spoke about the cultural values that the dwarves and the Germanic pagans had in common, but which one would be the most prominent? Both Beowulf and The Hobbit put a heavy accent on the figure of a leader. One that could unite his followers and help them beat impossible odds as well as overcome impossible tasks. Both tales also stress the loyalty that those followers feel towards their leader.

Another motif that both the pagan and the Christian side of Germanic tribes shared with the dwarves and the hobbits is hospitality and friendship. In the book, Bilbo goes out of his way to welcome a dozen uninvited guests, even going so far as to make food for them knowing that he would be going without. Though the best example of that motif would probably be best seen in Thorin’s last words to Bilbo: “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

There is also an argument, in my opinion, that the character of Grendal was directly used as inspiration for Gollum as well. Besides living in the dark, wet, shadowy places deep beneath the earth, both also crave human flesh, are similar in their monstrous physical appearance, have undergone a terrible transformation and are outcasts from their respective communities.

This article could probably go on forever, and it would probably evolve into an academic paper. Someone has probably written one from the sheer wealth of characters on both sides. Beowulf and Beorn, Herot and Meruseld are just a few figures that could be easily compared to one another both in physical appearance and in their mannerisms or world views. I find it somewhat silly when diehard Tolkien fans point out similarities between his work and those of more recent authors and call it “stealing.”

In my opinion, they are inspired by one of the greatest authors of all time, who was also inspired by those that came before him. Most of Tolkien’s work is a perfect amalgamation of old folk tales, legends and stories with a twist and a breath of fresh air, making them some of the most fascinating stories ever told.