"Things That Were, Things That Are, and Things That Yet May Be": The Matter of Time in the Faërie Realms of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

Authors

Noelia Ramos, University of VigoFollow

Abstract

Tolkien’s feelings and relationship to Celtic themes are more nuanced than a simple binary of aversion versus passion. As he professed to Stanley Unwin—"Needless to say they are not Celtic!" (Letters #19)—his stance encompassed both resistance and fascination. His essay On Fairy-Stories, originally delivered as the Andrew Lang Lecture in 1939, can be seen as an early foundation for concepts later developed in The Lord of the Rings (1954–1955). In this context, the concept of fiction and the secondary world—particularly regarding the nature of time—is notably prominent, drawing parallels to the Celtic Otherworld.

This study aims to analyze and decode Tolkien's Middle-earth concept of the secondary world and to investigate the extent to which it alludes to the Celtic Otherworld, or, as Tolkien refers to it, faërie. Additionally, it examines the perception and function of time in The Lord of the Rings, specifically in the Elven realms of Lothlórien and Rivendell. Key sources include The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (2023), Lyman-Thoma’s “Celtic: Celtic Things and Things Celtic” (2014), Tolkien On Fairy-Stories (2014), and A Question of Time (1990) by Verlyn B. Flieger. These works serve to interpret how Tolkien’s mythology shapes the concept of time, bridging it with the Celtic Otherworld, where past, present, and future often intertwine.

It thus becomes apparent that, despite Tolkien professed aversion to Celtic themes, his depictions of time in Lothlórien and Rivendell consciously echo the Celtic temporal paradigm through the mystical energies that intertwine these temporal layers. These elements reflect the complex interplay of time found in Celtic mythology, suggesting that Tolkien deliberately engaged with such mythic structures within his sub-creation.

Recommended Citation

Ramos, Noelia (2025) ""Things That Were, Things That Are, and Things That Yet May Be": The Matter of Time in the Faërie Realms of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings," Journal of Tolkien Research: Vol. 22: Iss. 1, Article 10.
Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol22/iss1/10