Fans of JRR Tolkien's Norse legends will be thrilled at the publication of a previously unpublished adaptation of some stories from ‘The Hobbit'. ‘’The Hobbit', which was also adapted by Wagner to create the ‘Lord of the Rings,' was created by Tolkien when he was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University between 1920 and 1930.
The tales of Sigurd the Volsung and the fall of the Niflungs are the focus of the retelling. According to the Tolkien Encyclopaedia, the legend relates that the fabled prince of the North Sigurd kills Fafnir and takes his gold. He also rescues the lady Brynhild from the rock surrounded by flames. The saved woman then pledges her life to Sigurd, who in turn marries another woman, Gudrun.
This fierce rivalry between Brynhild and Gudrun leads to the murder of Sigurd. It has been suggested that the slaying of the dragon Fafnir by Sigurd was already in Tolkien's mind when he wrote the encounter of Bilbo and Smaug in ‘The Hobbit.' The dragon slaying story was also applied in the tale of Turin Turumbar of ‘The Children of Hurin.' Elements of the story, like the golden ring and the sword, can also be seen in ‘The Lord of the Rings.'
The account will be published as ‘The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun' by Harper Collins, after Christopher Tolkien, JRR Tolkien's son, finishes editing the new book. The publishing company only hopes that the tale will be enjoyed by Tolkien fans, just like ‘The Children of Hurin' which has sold more than one million copies.
The tales of Sigurd the Volsung and the fall of the Niflungs are the focus of the retelling. According to the Tolkien Encyclopaedia, the legend relates that the fabled prince of the North Sigurd kills Fafnir and takes his gold. He also rescues the lady Brynhild from the rock surrounded by flames. The saved woman then pledges her life to Sigurd, who in turn marries another woman, Gudrun.
This fierce rivalry between Brynhild and Gudrun leads to the murder of Sigurd. It has been suggested that the slaying of the dragon Fafnir by Sigurd was already in Tolkien's mind when he wrote the encounter of Bilbo and Smaug in ‘The Hobbit.' The dragon slaying story was also applied in the tale of Turin Turumbar of ‘The Children of Hurin.' Elements of the story, like the golden ring and the sword, can also be seen in ‘The Lord of the Rings.'
The account will be published as ‘The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun' by Harper Collins, after Christopher Tolkien, JRR Tolkien's son, finishes editing the new book. The publishing company only hopes that the tale will be enjoyed by Tolkien fans, just like ‘The Children of Hurin' which has sold more than one million copies.