Pity for a Creature As Dark As Darkness
The meeting of Bilbo, the dreadfully and fearfully lost hobbit, and Gollum, a creature “as dark as darkness” (Hobbit 88), their riddle-game and what happens after Gollum loses are among the most iconic scenes of children’s literature. But how many … { Read More }
The Legacy of Tolkien and the TCBS: A Light to the World: The Call Heard and Answered
At the ‘Council of London’ held by the Tea Club and Barrovian Society in December 1914, J. R. R. Tolkien and his three dearest friends spoke of the call they felt to bring beauty and meaning back into a world grown … { Read More }
Harkening to the Horns of Hope and Love: What The Lord of the Rings Teaches Us For Today
Hope and love are dominant themes in The Lord of the Rings. These are two of the most desperately needed virtues today in a world entrenched in a culture of death, despair, and lust, due to the instant and 24 … { Read More }
Arthurian Elements in Reepicheep’s Journey
There are many Arthurian elements in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but what is at the heart of it all is Reepicheep’s quest to reach Aslan’s country, an even better place than the Avalon Arthur travels to. Geoffrey of … { Read More }
Guardian Angels of the Quest: Frodo, Sam, and the Valar
Sam is Frodo’s guardian angel on the Quest, but he is not the only one. The Valar also play instrumental roles in aiding the Ring-bearer and his friends during the War of the Ring and beyond. So vital is their … { Read More }
Arthur’s Audacious Dream
Why does the tale of Arthur and his knights still resonate with its readers centuries after its first introduction? It ends in the tragic defeat of the King, with the deaths of nearly all of his men, and his dreams … { Read More }
The Value of Family in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur
Sir Thomas Malory placed great importance on the role of the family in his rendering of the Arthurian legends. For good or ill, familial ties in Le Morte Darthur have tremendous impact on men and women and those around them. … { Read More }
Creation and Sub-Creation in Narnia and The Timeless Halls
C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien varied greatly in their conceptions of the secondary worlds they fashioned. Lewis focused on the creative power of God to call into existence an entire world out of nothing. Tolkien chose to … { Read More }
Eucatastrophe, Fate, and Free Will in the Life of Beren and Lúthien
Welcome to my site, Gazzolo Creative! After Beren avenges his father’s murder and spends years as an outlaw, he climbs the Mountains of Terror and sees the land of Doriath from far away. “There it was put into his heart … { Read More }
Nienna, Lady of Pity and Mercy, and the Fall of Sauron
I finished my Master’s Degree at Signum University! I highly recommend anyone interested in pursing their Tolkien studies in a scholarly manner to consider attending some classes here. You do not have to be there to pursue a degree. You … { Read More }
Photo: Irish landscape by Bernadette Rohan