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The metal ‘Mithril’ is both officially D&D and a made-up word that Tolkien invented.
Isn't the D&D version spelled "mithral"?
I'm sure (cough) that the similarity is entirely coincidental....
The metal ‘Mithril’ is both officially D&D and a made-up word that Tolkien invented.
It’s well known that halflings were originally called hobbits before TSR was forced to change the name by the Tolkiens. Same, IIRC, with ents and treants.
What else came from Tolkien?
Orcs?
Our vision of goblins?
Balrog - Balor?
Giant Eagles?
High and wood elves?
I’m sure some were a case of having the same inspiration, and of course plenty of D&D is inspired by a million other things than Tolkien. But I’m curious which elements were adopted from Tolkien specifically.
The entire list of 1e races.
Humans
I feel fairly secure in thinking that Tokien did not invent humans.
It’s well known that halflings were originally called hobbits before TSR was forced to change the name by the Tolkiens. Same, IIRC, with ents and treants.
What else came from Tolkien?
Orcs?
Our vision of goblins?
Balrog - Balor?
Giant Eagles?
High and wood elves?
I’m sure some were a case of having the same inspiration, and of course plenty of D&D is inspired by a million other things than Tolkien. But I’m curious which elements were adopted from Tolkien specifically.
OK, sorry to be pedantic, but this is bothering me. This is exactly what I (and others) mean when we say we are crediting Tolkien for things he didn't create.
Giant eagles were not his idea. The rukk (roc) is an Arabic myth, and a pretty popular one at that. Even down to the "rescuing sailors by carrying them away" part.
Giant spiders? Giant any animals have been around for eons. Just making a giant nasty animal giant doesn't mean he came up with it.
Were-bears. lycanthropy as a concept existed for thousands of years. And wasn't just wolves. It was largely regional. For example, lycanthropes in Asia were leopards or tigers. So the idea of shapechanging into an apex predator is one that has been around for a long time
Wights. Go play Skyrim. Ok, that's a bit tongue in cheek, but it's an example we're probably all familiar with where the concept of undead wights fighting living men has been around for centuries.
The point is, is that almost everything Tolkien did was pulled directly from other existing myths, many of them with very little variation. We know Gary pulled the exact same inspiration. So while there are clearly Tolkien creations ported into D&D, it's not nearly as much as people are crediting him for.
OK, sorry to be pedantic, but this is bothering me. This is exactly what I (and others) mean when we say we are crediting Tolkien for things he didn't create.
Giant eagles were not his idea. The rukk (roc) is an Arabic myth, and a pretty popular one at that. Even down to the "rescuing sailors by carrying them away" part.
The point is, is that almost everything Tolkien did was pulled directly from other existing myths, many of them with very little variation. We know Gary pulled the exact same inspiration.
On the Wight issue, I am interested/curious how much of the shift in the meaning of the term was due to tolkien. Originally it simply meant "person". E.g. "Barrow person". How much was Tolkien responsible for the undead connotation? Anybody know? Where's Tolwen when you need him...