Walking Tree 43. 2022. 1st edition. Paperback. Cover by Gonzalo Garcia.
Law and government are aspects of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works that have not received much scholarly attention. However, they are present in many facets of his sub-creation. In describing the various societ- ies that populate it, Tolkien addressed aspects of their legal and governmental systems, such as the succession of kings, rules of in- heritance, or the function of the Mayor of Michel Delving. In many cases, he did so to add a further thread to the rich tapestry of his descriptions.
But in other cases, law appears as an important narrative element, functioning as a test of character for the protagonists who encoun- ter it. Thus, the trial of Beregond reveals Aragorn’s justice, while Turgon’s ordering the execution of Ëol shows his ruthlessness. Law and philology appear together in several passages of Tolkien’s work. It is no coincidence that the most relevant objects of his sub- creation, the One Ring and the Silmarils, are described in archaic legal terms. In parallel, law and the tools of government are used as humorous elements in other fragments. Law and government are, in short, omnipresent in Tolkien’s work. They are not a central element, but, without what is studied in this book, Arda would have been much poorer.
