“For thus is it spoken: Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.”

—Legolas, The Return of the King

“Every day that passes is a precious day lost.”

– Frodo, The Two Towers

“You must either go through or give up your quest. And I am not going to allow you to back out now, Mr. Baggins.”

– Gandalf

“Dangerous or not, a real sunrise is mighty welcome.”

– Frodo

“The hands of the King are the hands of healing.”

– Gandalf

“Despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt.”

– Gandalf

The word eucatastrophe (good catastrophe) was coined by J.R.R. Tolkien to describe what he believed was the essence and highest function of fairy-stories.

It is the sudden, unexpected joyous turn.

Tolkien explains, “In such stories when the sudden ‘turn’ comes we get a piercing glimpse of joy, and heart’s desire, that for a moment passes outside the frame, rends indeed the very web of story, and lets a gleam come through” (‘On Fairy-Stories’, 61).

Our latest content:

Call for entries – October 2020

Call for entries – October 2020

October's theme is: Deep with the Balrogs in Khazad-dûm In anticipation of our October content, the essay question is: Imagine you are part of the Company, experiencing those harrowing moments on “The Bridge of Khazad-dûm.” In your own words, briefly describe what you...

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Ten facts about Professor Tolkien at School (part 1)

Ten facts about Professor Tolkien at School (part 1)

Our favorite portions of the Professor’s legendarium did not just magically appear. It’s marvelously fascinating to explore (or revisit) Tolkien’s own journey in academia. Enjoy these five fast facts. Yes, he was brilliant and writing stories at a very early age. In a...

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Back to School with the Professor

Back to School with the Professor

September 2020 theme: Back to School with the ProfessorHello friends of the Eucatastrophe fellowship! Our September theme is Back to School with the Professor. We will enjoy a recipe, essay reflections, a "top ten" article, and interview with Devin Brown, as well as...

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The Worlds of JRR Tolkien – Book Discussion

The Worlds of JRR Tolkien – Book Discussion

Book discussion by Dan and JohnJohn Garth As a freelance writer, researcher and reader I’m particularly interested in how personal lives intersect with the big shocks and surges in history – one of the threads in Tolkien and the Great War. The challenge of unearthing...

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Splendor in the Darkest Place

Splendor in the Darkest Place

It's dark. There's ash and smoke heavy in the air. My eyes are burning. Lifting my head from the hard, rocky ground and squinting, I see them in the distance.  The pivotal battle, the long-awaited conclusion; the destiny of Middle Earth in the literal balance. I see...

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Call for entries – September 2020

Call for entries – September 2020

September's theme is: Back to School with the Professor In anticipation of our September content, the essay question is: With the Professor's academic experience in mind, describe a Tolkien scene from The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings that displays his literary...

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Carrock Granola

Carrock Granola

Happy summer, everyone!I thought we’d visit with our beloved skin-changer, Beorn. Beorn lives near a great rock that he calls the Carrock.Why does he call it that? Because that is his name for it. Perhaps he brings with him a gigantic bowl of granola, and sits there...

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Discover the Splendor of Middle-earth

Discover the Splendor of Middle-earth

August 2020 theme: Discover the Splendor of Middle-earthHello friends of the Eucatastrophe fellowship! Our August theme is THE SPLENDOR OF MIDDLE-EARTH. We will enjoy recipes, essay reflections, a resource spotlight, and discussion about the wondrous places and scenes...

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As an author, Tolkien was a creator—or, as he would put it, a “sub-creator.”

 
Tolkien created a fully-imagined world. Middle-earth has a depth of diverse cultures, histories, geography, peoples, characters, family trees, languages, and calendars unrivaled in 20th- and 21st-century literature. Although Tolkien stated that The Lord of the Rings is not an allegory, he did say there’s always an abundance of applicability available for readers to use in their Present-earth lives and historical context.
 

Eucatastrophe.com strives to suggest new vistas of potential applicability for Tolkien fans to explore and enjoy, taking you deeper into Tolkien’s Middle-earth mythology.