# Tolkien - Norse Mythology



## warl (Jan 4, 2002)

Im writing an essay about the link between the world of Tolkien and the Norse Mythology. Trying to find out about how much of his inspiration Tolkien took from it.
I have some similarities like the dwarfs, ravens and black birds as spies, dragons, trolls, some names, the name of the world and geography.

If you know of anything that can be compareable i would love to hear, thx.


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## Eonwe (Jan 5, 2002)

I checked out the Elder Edda (or the Edda or something) a long time ago, has Gandalf's name, Gloin, etc in it. Some neat poems. Did you look in there (it sounds like you already did).

I don't really see parallels unless I am not thinking hard enough. For instance I love the story where Thor is seeing an illusion and he is asked to drink out of a horn, and he can only drink enough such that a little bit of the water goes away, then he finds out later he has drunk that much from all the water in the world. What parallels in Tolkiens work though?


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## ReadWryt (Jan 5, 2002)

I don't know. I'm not really well versed on his study of Norse Mythos, mostly just the Anglo-Saxon and Finnish stuff. He developed at a young age a facination with an epic Finnish Poem called the Kavelala ( http://www.hut.fi/~pjoki/myths.html . http://www.edj.net/mc2012/finn.htm), but not being certain if Finnland is considered a "Nordic Country", I can't speak to whether this info will help you a whole lot.


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## warl (Jan 5, 2002)

as my writing has to be related to norwegian litterature i have to compare it with the Norwegian / Icelandic mythology.

Means mostly the Edda poems


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