Tolkien’s Legendarium

The Legendarium encompasses Tolkien’s best-known works: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. What many people may not know is that the Legendarium extends backward from those stories thousands of years into the history of Middle-earth and the larger world of Arda. Many of these tales were collected in The Silmarillion, published shortly after Tolkien’s death by his son Christopher, and some were later issued in standalone editions, with additional commentary and variations.

If you have been looking for a good edition to study any or all of Tolkien’s legendarium, this is a good place to start. The editions listed here are the ones I’ve been using in my teaching of Tolkien’s works for many years. All references to page numbers in my classes are taken from these editions.

For those who often prefer to listen to audiobooks (as I do!), I’ve also added links to some of my favorite recordings at the bottom of this page. It’s truly wonderful to hear Tolkien’s stories read aloud, and these performances are excellent.

Note: The History of Middle-earth series, which looks at early drafts and notes of Tolkien’s legendarium, is listed on a separate page.

The War of the Ring

According to Gandalf, the War of the Ring began when one day an unlikely hobbit decided to become adventurous and took up with a band of dwarves who were attempting to reclaim their homeland from a vicious dragon. Nobody knew then – nor would they for many years afterward – that a war would ensue, but those events directly precipitated the conflict between Sauron and the Free Peoples of Middle-earth that would come to define the end of the Third Age.

The only extant accounts we have of the War of the Ring are told in the Red Book of Westmarch, which has been translated into several volumes called in English The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

The Great Tales

“Don’t the great tales never end?” Sam asks Frodo at one point on their journey into Mordor. “No, they never end as tales,” replies Frodo. “But the people in them come, and go when their part’s ended. Our part will end later – or sooner.”

Tolkien’s part ended before he could finish many of his tales. However, through the dedication of his son Christopher, we have had the privilege of reading so many of the stories that made Tolkien’s Secondary World of Middle-earth feel so full and enriching. These are the Great Tales that Sam was referring to, and even unfinished, they remain as inspiring and wonderful as ever.

Audio Books

He then told them many remarkable stories, sometimes half as if speaking to himself, sometimes looking at them suddenly with a bright blue eye under his deep brows. Often his voice would turn to song, and he would get out of his chair and dance about. He told them tales of bees and flowers, the ways of trees, and the strange creatures of the Forest, about the evil things and good things, things friendly and things unfriendly, cruel things and kind things, and secrets hidden under brambles.

Reading is one thing – listening’s another. Hearing a story can breath new life into the tale, giving you a fresh perspective and a chance to engage with the Secondary World on a whole new level. Here are some of my favorite audio recordings of Tolkien’s works.