Did Tolkien Ever Consider Officially Designating Someone to Continue His Writings on Middle-earth After His Death?

Many fans of J.R.R. Tolkien might wonder if the great author ever considered officially designating someone to continue his beloved works on the fictional realm of Middle-earth after his passing. However, the answer is a resounding no.

Tolkien's View on His Works

As far as Tolkien was concerned, his works belonged to him alone. He viewed them as a personal achievement, a compilation of his life's work, the culmination of years of intense study, myth-making, and linguistic invention.

The Role of Christopher Tolkien

Even his son Christopher, who was immensely supportive of his father's work, was not given the right to continue his father's legacy. He was granted editorial rights, including the publication of the Silmarillion after Tolkien's death. However, Christopher himself never pursued writing or expanding upon Middle-earth.

Behind the Decisions

Tolkien's decision to limit the continuation of his works was not because he was unsympathetic to his children or his legacy. Instead, it was a deliberate choice rooted in his vision for his stories.

The Creation of Middle-earth

Tolkien believed that his works were part of an ancient mythology, specifically a recreated history of prehistoric Britain and Europe. He imagined a lost manuscript known as the Red Book of Westmarch, written in an ancient and long-lost language. His fatherly role in this narrative was to translate and piece together the fragments of this mythological history, a task that took decades of work.

Linguistic and Translation Efforts

As a linguist, Tolkien created languages such as Elvish and Dwarvish. This linguistic aspect of his work was as much a core part of Middle-earth as the stories themselves. He envisioned a world where every aspect reflected different cultures, each with its own language and traditions.

The Legacy and Loss

Unfortunately, during the transition of these works to modern English, some parts were lost or damaged beyond repair. Stories like the Fall of Gondolin have been lost to time. Tolkien's work, though immense in scope, could not encompass every detail. Thus, much of the history and narrative remained incomplete. This choice to leave some parts unfinished was both a reflection of the source material and a deliberate artistic decision.

The Death and the Story

Tolkien's untimely death before he could fully complete the Silmarillion was integrated into this narrative. He envisioned that the lost parts of the Silmarillion represented a gap in history—much of which would be lost, never to be reconstructed. This was both a reflection of his own unfinished work and a design to maintain the mystery and allure of Middle-earth.

Why This Decision?

Tolkien's motivation for these decisions was deeply rooted in his passion for mythology. He lived in a time when much of Britain's ancient mythology had been lost or destroyed. Talents such as the Romans had played a role in erasing much of this history. Tolkien sought to rebuild and infuse Middle-earth with a rich tapestry of myth, legend, and history, a way to restore a lost cultural identity.

A Legacy of Myth and Legend

His works served not only as a literary achievement but also as a means to preserve and recreate a mythology. He wanted to provide an alternative to the loss of ancient myths and histories, hoping to rekindle a tradition of myth-making and storytelling that would endure.

Conclusion

J.R.R. Tolkien was a thoughtful and deliberate creator, and his decisions regarding the continuation of his works reflect a deep commitment to his vision of Middle-earth. Christopher Tolkien, while playing a crucial role as an editor, never took up the mantle of continuing his father's writings, as Tolkien had intended his work to stand alone, a testament to the creative completeness he sought to achieve.