The English folklore and myths is a practice which took many numbers of centuries to create and develop in England. Some of this folklore may be traced back to its origins, while the descent of others is doubtful or disputed. These myths have been spread through England, some of these myths may be changed and alter as generations pass but the essence of these are still very much present in our modern society.
The folklores may take the forms of modern movies, poems, or even television series. While some of these myths might be accepted in our modern society some are forgotten or rejected. Most of these myths were created in England after the Norman conquest then mixed with Anglo Saxon traditions or Christian mythology. England abounds with lore, at all kinds, from such apparent expressions as the conventional tales and the ones that are going to be mentioned later on, Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Jerry Zucker’s First Knight. In the book written by Jane Chance, he states that:
“J.R.R. Tolkien’s zeal for medieval literary, religious, and cultural ideas deeply influenced his entire life and provided the seeds for his own fiction.” As can be seen, Tolkien’s general interest in medieval culture is what ultimately led up to the creation of the Lord of the Rings.
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In the movie inspired by J.R. R. Tolkien, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, we see the ascension of Aragon to the throne. Similar to this story, we see Jerry Zucker’s First Knight where we see the uncanny resemblance of the main protagonist, King Arthur with Aragon. Some of the similarities presented are the hidden identities they are deprived off.
Apart from that, we see elements such as the ancestral swords and the archetype of the wise man that helps them through their extensive journey. They are also great fighters who always have success in their battles. It is safe to say that in many ways Aragon resembles King Arthur, also it is no secret that Tolkien knew about the Arthurian tradition that was prominent throughout the middle ages, this is where Tolkien took inspiration from the Arthur character. As previously mentioned, there are some parallels present in the fictional stories, Lord of the Rings and the First Knight, especially the resemblance between Gandalf and Merlin.
These wizards were respected by many since they were all powerful and the fact that had in common was the fact that they only used their power for good and only when needed. They present themselves as advisors and as an additional aid to these figures of power. Just like Gandalf aided and guided Aragorn to his throne, Merlin did the same aiding Arthur through wise counseling and prophecy. Merlin was the stereotypical wizard which Tolkien used in the creation of Gandalf.
Also, these wizards were humbled with their power, after their job was done they did not seek recognition or power from the now kings, the kings were let to be their own after being guided by the wizards. Apart from being great counselors, they were loyal, Arthurs real identity was kept secret even after his father died. Instead, he used his magic to create a scenario where Arthur would prevail but only when he was ready. He used his power to set the sword in the stone and made it so only the rightful born king on England could pull it out, in this case, Arthur. Gandalf was also loyal in the sense that he never left Aragorn alone, he would show up unexpectedly to his battles to help him, Aragorn was never left alone.
A quote that demonstrates Gandalf loyalty is from one of the books, The Hobbit or There and Back Again :“It is no use arguing. I have, as I told you, some pressing business away south; and I am already late through bothering with you people. We may meet again before all is over, and then again, of course, we may not. That depends on your luck and on your courage and sense, and I am sending Mr. Baggins with you. I have told you before that he has more about him than you guess, and you will find that out before long. So cheer up Bilbo and don’t look so glum. Cheer up Thorin and Company! This is your expedition after all”. (7.36)
Gandalf shows he is leading Thorin because he wants too, there are no underlying intentions he can come and go as he pleases. This demonstrates how uninterested Gandalf is, and he simply wants to help.
Another notable similarity throughout both stories is the Kings’ upbringings. Both come from powerful and influential families and share the same ideals and morals. Their virtues and qualities are because of the way they were raised. They had honor and persistence, which is presented through the stories. Another similarity that its too obvious to ignore is that both of these Kings had no idea they were the rightful owners of the throne and their identities were kept secret. Their ascension to the throne was made possible through the ownership of their swords which was a crucial element in both stories.
The most famous sword was the sword of King Arthur which he pulled out of the stone. The sword called Excalibur is sometimes ascribed with supernatural powers or associated with the legitimate dominion of UK. The sword t has become a symbol of kingship. However, the story behind Aragorn’s sword is as epic but different in the way it was created and given to him. His original sword was shattered but the pieces were kept, and the elves created a new one and just like Arthur’s sword, it means the return of the king. Tolkien wrote
“All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadow shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.”
This simply means that Aragorn will rise from the ashes, and he will prevail, indeed he did just like Arthur rose from the ashes. The rose to assert their dominance and take over the kingdom.
It is evident that Tolkien used the Arthurian influence during the middle ages to create Aragorn. We can see this through the stories and the extensive similarities. The symbols in both stories have more or less the same meanings and we can reach more or less the same analysis due to the many congruencies between these characters. As already mentioned these similarities could be because Tolkien took inspiration from his country, religion, and the mythology present during his time. The Lord of the Rings is the rediscovered version of the Arthurian legends with elements that Tolkien thought were necessary to make these myths more intriguing to the reader.
