THE RING HAS been an ever-powerful, ever-present symbol in world mythologies and religions.
A tradition of ring-quest tales came into being before the pyramids of Egypt were built, or the walls of Babylon raised. While the glorious civilization of Greece and the mighty Roman Empire rose and fell, that tradition lived on. It survived the fall of the pagan gods; and the rise of Buddha, Mohammed and Christ.
J.R.R. Tolkien had a great knowledge of and love for world mythology and the symbol of the Ring in his work contains a rich and fascinating heritage.
Tolkien's Ring is a literary detective work about J.R.R. Tolkien's inspiration and sources. It shows how The Lord of the Rings is the result of an ancient story-telling tradition that dates back to the dawn of western culture; and how, by drawing upon the world's primary myths and leg-ends, J.R.R. Tolkien created his own mythology for our times.
Beautifully illustrated throughout by acclaimed artist Alan Lee (creator of the illustrated Lord of the Rings), Tolkien's Ring is an extraordinary journey through the most magical and potent stories the people of our world have ever told one another.