This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
Register today and go deep into the stories behind The Fellowship of the Ring. The Silmarillion is Tolkien’s vast “myth” of the spiritual love of the Father and his mighty creations, the Ainur, who together create the harmonious cosmos. That harmony and love is harmed by a demonic vanity in one of the Ainur, Melkor, so that almost eternal warfare enters creation and is centered upon the earth.
Total classes: 11
Duration of each class: ~55 minutes
Prerequisite: The ability to enjoy reading the work
Suggested grade level: 11th to 12th grade
Suggested credit: One full semester Literature
Description
The Silmarillion presents Tolkien’s vast “myth” of the spiritual love of the Father and his mighty creations, the Ainur, who together create the harmonious cosmos. That harmony and love is harmed by a demonic vanity in one of the Ainur, Melkor, so that almost eternal warfare enters creation and is centered upon the earth. If this sounds very Biblical, it is. But Tolkien wanted the freedom to create characters and beauties of his own, as long as he retained the spirit of Truth. The first to suffer the warfare are the Elves, who live and fight for thousands of years, at first in rebellion against their creators, and later against the evils of Melkor. Great men, who come later in the plan of creation, join them in their titanic struggles. This becomes a story of many Falls, and many efforts at redemption, suffered and enacted by almost eternal beings whose tragedies are the more terrible as they are the grander and more beautiful in their creation. Through their story we are invited to see the pattern of our own lives, set long before the age of Man when the battle against evil through Redemption will take its perfect form.
Outline
Class One – pp.vii-22 Prefaces and Ainulindale
Class Two – pp.16-46 Valaquenta; Quenta Silmarillion: “Of the Beginning of Days, “Of Aule and Yavanna”.
Class Three – pp. 47-62 “Of the Coming of the Elves”, “Of Thingol and Melian”, “Of Eldamar and the Princes of Eldalie”.
Class Four – pp. 63-105 “Of Feanor and the Unchaining of Melkor”, “Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor”, “Of the Darkening of Valinor” “Of the Flight of the Noldor” “Of the Sindar”, “Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor”, and “Of Men”.
Class Five – pp. 106-149 “Of the Return of the Noldor,” “Of Beleriand and its Realms,” “Of the Noldor in Beleriand,” “Of Maeglin,” and “Of the Coming of Men into the West.”
Class Six – pp. 150-187 “Of the Ruin of Beleriand”, and “Of Beren and Luthien”,
Class Seven – pp. 188-226 “Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad and “Of Turin Turambar”.
Class Eight – pp. 227-255 “Of the Ruin of Doriath”, “Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin”, and “Of the Voyage of Earendil”.
Class Nine – pp. 259-282 Akallabeth: “The Downfall of Numenor”
Class Ten – pp. 285-304 “Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age”.
Materials and Homework
Course Materials: The Silmarillion. J.R.R. Tolkien. ISBN 0-618-12698-8 (https://amzn.to/3s0QW21)
Homework: Approximately 30-40 pages per class. About 2 hours per class. The homework is to have read the pages which are discussed on that class day. There will be computer-graded quizzes available after each class and a midterm and final.
