Returning the Ring

A Jungian commentary of Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings was written by J.R.Tolkein, a devout Christian and Oxford professor of old languages. It began as a story for his children and friends and much of it was written during World War Two. The Lord of the Rings was first published in 1954 but only became a best seller in the sixties.

In the sixties The Lord of the Rings resonated with that generation we call the 'Flower Children' and it has remained at the top of the bestsellers list ever since. Recently The Lord of Rings has been made into three full-length feature films and a whole new audience has been captured by the story.

The popularity of the tale alone would suggest that The Lord of the Rings holds a deeper significance than even Tolkein was aware of. Few stories have magnetized our attention to such an extent. Only Star Wars, which shares a principal common theme, has achieved the same degree of popularity.

The Lord of the Rings is a modern day myth. Its theme of the renunciation of power is particularly relevant for our present day, addressing such issues as the world crisis and the transition of the ages. Like a guiding dream The Lord of the Rings describes how we may flow with the required transformation of our current era. It is the map which we so desperately need - a guiding light for our precarious times.

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