A Sense of History: Thálatta! Thálatta!
While he never climbs the stairs of this Elf-tower, in Lothlórien Frodo Baggins descends a flight of steps to look into Galadriel’s Mirror, wherein he first sees the sea. This post examines the view.
The Fall of Gondolin has historical antecedents in sacks of cities in the ancient and medieval world, all featuring military destruction and a grievous impact on innocent civilian survivors.
The deus faber and demiurgic motifs of creation mythology are used in the Ainulindalë, selected and manipulated by Tolkien to advance ideas that rest at the foundation of the legendarium.
History of the Atlantis myth that inspired Tolkien's Númenor.