Things JRR Tolkien has never said, done, written or had anything to do with

Re:Things JRR Tolkien has never said, done, written or had a... by SideburnsOfDoom on Sunday February 07, 2021 @01:26PM (#26056893)

The Drakensberg in South Africa (yes, the name does translate as "Dragon Mountains") are sometimes cited as an inspiration to Tolkien.

If this is accurate or not is another question, but a google of "Tolkien Drakensberg" certainly shows that it is widely known.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Things JRR Tolkien has never said, done, written or had a... by KineticLensman on Sunday February 07, 2021 @02:29PM (#26057443)

> The Drakensberg in South Africa ... are sometimes cited as an inspiration to Tolkien.

Tolkien returned to England with his mother aged 3 and never went back. Tolkien himself claimed "to have few memories of South Africa, except for a vivid encounter with a large spider, an experience he put to good use later in his writing. The grave of his father, Arthur Tolkien, is still identifiable in Bloemfontein’s President Brand Cemetery" [0] So probably not a big influence, if any.

[0] https://www.southafrica.net/gl/en/travel/article/jrr-tolkien...

[ Parent | on HN ]