The Droughtlander between seasons 7A and 7B was way longer than need be. I have my own theories why Starz dragged it out but it’s not worth going into right now. However, when I wasn’t doing Outlander studies with my friend Angela Hickey of the Queen Bee’s Hive, I was reading through some lovely books by Amy Harmon, Julia Brannagh, and Susannah Kearsley. I’ve also been working through a podcast on J.R.R. Tolkien’s books. I’ve loved them since I had to read The Hobbit for school in 7th grade. I jumped onto the subsequent books, The Lord of the Rings. I was fortunate that at that time, Peter Jackson had turned the books into a movie trilogy. It was my first foray into book nerdom, and to see all the things I imagined come alive on screen was amazing! I had also enjoyed C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series as a kid, but something about Tolkien’s works felt more timeless. It had adventure, myth, world building, the underdog saving the world, and tiny hints of romance.

With Amazon bringing the Rings of Power series to streaming (which was meant to be a prequel series), I finally decided to dig in Tolkien’s behemoth, The Silmarillion. I had tried to read it in high school but it felt more like a history textbook than a story. With the help of the Prancing Pony Podcast, I was able to break down this book that essentially set up the mythology of Tolkien’s world. It’s a wonderful podcast that breaks down Tolkien’s works and themes that makes it more relatable and includes great references to pop culture.

So I was totally thrilled to see Diana reference J.R.R. Tolkien’s books in Go Tell the Bees That I am Gone. And to some, it can feel like a pop culture reference, especially with Bree and Roger returning from the 1980s. And while much attention of  Diana’s 9th big book is spent on Frank’s book and whether or not it foreshadows Jamie’s death (#spoilers), it isn’t the only book that matters. 

When Bree and Roger return and give their gifts and settle in to explain how they made it back to the Ridge, we readers are absorbed in finally getting the blanks filled in and so eager to learn more about the standing stone lore that it’s easy to pass by what Bree says.

“And…” she said, smiling at Jamie. “For you, Da.” She pulled out a small, thick paperback and handed it to him. “And for you…” A second book followed the first. “And this one’s for you, too.” The third.

They all go together,” Roger said gruffly. “It’s all one story, I mean, but printed in three volumes.”

“Oh, aye?” Jamie turned over one of the books gingerly, as though afraid it might disintegrate in his hands.

“It’s glued, is it? The binding?”

“Aye,” Roger said, smiling. “It’s called a paperback, that sort of wee book. They’re cheap and light.”

Jamie weighed the book on his hand and nodded, but he was already reading the back cover.

“Frodo Baggins,” he read aloud, and looked up, baffled. “A Welshman?”

“Not exactly. Brianna thought the tale might speak to ye,” Roger said, his smile deepening as he looked at her. “I think she’s right.”

“Mmphm.” Jamie gathered the trio of books together and—with a thoughtful look at the sticky fingerprints Mandy had left on her cup—put them on the top of my simples closet. He kissed Bree and nodded toward her bag.

“Thank ye kindly—I ken they’ll be braw.”

Now notice that Jamie recognizes one of the main character’s names is Welsh.  This brings up the first reason Jamie would enjoy The Lord of the Rings. Jamie is very good at learning languages. J.R.R. Tolkien was a philologist. That means he studied languages in oral and historical sources. Often he studied  ancient literature. He is credited with working on the Oxford dictionary, as well as assembling one of the best versions of the story Beowulf. He also assembled A Middle English Vocabulary, as well as one of the most respected versions of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. At Oxford, he taught classes on Old and Middle English, Germanic philology, Norse, old Icelandic, and Medieval Welsh. In fact, Tolkien loved languages so much that he created his own, Sindarin and Quenya, two forms of Elvish. However, as he was creating them, he started developing a story to go with it, as he realized often written languages are developed to write a history of a people. A story with a unique language is going to appeal to Jamie. And since some of the Celtic languages inspired Tolkien, Jamie is going to recognize some of those roots.

The second reason is that Tolkien is a man of war, just like Jamie. Tolkien fought in World War I. He enlisted after he finished his degree at Oxford. He was at the Battle of the Somme, which was one of the worst battles in history. Over 1 million men were killed or wounded. He found himself leading a group of working class men from Lancashire. It was his job to train, lead, and discipline men. Both he and Jamie would understand what it was to inspire loyalty. Tolkien ended up getting trench fever (a disease from lice), and was sent home. He was considered unfit for duty and spent the rest of the war overseeing hospitals and garrison duties. He lost many friends in the war and most of his battalion was killed after he was sent home. The Lord of the Rings tells a story of a dark Lord who wants to take over the world by force and cruelty. Different people groups of Middle Earth join together to fight for freedom. Tolkien writes epic battle scenes as one who understands. He also works PTSD into his story before it was officially diagnosed as such. Different characters struggle with sadness, depression, and that feeling of not being quite whole, that they’ve been forever changed by what they’ve seen. With all the things Jamie has gone through, (assault, prison, losing friends and comrades to the horrors or war) this tale would resound with him. There are themes of friendship and fellowship that is formed by the bond of going through hardships and war.

The third reason why this story might appeal to Jamie (and us) is the use of faeries, fantasy, and legends. These books would appeal to Jamie’s love of stories. Tolkien is the father of modern fantasy. He wrote his own poetry and music in the languages he created to make it seem more real. He created myths within his myth to feel like places have a history. There are even references to standing stones. Tolkien once gave a talk called On Fairy Stories that was turned into an essay about how to create legends and myths, and references some of the great myths he’s studied. It’s also apparent that the myths and legends of Wales, Scotland, and Norway have influenced his world building. The orcs (who are the bad guys) curse like the Scots do, including pig intestines (like Roger recalls Jamie doing, Book 7). Now Jamie might take offense or he might laugh and understand. Different characters have different powers, which might feel similar to praying to different saints. Different events seem to fall into place, thanks to a higher power, which would appeal to Jamie’s Catholicism. This myth is also presented as an alternative version of history to the United Kingdom before the PICTs, Anglo-Saxons, and Romans, and Norse descended upon Great Britain. He would think it’s an interesting take on it and would remind him of the Greek and Roman myths or Celtic myths for explaining the origin of the world.

The fourth reason is time travel. Yes, Tolkien even dabbles in time travel. He’d probably deny it but in one of the lands of the elves, the Land of Lothlorien, time seems to move at a slower pace than the rest of the world. Now it’s not quite like Claire’s time travel but it would fit it in with Jamie’s Scottish lore of powerful beings that are able to alter things. And as mentioned before, there are references to standing stones. The Rollwright stone circle near Oxford were most likely the inspiration. In The Fellowship of the Rings and, four characters are lost in the fog and find themselves at the top of a hill in a circle of standing stones. They are then pulled into a barrow by a barrow-wight, which is a spell put on a ghosts of old kings that try to drag people to their lair and kill them and they are never seen again. It is very similar to the legends about stone circles that the Scots had created.

“…Brianna thought the tale might speak to ye,” Roger said, his smile deepening as he looked at her. “I think she’s right.”

Go tell the bees that I am gone

Another reason this story would appeal to Jamies is that it subtly includes what it takes to be a leader. Leaders learn by making poor choices and trying to right their mistakes. In one of the Lord John Grey books, we see Jamie admit to Lord John that his act of disciplining a tenant (who was abusing his son), sets off a chain of events that costs Jamie dearly.  His upset tenant turns Jamie in for the bounty Black Jack Randall has set on Jamie’s head. He ends up on the run, eventually gets caught, and is abused and tortured by Black Jack in exchange for Claire’s freedom when she tries to sneak in and help Jamie escape. Being tortured by Black Jack affects him for the rest of his life. And we see different characters in The Lord of the Rings make choices that cause a similar chain of events, sometimes fortuitous and sometimes bad. They have to explore the power of choice but also the consequences of choice and how those choices change them. Some lead them to their destiny and fulfilling prophecies and other choices lead them to their deaths.

Another reason is that the story is basically the underdog trying to take down the big baddie (Scots vs England, Americans vs England). There’s this evil lord called Sauron that wants to take over Middle Earth by force. I mean, that’s totally gonna resound with Jamie with England always trying to take over Scotland. And depending on one’s political stances, this story has definitely resonated with different readers throughout time. In fact, he was finishing these books as World War II was going on.

This story might also appeal to some of Diana’s readers and to Jamies because Tolkien is one of the most famous writers who was a Catholic. Diana happens to also be Catholic. Both of them don’t want to write allegories (unlike C.S. Lewis whose Narnia series was an allegory) but different parts of their Catholic faith seep thru. As mentioned earlier, there are different references to different people or beings that might remind Jamie of praying to different saints. Tolkien didn’t want it to be overly religious but every once in a while, a little bit seeps through here and there.

Another reason to try this series is to try something for Jamie’s sake. It may sound kinda corny but too often we see Jamie thru the eyes of others (especially Claire) that love him. It’s time to try something because of who he is, and not just the things that make him a dreamy hunk. It’s what I love about finally getting his point of view in Books 5-9, as well as in The Scottish Prisoner.

Another reason you might enjoy these books is because it has a little bit of everything. Diana’s books have a little bit of history, fantasy, myth/legend, mystery, war, and romance. The Lord of the Rings has all of those tings but in an alternate universe. As mentioned before, Tolkien wrote it as alternate history of England that many forgot. Much like Diana, he didn’t have a plan. In fact, he had to go back and edit and re-release The Hobbit to fit with the changes he made in The Lord of the Rings. And he only started The Hobbit because he was creating his own Elven languages. It morphed into a story for his kids that was then shared among friends until he was told to publish it. It was well loved by readers, and finally, many years later he wrote the sequel, The Lord of the Rings. (It was only published as a trilogy because the publisher was afraid it would be too big as one book. If only the publisher had seen Diana’s books .) However, The Lord of the Rings is more for teen and adults than children. He left many unfinished manuscripts with further histories of Middle Earth that his son Christopher Tolkien finished for him.

Just like Diana, Tolkien makes his world feel real. Yes there are dragons and monsters and orcs, but there are also food and music and dancing. A hobbit is one of the main characters. It is not a dwarf but a full human, just half the size of a man. They only want the simple comforts of home and hearth. They love a good meal. Yet they are sturdy and brave and end up doing great things. Just like all people can do.  Remember, Jamie didn’t want to see glory in war. He only wanted to live a simple life at home and have a family. As mentioned before, Tolkien also creates music, poetry and makes vivid descriptions so that you feel like you are there. Again, Tolkien writes this as if he is translating the story from old manuscripts so that it feels like an alternative history to Great Britain, before the Anglo-Saxons, Picts, Celts, and Norsemen made their way there. It is much like how Diana uses real music, literature, art, and legends to make the past come alive.

There also might be another connection between Outlander and The Lord of the Rings but in a roundabout way. In Voyager, Jamie is on probation at Helwater (in the Lake District) and works for Lord Dunsany. I don’t know if Diana did this on purpose but an earlier fantasy/gothic writer was named Lord Dunsany. He was Irish and born into the second oldest peerage in Ireland. He lived from 1878-1957. Tolkien greatly enjoyed Dunsany’s works and was inspired by them. I don’t know if Diana was also inspired by Lord Dunsany or it just was a good name but it’s an interesting coincidence.

Another thing that might appeal to Jamie and to Diana’s readers is that Tolkien’s works include common theme like themes of eucatastrophe, fate, and free will. Tolkien really explores this, but you would never know it on the first read. There are little hints like when Frodo (one of the main characters), struggles with the tough task ahead of him. His friend and mentor Gandalf tells him he was meant to do this task. Gandalf is referencing a great power in charge of overseeing the world. This power isn’t really mentioned in the book, The Fellowship of the Ring. However in his later work, The Silmarillion, (completed and published by his son), it’s apparent that this greater power is Iluvatar, the creator of the world and the Valar (kinda like demi-gods or smaller gods in the Greek or Roman traditions). In the same way, Roger struggles with fate and free will in Diana’s books, especially after traveling in time to the wrong period, accidentally saving his father and in many ways, himself. With his Presbyterian background of pre-destination, was he always meant to do this or did he have a choice, especially with going through the stones. Was he always meant to go back in time? I’m hoping we find out more of these things in Diana’s newest book.

I hope this helps you to consider reading Tolkien’s works. Some people might consider it hard because of the unusual names, words being hard to pronounce, or not being as realistic. However, it would hopefully be easier for us to get through after having to figure out Gaelic and Scottish names and places. Plus, Howard Shore wrote a fantastic score for all the movies. I quite enjoy listening to them while I read through Tolkien’s works. If you love Bear McCreary’s music for Outlander, you’ll probably also enjoy his music composed for The Rings Of Power series on Amazon. I’ve really enjoyed listening to his scores while I reread Tolkien’s works. Also, hobbits love food. I mean, if you love comfort food like I do, that’s very relatable. I hope you at least give it a try.

Til next time…Slainte.