Has 'Lord of the Rings' been influenced by Wagner and Germanic paganism ?

Maciamo

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In Wagner's opera Der Ring des Nibelungen, based on the Germanic epic poem Nibelungenlied, Rhinemaidens guard the Rhinegold, of which anyone who first renounces love can make out a magic ring, which will let its bearer rule the World. Alberich, a Nibelung dwarf, steals the gold and makes the legendary magic (and cursed) ring out of it.

In Nibelheim, Alberich enslaved the rest of the Nibelung dwarves. He forced his brother Mime, the most skillful smith, to create a magic helmet, the Tarnhelm. Alberich demonstrates the Tarnhelm's power by making himself invisible, the better to torment his subjects. This is when several mythic figures struggle for possession of the Ring, including Wotan (Odin), the chief of the Gods. It will lead to their doom...

The link with Tolkien's trilogy is obvious. The idea of the cursed ring of power that everyone craves to control, the magic, the giants, the dwarves, the Valkyries (the Elves in LotR), and even the magic helmet (which has become a cloak in LotR) comes from the Nibelungen.

Interestingly, the Nibelungs (or Niflungs) are linked in Germanic literature to be the Burgundians, a Germanic tribe originally from the island of Bornholm in Denmark, who lived around Worms (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) at the time of the story. They seized the Eastern part of Roman Gaul in the 5th century and settled to this day in what is now Burgundy, Franche-Comté and French-speaking Switzerland.

Germanic-type inhabitants of this region are thus the descendents of the legendary Nibelung dwarves who stole the Rhinegold to make the ring of power. Maybe that is why Francophone Switzerland has such a long tradition in jewelery making. :p And, who knows, the ring might still be hidden somewhere in the mountains of Switzerland, which is why the Swiss are so rich and so keen to remain independent and neutral in world affairs, so that nobody finds out... :p
 
Tolkien made it well known that he drew upon Northern European myths for inspiration, along with various languages, for Lord of the Rings. Elvish being influenced by Finnish and Welsh, but he was a language professor. Even the layout of Middle earth was influenced by European geography. The Shire was based on his childhood and rural Britian. Mordor was set in the east, where most threats from Europe have come from.. Even the scrouging of the Shire and Sarumans industrialisation around Orthanc are based on his moving from rural England to industrial Birmingham, a big dirty city in his day.
 
I completely agree with you @Maciamo on the Dwarves issue but i have always looked at Tolkien's Work in a much broader way than based on Germanic culture, but rather several.

I honestly think that Tolkien was based a little on the various mythologies spread around the world and tried to "create" a mythology for the world in general.

The map of Arda itself leads us to understand this and the cultures of the respective regions are associated with characteristics of local cultures.
00_Arda_in_Third_Age.jpg

I'll leave below a map that I found somewhere in 2020 and that helps us understand the inspirations he had for "creating" the stories in his work.
Personally I like Tolkien's approach.
He in a way tried to create an origin/mythology for the world, based on tales from different areas.

For example Gondor clearly based on Greco-Roman Culture and Numenor inspired by Atlantis, with Gondor being the "descendant" of that culture.

The elves of Celtic culture, the dwarves of Nordic and Germanic culture and the hobbits inspired by the village where they lived, transmitting the simplicity "that geographically would be in the English area.
The very way he associates the Elves with his map in the West zone (Immortal Lands) and their clear connection to nature just like the natives of America
Then the Rhun inspired by the Mongols, the Khand by the Turks, the Harand in the Middle East, Mordor with the Story of Vlad the Impaler of Transylvania and the political instability in the Balkans during the First World War, etc.

05_InspiraçãoTolkienMapaMundo.jpg
 
Tolkien Dwarves speak a secret Semitic language, there's also several layers of Catholic philosophy like the Vala Nienna and so forth. Seems to me more of a mishmash of mythologies with a focus on English heritage.
 
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Tolkien Dwarves speak a secret Semitic language, there's also several layers of Catholic philosophy like the Vala Nienna and so forth. Seems to me more of a mishmash of mythologies with a focus on English heritage.

I agree, the Catholic/Abrahamic influence is obvious, Melkor fallen angel status turning to evil being is so reminiscent of Lucifer.

So, it's a mish-mash of everything but mostly Germanic + Abrahamic influences. Nevertheless, The Lord of the Rings trilogy was awesome, and made the books even more famous.
 
I completely agree with you @Maciamo on the Dwarves issue but i have always looked at Tolkien's Work in a much broader way than based on Germanic culture, but rather several.

I honestly think that Tolkien was based a little on the various mythologies spread around the world and tried to "create" a mythology for the world in general.

The map of Arda itself leads us to understand this and the cultures of the respective regions are associated with characteristics of local cultures.
View attachment 14450

I'll leave below a map that I found somewhere in 2020 and that helps us understand the inspirations he had for "creating" the stories in his work.
Personally I like Tolkien's approach.
He in a way tried to create an origin/mythology for the world, based on tales from different areas.

For example Gondor clearly based on Greco-Roman Culture and Numenor inspired by Atlantis, with Gondor being the "descendant" of that culture.

The elves of Celtic culture, the dwarves of Nordic and Germanic culture and the hobbits inspired by the village where they lived, transmitting the simplicity "that geographically would be in the English area.
The very way he associates the Elves with his map in the West zone (Immortal Lands) and their clear connection to nature just like the natives of America
Then the Rhun inspired by the Mongols, the Khand by the Turks, the Harand in the Middle East, Mordor with the Story of Vlad the Impaler of Transylvania and the political instability in the Balkans during the First World War, etc.

View attachment 14452
I agree. I think the main inspiration behind the ring was based on the ring of Gyges from Platos Republic, which Tolkien would have been familiar with:
Which not only has almost the same powers as the one ring, but acts an interesting plot device due to the implication of power without repercussions, and its implications on morality. This plot device is used in both the Republic as well as by Tolkien's one ring.

As for the ring mentioned by Maciamo, people were making these comparisons back in Tolkiens day, but he responded:

(about the Ring of the Nibelung which also has significant similarities to the One Ring) "both rings are round and that's where the comparison ends."
 
Your idea that the Nibelungs are linked to the Burgundians is correct, as both names refer to the same people in different languages.
 

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