Lectures by JRR Tolkien

I was at Merton as an undergraduate, graduate, and College lecturer from 1956-61. I have two memorable memories of the great man, each in its own way both amusing and revealing! The first is attending his lectures on Beowulf in the Examination Schools in 1958. The large lecture hall was packed as he began: 'Gentlemen,' (though, of course, there were several ladies present) 'the first word of this great poem is hwaet, which is not easy to translate. I will show you how to do it.' He lifted up his fist and crashed it down on the lectern, scattering his papers on the floor, and electrifying his audience. He continued, '...but the examiners will not be impressed.' - The word, 'what' in modern English, was used as a sort of call to attention at the beginning of a poetic recitation in Old English times.

-Christopher Ball (1956) 

My first year at Merton coincided with Tolkien’s last. He was a great hero of mine and I chose to specialise in Old and Middle English (then known as Course 2) for Schools.

In my second term Tolkien gave his lectures on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and although I was yet to take Prelims I went to these. The first lecture was in the great East School and was packed. I was lucky enough to be in the front row and was able to hear; but the great man spoke quietly and at breakneck speed. The following week the lecture was moved to a small room on the ground floor of the Examination Schools. About a dozen of us were there and Tolkien began by saying, 'That’s better'. 

For the rest of term, he spoke clearly, audibly and rivetingly, frequently to this smaller audience. He frequently referred to the edition of Tolkien and Gordon as though it had not been his, suggesting small improvements that he said they might incorporate if the publishers were to invite them to make a revised edition!

I was fortunate enough to attend his inspirational valedictory lecture in Merton Hall in Trinity Term 1959.

-Nicholas Menon (1958)

I remember Tolkien with great fondness. I had the privilege of attending two lectures of his at Schools. One was on the Anglo-Saxon poem The Exodus, in which his translation showed him to be as good as if not better than the original poet. The second lecture was on the Middle English manual for nuns, The Ancrene Wisse, in which he showed how it was possible to 'make dishwater taste like champagne'.

This is the side of Tolkien never talked about, his philological genius.

-Jay Keyser

A JRRT anecdote I had second hand is as follows. A friend who was a Roman Catholic went to Mass in Headington. The epistle was read by Tolkien and after the service she asked him which translation he had used as she would like to use the same. It emerged that he had read it directly from the Greek translating at sight! 

I remember being told this in the 70s but can’t recall which of my friends it had happened to.

-Nicholas Menon (1958)