J.r.r. Tolkien Quotes

Living by faith includes the call to something greater than cowardly self-preservation.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the Sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-earth. Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Yes Said Gandalf; for it will be better to ride back three together than one alone. Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the Sea comes the end of out fellowship in Middle-earth. Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Shall we mourn here deedless forever a shadow-folk mist-haunting dropping vain tears in the thankless sea

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

This was the first of the sorrows of Turin.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

The whole thing is quite hopeless, so it's no good worrying about tomorrow. It probably won't come.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Instead of a Dark Lord, you would have a queen, not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Tempestuous as the sea, and stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me and despair!

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Faithfulness in Christian marriage entails that: great mortification. For a Christian man there is no escape. Marriage may help to sanctify and direct to its proper object his sexual desires; its grace may help him in the struggle; but the struggle remains. It will not satisfy him–as hunger may be kept off by regular meals. It will offer as many difficulties to the purity proper to that state, as it provides easements. No man, however truly he loved his betrothed and bride as a young man, has lived faithful to her as a wife in mind and body without deliberate conscious exercise of the will, without self-denial.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Where are Haldad my father, and Haldad my brother? If the king of Doriath fears a friendship between Haleth and those who have devoured her kin, then the ways of the Eldar are strange to Men.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

I am doubtful myself about the undertaking. Part of the attraction of the L.R. is, I think, due to the glimpses of a large history in the background: an attraction like that of viewing far off an unvisited island, or seeing the towers of a distant city gleaming in a sunlit mist. To go there is to destroy the magic, unless new unattainable vistas are again revealed. Also many of the older legends are purely 'mythological', and nearly all are grim and tragic: a long account of the disasters that destroyed the beauty of the Ancient World, from the darkening of Valinor to the Downfall of Numenor and the flight of Elendil.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Supernatural is a dangerous and difficult word in any of its senses, looser or stricter. But to fairies it can hardly be applied, unless super is taken merely as a superlative prefix. For it is man who is, in contrast to fairies, supernatural; whereas they are natural, far more natural than he. Such is their doom.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

But it is not your own Shire,’ said Gildor. ‘Others dwelt here before hobbits were; and others will dwell here again when hobbits are no more. The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot for ever fence it out.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Hobbits!’ he thought. ‘Well, what next? I have heard of strange doings in this land, but I have seldom heard of a hobbit sleeping out of doors under a tree. Three of them! There’s something mighty queer behind this.’ He was quite right, but he never found out any more about it.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Then shouldering their burdens, they set off, seeking a path that would bring them over the grey hills of the Emyn Muil, and down into the Land of Shadow.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays, since they have become rare and shy of the Big People, as they call us. They are (or were) a little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded Dwarves. Hobbits have no beards. There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them to disappear quietly and quickly when large stupid folk like you and me come blundering along, making a noise like elephants which they can hear a mile off. They are inclined to be fat in the stomach; they dress in bright colours (chiefly green and yellow); wear no...

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Bilbo Baggins was standing at his door after breakfast smoking an enormous long wooden pipe that reached nearly down to his woolly toes (neatly brushed)—Gandalf came by.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Gandalf: Often does hatred hurt itself!

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand, I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going because they were holding on to something.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

It's the deep breath before the plunge.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Yes, I am white now,' said Gandalf. 'Indeed I am Saruman, one might almost say, Saruman as he should have been.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

But the sons of Men die indeed, and leave the world; wherefore they are called the Guests or the Strangers. Death is their fate, the gift of Illúvatar, which as time wears even the Powers shall envy.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Many are the strange chances of the world,' said Mithrandir, 'and help oft shall come from the hands of the weak when the Wise falter.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

There is no curse in Elvish, Entish, or the tongues of Men for this treachery.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

A traitor may betray himself and do good he does not intend.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

As a lord was heldfor the strength of his body and stoutness of heart.Much lore he learned, and loved wisdombut fortune followed him in few desires;oft wrong and awry what he wrought turned;what he loved he lost, what he longed for he won not;and full friendship he found not easily,nor was lightly loved for his looks were sad.He was gloom-hearted, and glad seldomfor the sundering sorrow that filled his youth...(On Turin Turambar - The Children of Hurin)

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

If you're going to have a complicated story, you must work to a map; otherwise you can never make a map of it afterwards.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

What a pity that Bilbo did not stab that vile creature, when he had a chance!'Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and Mercy: not to strike without need. And he has been well rewarded, Frodo. Be sure that he took so little hurt from the evil, and escaped in the end, because he began his ownership of the Ring so. With Pity.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do no be too eager to deal out death in judgment.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

I shall have to go. But- and here Frodo looked hard at Sam- if you really care about me, you will have to keep that DEAD secret. See? If you don't, if you even breathe a word of what you've heard here, then I hope Gandalf will turn you into a spotted toad and fill the garden full of grass snakes. Sam fell on his knees, trembling. Get up, Sam! Said Gandalf. I have thought of something better than that. Something to keep you quiet, and punish you properly for listening. You shall go away with Mr. Frodo! Me, sir! cried Sam, springing up like a dog invited for a walk. Me go and see Elves and all! Hooray! he shouted, and then burst into tears.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Getting rid of dragons is not at all in my line, but I will do my best to think about it. Personally I have no hopes at all, and wish I was safe back at home.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

If by my life or death I can protect you, I will.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

These folk are hewers of trees and hunters of beasts; therefore we are their unfriends, and if they will not depart we shall afflict them in all ways that we can.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Each day before the end of eveshe sought her lover, nor would him leave,until the stars were dimmed, and daycame glimmering eastward silver-grey.Then trembling-veiled she would appear,and dance before him, half in fear;there flitting just before his feetshe gently chid with laughter sweet:'Come! dance now, Beren, dance with me!For fain thy dancing I would see!

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

A light like the glint of water on dewy grass flashed from under her feet as she danced.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

He did not go much further, but sat down on the cold floor and gave himself up to complete miserableness, for a long while. He thought of himself frying bacon and eggs in his own kitchen at home - for he could feel inside that it was high time for some meal or other; but that only made him miserabler.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Give with a free hand, but give only of your own.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Perhaps it is better not to tell what you wish. if you cannot have it.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien

Seek for the Sword that was brokenIn Imladris it dwells;There shall be counsels takenStronger than Morgul-spells.There shall be shown a tokenThat Doom is near at hand,For Isuldur's Bane shall waken,And the halfling forth shall stand.

~ J.r.r. Tolkien