Fragment som förbereder för frälsning. Kristusbilder i Tolkiens ringenepos

Abstract

The author of The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien, was a devout Roman Catholic and in his personal letters he testifies to the fact that he saw his great work of literature as a fundamentally religious and Catholic work. In his mind, by creating believeable Secondary worlds, the writer became a ”sub-creator”, and thereby participated in God’s creation. He also believed that the Gospels recall myths found in many other contexts, with the fundamental difference that the Gospels were based upon truth. Similar stories could, nontheless, prepare people for the message of the Gospels. The article analyses the characters of Gandalf and Aragorn with respect to the resemblance to Jesus of the New Testament: Gandalf being the wise leader who sacrifices himself for his companions and then returns from death, albeit so changed so his friends do not recognize him, Aragorn, being the long awaited king who defeats evil and claims his throne through a combination of birth-right, valor, and healing powers. Both also go through a moment of transformation when their true identities are revealed to their companions.