(Recorded Course) The Silmarillion with Dr. Henry Russell

 

 

 

 

Register today and go deep into the stories behind The Fellowship of the Ring. The Silmarillion is Tolkien’s vast “myth” of the spiritual love of the Father and his mighty creations, the Ainur, who together create the harmonious cosmos. That harmony and love is harmed by a demonic vanity in one of the Ainur, Melkor, so that almost eternal warfare enters creation and is centered upon the earth.

 

How to get the most out of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion with Dr. Henry Russell:

  • First, read the course details below and purchase or borrow the book.
  • Prepare a notebook for notetaking and homework.
  • Students begin the course by clicking on the "Recording" and watching Dr. Russell's lecture for Class One.
  • Complete the Quiz. Answer Key is provided for self-grading or to be graded by a parent.
  • The reading for each week can be found in that week's module.
  • If you need review, go back and watch the recording again and/or go over the PowerPoint.
  • Repeat until all 10 classes are complete along with the final exam.
  • Once the course is finished to the parent's satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records. Make sure to record your grades (HSC does not provide recordkeeping services).
  • Answer Key is provided for self-grading or to be graded by a parent

 

Total number of class meetings: 11

Duration of each class: 55 minutes

Prerequisite: The ability to enjoy reading the work

Suggested grade level: 11th to 12th grade

Suggested credit: One full semester Literature

Instructor: Henry Russell, Ph.D.

Instructor Email: maryshire@gmail.com

Course Description: The Silmarillion presents Tolkien’s vast “myth” of the spiritual love of the Father and his mighty creations, the Ainur, who together create the harmonious cosmos. That harmony and love is harmed by a demonic vanity in one of the Ainur, Melkor, so that almost eternal warfare enters creation and is centered upon the earth. If this sounds very Biblical, it is. But Tolkien wanted the freedom to create characters and beauties of his own, as long as he retained the spirit of Truth. The first to suffer the warfare are the Elves, who live and fight for thousands of years, at first in rebellion against their creators, and later against the evils of Melkor. Great men, who come later in the plan of creation, join them in their titanic struggles. This becomes a story of many Falls, and many efforts at redemption, suffered and enacted by almost eternal beings whose tragedies are the more terrible as they are the grander and more beautiful in their creation. Through their story we are invited to see the pattern of our own lives, set long before the age of Man when the battle against evil through Redemption will take its perfect form.

 

Course Outline:

  • Week One -  pp.vii-22 Prefaces and Ainulindale
  • Week Two -  pp.16-46 Valaquenta; Quenta Silmarillion: “Of the Beginning of Days, “Of Aule and Yavanna”.
  • Week Three - pp. 47-62 “Of the Coming of the Elves”, “Of Thingol and Melian”, “Of Eldamar and the Princes of Eldalie”.
  • Week Four - pp. 63-105 “Of Feanor and the Unchaining of Melkor”, “Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor”, “Of the Darkening of Valinor” “Of the Flight of the Noldor” “Of the Sindar”, “Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor”, and “Of Men”.
  • Week Five - pp. 106-149 “Of the Return of the Noldor,” “Of Beleriand and its Realms,”  “Of the Noldor in Beleriand,” “Of Maeglin,” and “Of the Coming of Men into the West.”
  • Week Six - pp. 150-187 “Of the Ruin of Beleriand”,  and “Of Beren and Luthien”,
  • Week Seven - pp. 188-226 “Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad and “Of Turin Turambar”.
  • Week Eight - pp. 227-255 “Of the Ruin of Doriath”, “Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin”, and “Of the Voyage of Earendil”.
  • Week Nine - pp. 259-282 Akallabeth: “The Downfall of Numenor”
  • Week Ten - pp.  285-304 “Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age”.

 

Course Materials: The Silmarillion. J.R.R. Tolkien. ISBN 0-618-12698-8 (https://amzn.to/3s0QW21)

 

Homework: Approximately 30-40 pages per week. About 2 hours per week. The homework will be to have read the pages we will discuss on that class day. There will be computer-graded quizzes available after each class and a final.