Death of Christopher

Discussions in Middle-earth lore, language and books.
Post Reply
Herald of Imladris
Points: 106 
Posts: 41
Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 5:16 pm
This is surely the major event of the recent past. Christopher died, at the age of 95, on 16 January 2020, in a hospital in Draguignan, near his home town of Aups, in Provence. The family put an obituary notice in the local newspaper, with the following quotation:

I sit beside the fire and think
Of how the world will be
When winter comes without a spring
That I shall ever see.
I am no longer young even in the reckoning of Men of the Ancient Houses

Councillor of Imladris
Points: 455 
Posts: 97
Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 11:57 am
That bit was news to me, thank you, @Dorwiniondil.

That poem has, for completely different reasons, been on my mind off and on for a while, and it is increasingly becoming one of my favourite Tolkien poems (otherwise, I primarily favour his alliterative verses), so it is nice to see the family using it in this connection.

For myself, my own instinct was turning to Faramir, “It is hard indeed to believe that one of so great wisdom, and of power – for many wonderful things he did among us – could perish, and so much lore be taken from the world.
“The love of Faery is the love of love” J.R.R. Tolkien

Guardian of the Golden Wood
Points: 2 793 
Posts: 1910
Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 7:54 pm
A poem of old age! We who read JRRT have been prepared to face death, as story can. As in our discussions of the myriad lore commentaries of @halfir, the passing of a person turns the wheel of how we talk of them; remembrance steps from recognition to the encounter with the dead that is the very opposite of Necromancy.

I sit a summer night and think
Of how the world once was
When winter came as did a spring
That you not I did see.

The boy who was too young for the adventure of Bilbo Baggins, who became map maker, copywriter, and as a pilot in the War, reader of the great tale of Frodo Baggins. The man who we owe our knowledge of the maker of not only the new hobbit story but also 'The History of Middle-earth' and his father's Beowulf.

Christopher Tolkien, may you rest in peace while we still talk with you
Eat earth. Dig deep. Drink water.

Master Torturer
Points: 2 588 
Posts: 3018
Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 11:22 am
Sad news, but a nice ripe age he got to, though it is never enough when the time actually comes. I was lucky enough to meet Royd Tolkien at a convention years ago and he brought cards signed by Christopher and put them into the Silmarillion books they were selling. Of course I had to have it!

Wainrider
Points: 272 
Posts: 248
Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 2:18 pm
Christopher Tolkien brought so much joy and wonder to the world, not just of his father's writings, but of his own contributions and insights to the Tolkien legendarium. We owe so much of what we know of Middle-earth to his diligent work, and I was deeply saddened when I heard of his passing.
Not all who wander are lost...except that guy. He's DEFINITELY lost.- JRR Tolkien, probably

Istari Savant
Points: 129 
Posts: 63
Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 10:17 pm
Imagine if there had been no Christopher Tolkien. We likely would never have seen a word of The Silmarillion! I for one am so grateful that Mr. Tolkien took it upon himself to ensure that those wondrous tales saw the light of day.

Thain of The Mark
Points: 2 582 
Posts: 1399
Joined: Tue May 19, 2020 10:44 pm
I remember reading about it in January, but in the craziness of life that followed it had slipped my mind. My own grandfather passed away in early March, and he was just slightly older than Christopher (grandpa would have been 98 if he'd lasted another month.) What long, full lives indeed!

I feel it is even more appropriate now that the Plaza has been revived. Knowing Middle-earth literally changed my life, and I will be forever grateful for the work Christopher Tolkien put in to restoring and preserving his father's works.

Thank you for sharing the quotation that the family put with the obituary, @Dorwiniondil!
Image
Second Marshal of the Mark
Westmark Éored

Weathered Ent
Points: 409 
Posts: 248
Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 8:51 pm
Christopher Tolkien did a lot of preserve the works of his father. In that he brought a lot of joy to the world. I am saddened to hear of his passing. He did live a long and full life.
Huorn of Fangorn

Fea
Points: 60 
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2020 3:33 pm
One of my reading projects over the past year has been re-reading much of the History of Middle-earth, so as to read through Tolkien's drafts in chronological order. I read the early volumes in the series in high school, and just simply didn't have the grasp or the appreciation for the nature of what Christopher Tolkien (and John Rateliff) did with those volumes.
I can only imagine that I as part of the 2nd generation of Tolkienists, mourn Christopher's loss in much the same way that the 1st generation of Tolkienists mourned the death of Tolkien himself. Christopher left us so much!

Newborn of Imladris
Points: 640 
Posts: 221
Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 10:25 am
Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.
Remembering halfir by learning something new each day

New Soul
Points: 149 
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2020 8:47 pm
I was so sad when I heard of Christopher's death, but I'm glad he lived to such a ripe old age. Didn't make it to eleventy-one, but never mind. His contribution to the editing, collation and publication of his father's work is incredible. I hope he's resting in peace and reunited with the father he adored.
"But in the end it's only a passing thing, this shadow; even darkness must pass."

Doorwarden of The Mark
Points: 252 
Posts: 36
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2020 2:00 am
@Dorwiniondil that is a beautiful bittersweet obituary :cry: Thank you to Christopher's family for including that verse :grouphug:

I cried when I heard of his death, for sadness and joy.

"In sorrow we must go, but not in despair. Behold! we are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory." LotR, Appendix A 'The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen'

Esquire of The Mark
Points: 373 
Posts: 256
Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 2:40 am
I hadn’t even realized it had been a year now. I think I hadn’t fully processed it. I know that he was very old, and how lucky to live such a long life, but it’s always saddening to see someone who had such influence in my life pass away. It feels like with him the last real magic of Middle-Earth may have gone, as if he was the last elf to depart to the West and take all that old memory and life with him. :cry:

Crafts Master
Points: 170 
Posts: 81
Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 8:13 am
With the utter tornado that 2020 was it is little surprise that we are a year on so quickly. I had often wondered about writing to him but I wasn't sure he would want that, he did have a reputation as being a very private individual. I am just glad he got the chance publish as much of his father's work as he did. Most of it is down to him.

Doorwarden of The Mark
Points: 252 
Posts: 36
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2020 2:00 am
@Thorin Firehelm I thought about writing to him too but never got around to it. I wanted to write to Charles Portis too but he died in 2020 as well. So did Harold Bloom. Too many great great lives lost in a infamously memorable year.

New Soul
Points: 206 
Posts: 54
Joined: Wed Nov 25, 2020 6:26 pm
We owe him so much.
fka Ann Kalagon, Hyandaner

Mae Govannen, my friends!

Post Reply