Tolkien – The Fantasy Worlds of Nyki Blatchley

The Middle Ages That Never Were

A painting of a traditional mounted knight riding reside a traditional damsel

There seems to be a fixed idea that, at least until very recently, most fantasy has been set in a mediaeval-type setting. This is almost an article of faith to many people, in the face of all evidence, and shows that they have very little understanding of what mediaeval1 really means. Some fantasy authors haveContinue reading “The Middle Ages That Never Were”

The Aryan Fallacy

Note: This is an updated version of a post on my old blog from 2015. Recent events suggest that it may need saying again. In 1938, J.R.R. Tolkien received a letter from a German publisher who proposed to publish a translation of The Hobbit. According to the laws under the Nazi government, they requested himContinue reading “The Aryan Fallacy”