The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the real-world history and notable fictional elements of J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy universe. It covers materials created by Tolkien; the works on his unpublished manuscripts, by his son Christopher Tolkien; and films, games and other media created by other people.
Middle-earth – fantasy setting created by Tolkien, home to hobbits, orcs, ents, dragons, and many other races and creatures.
Primary sources
Authors J. R. R. Tolkien Christopher Tolkien
Published works
By J. R. R. Tolkien
The Hobbit (1937) 2nd Edition (1951) revised to align with The Lord of the Rings 3rd Edition (1966) revised to assert copyright in US The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring (1954) The Shadow of the Past The Council of Elrond The Two Towers (1954) The Return of the King (1955) The Scouring of the Shire - a "novelistic" chapter The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (1962) Revised edition (2014) with addition of original poems, sources and images, and commentary by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond The Road Goes Ever On (1967) – music by Donald Swann, penmanship by Tolkien. See also Audio recordings Revised edition (1978) – including a setting for Bilbo's Last Song
Posthumously published Bilbo's Last Song (1974) – Dutch translation published 1973 "Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings" (1975) – also known as "Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings" The Silmarillion (1977) Ainulindalë Pictures by J. R. R. Tolkien (1979) – text by Christopher Tolkien. Most of these pictures had been previously published in calendars by Ballantine Books (1973) and George Allen & Unwin (1974, 1976–1979), some of them coloured by H. E. Riddett. Unfinished Tales (1980) J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator (1995) – text by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull The Art of The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (2011) – text by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull The Art of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (2015) – text by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull
Edited by Christopher Tolkien
These works present extended selections of Tolkien's legendarium (the large body of documents relating to The Silmarillion), with extensive notes and posthumous editing by his son Christopher. The separate 4-volume body of his comments on the drafts of The Lord of the Rings is included as volumes 6–9.
The History of Middle-earth
Early legendarium 1 The Book of Lost Tales 1 (1983) 2 The Book of Lost Tales 2 (1984) 3 The Lays of Beleriand (1985) 4 The Shaping of Middle-earth (1986) 5 The Lost Road and Other Writings (1987)
The History of The Lord of the Rings 6 The Return of the Shadow (1988) 7 The Treason of Isengard (1989) 8 The War of the Ring (1990) 9 Sauron Defeated (1992)
The later Silmarillion 10 Morgoth's Ring (1993) 11 The War of the Jewels (1994)
Further details 12 The Peoples of Middle-earth (1996)
Other stories
The Tolkien Reader and Tales from the Perilous Realm both reprint The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
Additional materials from the legendarium, with Christopher Tolkien's commentary.
The Children of Húrin (2007) Beren and Lúthien (2017) The Fall of Gondolin (2018) The Fall of Númenor (2022)
Edited by other scholars
The Annotated Hobbit (1988) – text of The Hobbit, with many related texts by Tolkien, edited and with commentary by Douglas A. Anderson (revised edition 2002)
The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien (1981) – selected, introduced and edited by Humphrey Carpenter
The Nature of Middle-earth (2021) – essays and fragments, including on Elvish linguistics, with commentary by the scholar Carl F. Hostetter
The History of The Hobbit (2007) – 2 volumes on the construction of The Hobbit with commentary by the scholar John D. Rateliff
Audio recordings
Poems and Songs of Middle Earth (1967), Caedmon TC 1231 – poems read by Tolkien; songs sung by William Elvin, accompanied by composer Donald Swann (as published in The Road Goes Ever On) J. R. R. Tolkien Reads and Sings his The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings (1975), Caedmon TC 1477, TC 1478 (based on an August, 1952 recording by George Sayer) J. R. R. Tolkien The Silmarillion Of Beren And Lúthien (1977), Caedmon TC 1564 – Christopher Tolkien reads chapter 19 of The Silmarillion, slightly abridged
Graphical works Tolkien's artwork Tolkien's maps Tolkien's scripts Cirth Sarati Tengwar
Translation
Translations of The Hobbit Translating The Lord of the Rings (issues, challenges, approaches) Translation of The Lord of the Rings into Swedish List of translations of The Lord of the Rings
Adaptations and developments
Maps
A Map of Middle-earth, meaning either of two posters: by Barbara Remington (1965) by Pauline Baynes (1970) The Atlas of Middle-earth (1981, revised ed 1991) by Karen Wynn Fonstad Journeys of Frodo: An Atlas of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (1981) by Barbara Strachey
Spoken word
The Hobbit (1974) – Nicol Williamson recorded an abridged, dramatic version for Decca Records on the Argo label The Lord of the Rings (1990) – unabridged recording by Rob Inglis for Recorded Books The Hobbit (1991) – unabridged recording by Rob Inglis for Recorded Books The Children of Húrin (2007) – Christopher Lee recorded an unabridged audiobook The Hobbit (2020) – Andy Serkis live-streamed an unabridged reading to raise money for NHS Charities Together The Hobbit (2020) – unabridged recording by Andy Serkis for HarperCollinsUK and Recorded Books The Lord of the Rings (2021) – unabridged recording by Andy Serkis for HarperCollinsUK and Recorded Books
Radio
The Lord of the Rings (1955) – BBC: six 45-minute episodes for The Fellowship of the Ring, then six 30-minute episodes for all of The Two Towers and The Return of the King, adapted by Terence Tiller The Hobbit (1968) – BBC: eight half-hour episodes, adapted by Michael Kilgarriff The Lord of the Rings (1979) – National Public Radio: totalling over 11 hours, adapted by Bernard Mayes The Lord of the Rings (1981) – BBC: 26 half-hour instalments, later re-cut to 13 hour-long instalments, adapted by Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell Der Herr der Ringe (1991) – Südwestrundfunk and Westdeutscher Rundfunk: German adaptation of The Lord of the Rings in 30 half-hour episodes, by
Motion pictures
The Hobbit (1967) – Gene Deitch's short animated adaptation The Hobbit (1977) – an animated musical television special by Rankin/Bass The Lord of the Rings (1978) – an animated film of the first half of the book by Ralph Bakshi The Hobbit (1979) – children's program Jackanory broadcast ten 15-minute episodes The Return of the King (1980) – the animated sequel to 1977's The Hobbit Khraniteli (1991) - a "lost" Russian television play, now recovered Hobitit (1993) - a Finnish rendering of the Hobbits' journey in The Lord of the Rings The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022) – prequel series by Amazon Studios
Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings film series – the live-action trilogy by Peter Jackson Films The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Production Wētā Workshop Music Recordings Peter Jackson's interpretation
The Hobbit film series – Jackson's three-part prequel to his The Lord of the Rings series Films The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) Music
Stage
Rob Inglis wrote and performed one-man adaptations of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings starting in the 1970s Lord of the Rings (2006) – Musical staged in Toronto, re-written for London in 2007
Games
Tabletop games
Middle-earth Role Playing (1984) – Iron Crown Enterprises Lord of the Rings Adventure Game (1991) – Iron Crown Enterprises The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game (2002) –Decipher, Inc. The One Ring: Adventures over the Edge of the Wild (2011) – Cubicle 7 Adventures in Middle-earth (2016) – OGL supplement by Cubicle 7
Video games
The Hobbit (1982) Elendor (1991) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) The Hobbit (2003) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (2004) The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth (2004) The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (Game Boy Advance) (2004) The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II (2006) The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king (2006) The Lord of the Rings: The White Council (2007; cancelled) The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (2007) The Lord of the Rings: Conquest (2009) The Lord of the Rings: Tactics (2009) The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (2010) The Lord of the Rings: War in the North (2011) Guardians of Middle-earth (2012) Lego The Lord of the Rings (2012) Lego The Hobbit (2014) Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017)
Parodies
Bored of the Rings (1969) – Harvard Lampoon novel Hordes of the Things (1980) – BBC radio series Bored of the Rings (1985) – Delta 4 video game The Boggit: Bored Too (1986) – Delta 4 video game Muddle Earth (2003) – children's novel by Paul Stewart Fellowship! (2004) – musical
Geography Cosmology of Eä
Two Trees of Valinor
Continents of Arda Middle-earth Númenor Valinor (on Aman)
Nations and regions
Beleriand Gondor Harad Lothlórien Mordor Rohan The Shire
Natural features
The Lonely Mountain Mirkwood The Old Forest
Cities and other populated places
Bag End Bree Esgaroth Isengard Moria Rivendell
History
Artefacts
Mithril The Palantíri Phial of Galadriel Rings of Power The One Ring The Silmarils Weapons and armour
Events
First Age Sundering of the Elves
Third Age Battle of Helm's Deep Battle of the Pelennor Fields Battle of the Morannon The Scouring of the Shire
Characters
First Age House of Finwë Finwë Fëanor Maedhros Finrod Felagund Galadriel Glorfindel
House of Elwë and Olwë Thingol Lúthien
House of Marach Húrin Túrin Turambar Tuor Eärendil and Elwing Elrond Arwen
Others Beren Sauron Ungoliant
Second Age
Elendil Gil-galad Isildur
Third Age Thorin and Company Thorin Oakenshield Balin Bilbo Baggins Gandalf
The Company of the Ring Frodo Baggins Samwise Gamgee Merry Brandybuck Pippin Took Aragorn Boromir Gandalf Legolas Gimli
Wizards: Gandalf Radagast Saruman
Elves Arwen Galadriel Glorfindel Legolas Thranduil
Men Aragorn Bard Boromir Denethor Éomer Éowyn Faramir Gríma Wormtongue Théoden
Other characters Barrow-wight Beorn Goldberry Gollum Old Man Willow Shelob Treebeard Tom Bombadil Watcher in the Water
Culture Races
Ainur Valar Maiar Balrogs Wizards
Men Drúedain Dúnedain
Monsters Dragons Nazgûl Orcs Trolls Wargs
Other
Dwarves Eagles Elves Ents Hobbits
Languages
Elvish languages Quenya Grammar of late Quenya Sindarin
Other Adûnaic Khuzdul Black Speech
Folklore and poetry
A Elbereth Gilthoniel A Walking Song Namárië Song of Eärendil Errantry Fastitocalon The Lay of Leithian The Lay of the Children of Húrin The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late The Road Goes Ever On The Sea-Bell The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen Beren and Lúthien
Analysis
Influences
J. R. R. Tolkien's influences Nodens Ring of Silvianus Sigelwara Land Tolkien's impact on fantasy
Components
Artwork Family trees Heraldry for Tolkien's invented Languages, see above Maps Non-narrative elements Tolkien's poetry Poetry in The Lord of the Rings see above for individual poems
Literary devices
Anachronism Character pairing Editorial framing Frame stories Ælfwine (see also The Lost Road) The Notion Club Papers Red Book of Westmarch Impression of depth Interlacing Narrative structure