Weird Studies Episode 204 – The Perilous Realm: J.R.R. Tolkien's 'On Fairy Stories'
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Jan 14, 2026 Dive into the realm of Faerie where fairy stories reveal deeper truths rather than mere escapism. Explore Tolkien's radical views on imagination and reality intertwined with myth. Discover the dynamics of language and story as fundamental to human experience. Unravel how history and myth blend in Tolkien's metaphors, and engage with the idea of sub-creation versus magic. The podcast also touches on how fantasy mirrors human desires and critiques modernity through the lens of mythic archetypes.
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History And Myth Stew Together
- Tolkien uses a cauldron metaphor where history and myth stew together and causality can reverse.
- He suggests tales can enter people as much as people enter tales, blurring origin and effect.
We Live In A Sea Of Story
- Tolkien sees reality as largely imaginal: we live on a thin slice of concrete actuality amid a sea of story.
- He claims story is inseparable from mind and language, shaping how we inhabit the world.
Enchantment Versus Magic
- Tolkien distinguishes enchantment from magic: enchantment is sub-creative art that builds cohesive secondary worlds.
- Magic aims at domination of the primary world, while enchantment seeks shared delight and realized secondary belief.
