Tolkien: Middle Earth & the Middle Ages
Gone Medieval
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Embrace New Paths
Tolkien's initial ambition to study classics shifted after his underperformance in that field, primarily due to his growing passion for languages beyond Greek and Latin. His interest in Old English, Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse, Finnish, and Welsh led him to transition to English, a newly established major at Oxford. This change set him on a trajectory to specialize in early medieval English literature, shaping his lifelong fascination with medieval history.
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