The relevance of Rivendell’s growing cultural value from "The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings"

Abstract

The attention to detail J. R. R. Tolkien showcased in medieval scholarship, widely recognized for its influence on the discipline,Footnote1 did not diminish in his fictional writings. In the sequel to The Hobbit (H, 1937), The Lord of the Rings (LotR, 1954–1955), Tolkien made significant additions to the prequel’s revisited locations. Among this supplemental material, the cultural addenda to Rivendell bear ulterior significance. If the fate of the expedition is, in part, determined in H’s Rivendell, it can be argued that the destruction of the Ring and the fall of Sauron could not have occurred without Rivendell’s assistance in LotR. This short article will prove this often-overlooked fact while it charts the cultural evolution of Rivendell from the prequel to the sequel.