J.R.R. Tolkien Meets the Bible Quiz

Answer: Eru

Eru Ilúvatar, with a single word, "Eä", created the world from the void that was there before, similar to the story of the Creation in the Bible. Tolkien's version of the Creation doesn't go into as much detail, but in both stories, Man was created by the omnipotent being personally.

Answer: Aragorn

Aragorn was born to the chieftain of the Rangers, and did not inherit a kingdom. Instead, he had to prove his worth by winning the war against Sauron, a Tolkienite Goliath. Like David, Aragorn was a very kingly man. They were both charismatic, brave, bold, and wise. However, David was a bard, a shepherd, and an eighth son, while Aragorn was a pathfinder, a healer, and an only child.

Answer: Elves

The Elves awoke along the shores of Cuiviénen and tarried there long, though not enslaved like the Hebrews were. When their leaders came to take them to Valinor, they willingly followed. Nevertheless, the Great Journey made by the Elves was to the west, while the Exodus was made to the east.

The Elves' journey was also considerably shorter, they did not walk forty years to reach their final destination.

Answer: Melkor

Melkor is originally the strongest in many ways of Eru's Valar. However, power and greed corrupt him, and he lusts after more power, turning him to evil. Under Melkor, all evil gathers; the Orcs, the Trolls, the Balrogs, the Dragons, and, of course, Sauron. Melkor is the true Dark Lord, and he constantly challenges the world of Tolkien with his evil.

Answer: Elendil

Elendil the Tall was the son of the Lord of Andúnië, but due to the arrogance and insolence of Ar-Pharazôn and his men, as a punishment, the island of Númenor vanished back into the ocean from which it has originally come. Elendil was saved when he boarded a boat with his two sons (where Noah had three sons), and sailed for a long while before finding ground in the Middle-earth.

Answer: Gollum

Gollum was in possession of the One Ring, the ultimate embodiment of all evil in Tolkien's world, and was devoured by it. When the ring was taken away from him, he stopped at nothing, even breaking an oath that he swore to Frodo, in order to get the One Ring. But alas, when he finally gave in to the temptation one last time and bit off Frodo's finger and took the ring for his own, he was cast down, into the fiery pits of the Cracks of Doom, allegorical to the fires of Hell.

The Bible quote is from James 1:14-15.

Answer: They both were betrayed by a disciple of theirs

Gandalf is a very messianic figure in the Tolkien literature. He was sent into the Middle-earth for the sole purpose of saving it from evil, and he gave his life for it. Afterward, he was reborn, and through his rebirth, he became pure - white. Gandalf spread his wisdom, though in many places he was shunned for it; remember the incident in Rohan with Grima Wormtongue? However, Gandalf was not an embodiment of Eru, and was not G-d like Jesus is believed to have been. Gandalf also carried a sword, whereas Jesus was a pacifist. Gandalf may have seemed to be betrayed by Saruman, but Saruman was never a disciple of Gandalf's.

Answer: Lothlórien

When leaving Lothlórien, Frodo remarks how the moon ought to be in a different phase than it actually is in the sky. This is because in the land where the ring Nenya was wielded by Galadriel, she was able to control the flow of time and slow it down. Lórien is a land lush and fair, with many flowers and trees.

However, none of the fruit there is forbidden, though many believe the land to be 'perilious'. As Eden was bounded by rivers, so Lothlórien is bounded by rivers as well. The river Anduin, Nimrodel, and Celebrant form natural borders around and through Lórien.

Answer: Fëanor

Fëanor swore in Valinor after the killing of his father Finwë and the theft of the Silmarils, that he would not rest until the Jewels were back in his possession, no matter who stood in his way. He took the oath in the name of Eru Ilúvatar, and he fully expected to be battling the forces of Morgoth, who stole the Jewels. Fëanor was killed outright, but years later, his sons who had also taken the very same oath, were held by it and were forced to kill their own kin in Doriath. Mandos foretold that the Oath would bring them sorrow and strife, but since it was taken in the name of Eru Ilúvatar, there was no going back on it.

In the Bible, if you took an oath in the name of G-d, you fulfilled it.

Answer: Bilbo

Like Moses, Bilbo was responsible for starting the 'Bible' of the Middle-earth. Not only did he record in it his own history, but he recorded the history that was from before and had only been preserved in Elf-lore. This formed the basis for the 'Red Book' and afterwards it was handed down to Frodo, who continued it, and finally passed it on to Sam. The 'Red Book', though a creation of Tolkien, is considered by him to be the basis for the writing of "The Lord of the Rings".

The similarities I've drawn up between Tolkien's work and the Bible are purely coincidental. Tolkien himself remarked:

"It is not 'about' anything but itself. Certainly it has no allegorical intentions, general, particular, or topical, moral, religious, or political." ("Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien")

His intentions were to create a mythical and unique world. Certainly as a devout Catholic, a language professor, a father, a soldier, all of these aspects filtered into his work, but it was not his intention of doing so. His are just a literary masterpiece, and should be enjoyed as such. Anything we infer is for our amusement alone.

I hope you enjoyed this quiz!