William Morris, Tolkien and The House of the Wolfings

If you love Rohan and want to delve into Tolkien’s influences, you’ll enjoy reading William Morris’s 1889 fantasy novel The House of the Wolfings.

Join Dr Ingrid Hanson of the University of Manchester as she takes Julia Golding deep into the heart of Mirkwood in today’s episode of Mythmakers. Discover the fabulous female characters, Hall Sun and Wood Sun, along with the landscapes and artefacts that inspired Tolkien.

You can explore this text—and other works by Morris—at the Iowa University's Morris Archive: https://morrisarchive.lib.uiowa.edu/exhibits/show/titles
The Indian story of liberated women mentioned by Ingrid can be read here: https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/sultana/dream/dream.html

(00:05) William Morris and House of Wolfings
(12:08) Exploring William Morris's Fantasy Writing
(21:51) Exploring William Morris's Ecological Architecture
(30:53) Politics and Fantasy in Morris's World

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Welcome to Season 7 of Mythmakers!

Mythmakers is the podcast for fantasy fans and creatives brought to you by the Oxford Centre for Fantasy. We will be exploring fantasy old and new, look at what went into writing your favourite series, learn tips from the experts, and discuss new books, TV shows and films.

Mythmakers is brought to you from the city of Oxford - home to many of the world's greatest fantasy writers, from J.R.R. Tolkien and Middle-earth, to C.S. Lewis, creator of Narnia, and the grandfather of them all, Lewis Carroll with his Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The Oxford story continues with outstanding contemporary writers finding inspiration among the ancient buildings, labyrinthine libraries, and gentle river meadows.

Ready to jump down the rabbit hole with us to find your next mythmaker? Visit https://oxfordcentreforfantasy.org/