> Despite his stature and success, Tolkien has largely been ignored by literary critics.<p>Is that really true? I mean, even outside of the Middle-Earth books, I thought Tolkien's translation of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" [1] and view on Beowulf [2] had a very impact on the literary world.<p>[1] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Gawain_and_the_Green_Knight" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Gawain_and_the_Green_Knigh...</a><p>[2] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf:_The_Monsters_and_the_Critics" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf:_The_Monsters_and_the_...</a><p>> Just as England was already occupied by the Celts before the arrival of the Germanic tribes, so too does Tolkien hint that the Shire — a land everyone associated with hobbits — was once populated by another people.<p>Isn't that true of much of Europe?<p>> If the Shire is meant to represent Britain shortly after the migration of the Anglo-Saxons,<p>The Shire has clocks and tobacco.<p>> The culture of Rohan, like that of the Anglo-Saxons, revolves around family, loyalty, and bravery. In life, they fight for honor and glory.<p>Isn't that true of basically every culture?