Ofermod y heroísmo humilde: sobre la interpretación de Tolkien

• Mentxakatorre Odriozola, Jon ^[1]
  1. [1] Unibertsitatea Mondragón (España)
• Localización: Revista de Filología de la Universidad de La Laguna, ISSN 0212-4130, Nº 43, 2021, págs. 171-190
• Idioma: español
• DOI: 10.25145/j.refiull.2021.43.09
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Ofermod and humble heroism: on Tolkien’s interpretation
• Enlaces
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• Resumen
  • español

    El presente trabajo estudia la interpretación del heroísmo germano por Tolkien tomando como punto de partida su ensayo-poema «The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son» sobre La Batalla de Maldon. A través de textos académicos sobre Beowulf y Sigurd, así como de su propio legendarium, se explora su lectura y contribución, situando su aportación en diálogo con las últimas investigaciones, y detallando las líneas y alcance de sus ideas. Tras situar el punto de inflexión que Tolkien marcó en torno a la palabra ofermod(e), se expondrán los componentes históricos, literarios y religiosos que fundamentan la interpretación de Tolkien, en línea con la tradición poético-heroica anglosajona. Mediante ello, quedará patente que el heroísmo humilde del subordinado que se enfrenta al fatal destino al que su señor le ha conducido hunde sus raíces en claros ejemplos de la literatura en inglés antiguo, y que la oscuridad que acarrea el terrible enemigo posee una dimensión mítica que refiere a la sombra y al infierno. Finalmente, a la luz de las últimas contribuciones, la interpretación de Tolkien quedará reafirmada y enriquecida, dejando nuevas perspectivas de investigación sobre su obra.

  • English

    This paper studies Tolkien’s interpretation of German heroism, taking as a starting point his essay-poem «The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son» on The Battle of Maldon. Through academic texts on Beowulf and Sigurd, as well as his own legendarium, his reading and contribution are explored, placing the latter in dialogue with the latest research, and detailing the lines and scope of his ideas. After locating the inflection point that Tolkien marked around the word ofermod(e), the historical, literary and religious components that base Tolkien’s interpretation will be explained, in line with the Anglo-Saxon poetic and heroic tradition. Through this, it will become clear that the humble heroism of the subordinate who faces the fatal fate to which his master has led him is rooted in clear examples of Old English literature, and that the darkness brought by the terrible enemy has a mythical dimension, which refers to the shadow and to hell. Finally, in light of the latest contributions, Tolkien’s interpretation will be reaffirmed and enriched, opening new research perspectives on his work.

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