Oxonmoot 2021

My paper aims to compare the medieval lay "Sir Orfeo" with J.R.R. Tolkien’s "The Lay of Leithian", as I believe that Tolkien intentionally borrowed from this romance in the construction of his own work. I initially analyze the form and meter of both poems in order to show how heavily Tolkien borrows from the medieval work. After this, I argue that Tolkien views Orfeo as a Christian figure, whose suffering and ultimate salvation mirrors the individual Christian journey towards salvation. However, in an attempt to update this work, Tolkien recreates and expands upon the original by divvying up Orfeo's role between two characters, a man and a woman. In the same way "Sir Orfeo" updated the original Orpheus myth to be relatable to medieval Christians, I ultimately argue that Tolkien is expanding upon this definition even further by including women, and thus making his work more reflective of the modern Christian experience.