A Secret Vice
A Secret Vice is the title of a lecture written by J.R.R. Tolkien around the autumn of 1931.[1] The lecture deals with constructed languages in general, and the relation of a mythology to its language. Tolkien contrasts auxiliary languages (like Esperanto) with artistic languages constructed for aesthetic pleasure.[2]
The title (consisting of a phrase occuring in the lecture) was created by Christopher Tolkien for the publication of the lecture manuscript in The Monsters and the Critics.[3] Tolkien himself referred to the lecture as "A Secret Vice" in a letter.[4]
Summary[edit | edit source]
Tolkien begins by briefly discussing Esperanto but states that the topic of his lecture rather concerns "secret" languages. As an example of such a language, he first recalls an incident where he overheard a man working on his own "secret grammar" while Tolkien was in the army in the First World War. He then continues by mentioning and analysing two constructed languages: the children's play-languages Animalic and Nevbosh. The next constructed language discussed is Naffarin, a more advanced, private language "partly overlapping the last stages of Nevbosh". Finally, Tolkien discusses the languages he created for his mythology and gives examples of his Elvish poetry (with translations in English).[2]
Included in the lecture are:
- a fragment in Nevbosh
- a fragment in Naffarin
- the poem Oilima Markirya (in Qenya)[5]
- the poem Nieninque (in Qenya)[5]
- the poem Earendel at the Helm (in Qenya)[5]
- a fragment in Noldorin (beginning with "Dir avosaith a gwaew hinar")[1]
See also[edit | edit source]
- A Secret Vice (book), extended edition
External links[edit | edit source]
- "Tolkien's Not-So-Secret Vice", essay by Helge Fauskanger
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond (2006), The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: II. Reader's Guide, pp. 882-3
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays, "A Secret Vice"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays, "Foreword"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 294, (dated 8 February 1967)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, "Early Elvish Poetry and Pre-Fëanorian Alphabets", in Parma Eldalamberon XVI (edited by Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, Patrick H. Wynne, Carl F. Hostetter and Bill Welden), p. 98
