Kristine Larsen

Kristine Larsen is an American astronomer who teaches at Central Connecticut State University. She regularly presents and writes about the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, often with an emphasis on the astronomy and cosmology of Middle-earth. Her articles have appeared in numerous journals including Mallorn, Amon Hen, and the Journal of Tolkien Research.

Bibliography

Articles

• 2005: Tolkien Studies: Volume 2
  • "A Definitive Identification of Tolkien's 'Borgil', An Astronomical and Literary Approach"
• 2005: Mallorn 43
  • "Tolkien's Burning Briar - an astronomical explanation"
• 2006: Mallorn 44
  • "Swords and sky stones: Meteoric iron in The Silmarillion"
• 2007: Tolkien Studies: Volume 4
  • "Sauron, Mount Doom, and Elvish Moths: The Influence of Tolkien on Modern Science"
• 2008: Amon Hen 209
  • "Rose-stained in the Sunset"
• 2008: Mallorn 45
  • "(V)Arda Marred - The Evolution of the Queen of the Stars"
• 2008: The Ring Goes Ever On: Proceedings of the Tolkien 2005 Conference
  • "A Little Earth of His Own: Tolkien's Lunar Creation Myths"
• 2009: Mallorn 48
  • "The Stone of Erech and the Black Stone of Ka'aba: meteorite or 'meteor-wrong'?"
• 2010: Mallorn 49
  • "The words of Húrin and Morgoth: microcosm, macrocosm and the later legendarium"
• 2010: Music in Middle-earth
  • "'Behold Your Music!': The Themes of Ilúvatar, the Song of Aslan, and the Real Music of the Spheres"
• 2010: Silver Leaves 3
  • "Silmaril or Simulacrum? Simulations of the Heavens in Middle-Earth"
• 2010: Tolkien Studies: Volume 7
  • "Myth, Milky Way, and the Mysteries of Tolkien's Morwinyon, Telumendil, and Anarríma"
• 2011: Amon Hen 229
  • "And the Stars Were Hidden"
• 2011: Amon Hen 230
  • "The Lunacy of The Hobbit"
• 2011: Tolkien and the Study of His Sources
  • "Sea Birds and Morning Stars: Ceyx, Alcyone, and the Many Metamorphoses of Eärendil and Elwing"
• 2011: Mallorn 52
  • "We hatesses those tricksy numbers: Tolkien, Lewis and maths anxiety"
• 2012: Mallorn 53
  • "An Elrond by any other name" (guest editorial)
  • "From Dunne to Desmond: disembodied time travel in Tolkien, Stapledon and Lost"
• 2013: Mallorn 54
  • "'That sickle of the heavenly field': celestial motifs in The Lay of Leithian"
• 2014: The Hobbit and Tolkien's Mythology
  • "'It passes our skill in these days': Primary World Influences on the Evolution of Durin's Day"
• 2014: Tolkien in the New Century: Essays in Honor of Tom Shippey
  • "'Alone Between the Dark and Light': "The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun" and Lessons from the Later Legendarium"
• 2015: Perilous and Fair: Women in J.R.R. Tolkien's Work and Life
  • "The Power of Pity and Tears: The Evolution of Nienna in the Legendarium"
• 2015: Lembas Extra 2015
  • "'A Creature of an Older World': Tolkien and the Mythology of the Prehistoric"
  • "A 'Perilous, Lonely Venture': Tolkien, Lewis, and the Theo­logical Implications of Extraterrestrial Life"
• 2016: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 3
  • "Medieval Cosmology and Middle-earth: A Lewisian Walk Under Tolkienian Skies"
• 2016: Amon Hen 260
  • "Death to Bree Creek Quadrangle"
• 2016: Amon Hen 261
  • "Do Dwarves Wear Their Sunglasses at Night?"
• 2017: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 4
  • "Guinevere, Grímhild, and the Corrigan: Witches and Bitches in Tolkien’s Medieval Narrative Verse"
• 2017: Amon Hen 263
  • "Haldane's Rule and the Half-Elven"
• 2017: Amon Hen 264
  • "Medieval Fostering...Part One"
• 2017: Amon Hen 265
  • "Medieval Fostering...Part Two"
• 2017: Amon Hen 268
  • " The (Nearly) Discarded Image o"
• 2018: Poetry and Song in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien
  • "'Diadem the Fallen Day': Astronomical and Arboreal Motifs in the Poem 'Kortirion Among the Trees'"
• 2018: Amon Hen 270
  • "'Linguistic Ghosts'... "
• 2018: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 6
  • "Magic, Matrimony, and the Moon: Medieval Lunar Symbolism in J.R.R. Tolkien’s 'The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun' and 'The Fall of Arthur'
• 2019: Sub-creating Arda
  • "A Mythology for Poland: Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher Fantasy Series as a Tolkienian Subcreation"
• 2019: Amon Hen 276
• 2019: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 7
  • "'While the World Lasted': Eschatology in Tolkien’s 1930s Writings"
  • "A Journey Down the Rabbit Hole of the OED in Search of the Meaning of 'Master' Elrond"
  • "Darkness Amid the Day: Eclipses in the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien"
• 2019: Amon Hen 279
  • "...Butterflies & Moths in the Primary & Secondary Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien"
• 2019: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 8
  • "Deconstructing Durin’s Day: Science, Scientific Fan Fiction, and the Fan-Scholar"
• 2020: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 9
  • "Ladies of the Forest: Melian and Mielikki"
• 2020: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 10
  • "'They’re something nightmares are from': The Notion Club Papers and The Cabin in the Woods"
  • "Introduction to Special issue: J.R.R. Tolkien and the Works of Joss Whedon" (with Janet Brennan Croft)
• 2021: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 11
  • "Númenor and the 'Devouring Wave': Literary, Historical, and Psychological Sources for Tolkien’s Self-Described 'Atlantis Complex'"
• 2021: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 12
  • "Signum Draco Magno Scilicet, or, Eärendel and the Dragon: Heavenly Warfare in Medieval European and Tolkienian Annals"
  • "'I Am No Man': Éowyn and Game of Thrones’ Lyanna Mormont"
• 2021: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 13
  • "Cynewulf, Copernicus, and Conjunctions: The Problems of Cytherean Motions in Tolkien’s Cosmology"
  • "The Walls of the World and the Voyages of the Evening Star: The Byzantine Borders of Tolkien’s Biblical/Classical/Medieval/Geocentric/Heliocentric Complicated Cosmology"
  • "Carry on My Wayward Sonne (and Moon): Common Cosmological Quirks in the Norse Fimbul-winter and Tolkien's Early Legendarium"
  • "Who Maketh Morwinyon, and Menelmacar, and Remmirath, and the Inner Parts of the South (Where the Stars are Strange): Tolkien’s Astronomical Choices and the Books of Job and Amos"
  • "Smaug's Hoard, Durin’s Bane, and Agricola’s De Re Metallica: Cautionary Tales Against Mining in Tolkien’s Legendarium and the Classical Tradition"
  • "'Ore-ganisms': The Myth and Meaning of ‘Living Rock’ in Middle-earth"
• 2022: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 14
  • "'O’er the Moon, Below the Daylight': Tolkien’s Blue Bee, Pliny, and the Kalevala"
  • "'Pearls' of Pearl: Medieval Appropriations in Tolkien’s Mythology"
• 2022: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 15
  • "Moons, Maths, and Middle-earth: Misconceptions about Tolkien’s Scientific and Mathematical Prowess"
  • "Nailing Jell-O to the Wall: Canonicity in Middle-earth"
  • "Half-Elven and Half-Orphans: The Choices and Consequences of 'Crossing Over'"
  • "'I am Primarily a Scientific Philologist': J.R.R. Tolkien and the Science/Technology Divide"
• 2023: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 16
  • "Medieval Automata and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fall of Gondolin"
  • "Arda Remade (and Remade, and Remade…); or, Entropy, Einstein’s Blackboard, and..."
  • "'Following the Star': Eärendil, Númenor, and the Star of Bethlehem"
  • "Falling Stars: Canonicity and 'Meteor Man' in Amazon Prime Video’s The Rings of Power"

Reviews

• 2012: Tolkien Studies: Volume 9
  • The Ecological Augury in the Works of JRR Tolkien (2011 book by Liam Campbell)
• 2017: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 4
  • Tolkien, Self and Other: "This Queer Creature" (2016 book by Jane Chance)
• 2021: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 12
  • The Science of Middle-earth (2021 book edited by Lehoucq et al.)
• 2023: Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 16
  • Twenty-first Century Receptions of Tolkien (2022 book edited by Will Sherwood)
  • Tolkien and Diversity (2023 book edited by Will Sherwood)

Awards

• 2020: Tolkien Society Award: Best Article, "Deconstructing Durin’s Day: Science, Scientific Fan Fiction, and the Fan-Scholar" in Journal of Tolkien Research: Volume 8

External links

• Kristine Larsen's website
• Kristine Larsen's "The Astronomy of Middle-earth"
• Kristine Larsen at Central Connecticut State University