M. Szk. JEWELS AND JEWEL CASES: THE DEPICTION OF J. R. R. TOLKIEN’S THE SILMARILLION (1977) IN BLIND GUARDIAN’S NIGHTFALL IN MIDDLE-EARTH (1998)

Abstract

Written throughout J. R. R. Tolkien’s literary career and later edited and published by Christopher Tolkien, The Silmarillion (1977) portrays the origins of Tolkien’s fictional universe including the creation of Elves, the war over the Silmarils, and the rise of Morgoth, which leads to Sauron’s emergence. It has been a source of inspiration for various artists, one of which is the German power metal band Blind Guardian. Their 1989 conceptual album Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998) retells Tolkien’s story over a series of songs forming a narrative that uses sonic elements and spoken word to highlight the main elements of the book. This article aims to showcase the methods implemented by Blind Guardian in order to adapt the story for music.