Doctoral research
J. R. R. Tolkien
The core of my academic research is the relationship between J. R. R. Tolkien and medieval literature. My doctoral thesis, currently in progress in the Department of Humanities at Democritus University of Thrace, focuses on the use and transformation of medieval sources in his work, which is widely regarded as remarkable.
My research examines how medieval texts, motifs, narrative structures and mythological traditions reappear in Tolkien’s literary creation. It focuses on works of Old English and Old Norse literature, such as Beowulf, The Battle of Maldon, the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, and their relationship to the formation of Middle-earth and his legendarium.
My research interest centres on the journey from the earlier source to the new literary work. I examine what Tolkien preserves, what he transforms, which different traditions he combines, and how elements of medieval literature acquire new functions within his own mythology. My approach rests on direct comparison of the texts, linguistic examination and the history of the individual traditions.
Academic background
My undergraduate and postgraduate studies are in law, with a specialisation in criminal law and criminal procedure. Alongside these studies, I have spent many years systematically studying Norse and Arthurian mythology, medieval literature and their later reception in literature.
This long-standing engagement gradually led to more specialised philological research and ultimately to my doctoral work on Tolkien. My research thus connects the study of primary medieval sources with an examination of how they survive, undergo transformation and take on new forms in later literature.
Research enquiries
