Russian book cover for The Silmarillion, artwork by Denis Gordeev
Russia loves Tolkien. The first officially translated edition of The Hobbit was released there in 1976 and has stayed in print there ever since (note: Tolkien’s works circulated there unofficially for years in samizdat) and not only that, it was Russia that attempted the first live-action movies of both The Hobbit and the The Lord of the Rings years before the West did. Something deep within the country’s folklore resonates with Tolkien’s tales, even more so than Tolkien’s native Britain did.
Just look at the wonderfully complex illustration above for a Russian version of The Silmarillion. The elves of Gondolin are fighting for their very existence against the forces of Morgoth, forces that include a fire-breathing urolóki, or dragon, who is toasting an archer up on the tower. How the elves’ faces strain and contort with the battle, and how they all look, somehow, Russian! (In the future, I’ll be doing an art series on this.)
So, what if Middle-Earth (for that is the correct spelling) added a Slavic, specifically Russian, component to its many languages and folklore? We might wind up with elven names like these.
Elves of Middle-Russia
| Female
Astranel Eärscha Edelwe Elenuma Elscha Hësmaniel Idanzha Ireluna Irga Jaszamel Katrinië Luthmadiel Nalmira Sorchel Tanslóttë Yeril Yezskanel Yushfarien Zenimë Zveilas |
Male
Amski Anaidry Arkó Aschërion Borynian Dnulias Draungyren Elnimód Galdark Gedrien Ikvas Indarch Murril Näfeil Narditri Nardzhan Nelzhar Sverdan Vassrian Vladis |
