“A Tolkien Bestiary”, by David Day

 

287 pages, Gramercy Books, ISBN-13: 978-0753704592

I cannot remember a time when the works of J.R.R. Tolkien where with me in one form or another. The Rankin/Bass adaptation of The Hobbit was a mainstay of my childhood, while other adaptations also hold a special place for me. I especially remember calendars and posters featuring the work of the Brothers Hildebrandt – that would be Greg and Tim Hildebrandt from Detroit, Michigan. WHOOP! – strewn about our house, and seeing the Ralph Bakshi version of The Lord of the Rings in the theater. Yessiree, the 1970s was a Golden Age for All Things Tolkien until the coming of the aughts and the Peter Jackson bonanzas. But one thing that slipped through the cracks was the brilliant A Tolkien Bestiary by David Day, and man am I ever glad that I found this masterpiece of late 70s Tolkienmania.

What we have here is Day’s interpretation of many of the living creatures, races, flora and fauna in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth and Undying Lands, both in full color and black and white illustrations. The operative word is “interpretation”, for Day – via the text of the book – includes his own extrapolated “facts” alongside data which is canon without always distinguishing what is his and what is Tolkien’s. Furthermore, while the entries are generally factually correct, the emphasis is not. One example will suffice: Beren is listed as a “shapeshifter”, which is true overall as far as it goes, for while he did in fact transform into Draugluin for a time (the sire of all Werewolves of Beleriand; but then you knew that), that was due to Luthien’s magic, not an inherent ability of Beren, which is implied in this bestiary.

The book is written in the style of medieval bestiaries, which accounts for the archaic, sometimes too-cute verbiage found throughout. Also, while Day is a wee bit more imaginative then he should be in some of his entries, it is untrue that his interpretations are indistinguishable from Tolkien’s, as events from Tolkien’s tales are specifically referenced to the books from which they are quoted to back up his scholarship. If he says “so-and-so happened in such-and-such a book” then you can be sure that it happened as he says it did. Embellishments tend to be made clear, from the lack of reference to a specific work. So, while Day’s additional scholarship is viewed by many Tolkienophiles as a betrayal of the master, I see it as an addendum to the original work that adds to our knowledge of these fictitious creatures.

But it is the illustrations that steal the show. Maybe I’m talking out of my hat here, but each of these glorious color and black-and-white illustrations is a microcosm of 1970s art and style. I can’t be more accurate than that, but looking at each picture transported me back to the age of disco, gas lines and malaise economics. But also, each is a beautiful piece of art in its own right, worthy interpretations of Tolkien’s words brought to life, as it were. After completing this volume I have determined to hunt down more of Day’s books and see what other great work he has interpreted and made real, if only in a limited fashion. If you find yourself unable to forgive the man for his creativity in interpreting Tolkien’s written lore, you can at least marvel at his creativity in visualizing that written lore in his own inimitable fashion.

A Tolkien Bestiary is a grand addition to anyone’s Tolkien library, with the proviso that some of the writing is not Tolkien’s; but the art is second to none and the sign of a truly gifted craftsman who loves the lore he was given to work with.