«Like Flowers beneath the Ancient Song». Language and Myth in Owen Barfield and J.R.R. Tolkien

Abstract

This article aims, first, to analyse the linguistic theories of Owen Barfield and J.R.R. Tolkien, examining in particular the influence that the former had on the academic and artistic production of the latter. Later it will try to understand how linguistic theory enters Tolkien’s narrative work and finds expression there. At the same time, an attempt will be made to interpret the theories of Barfield and Tolkien in the light of contemporary paradigms, including Performance Studies and Giovanni Bottiroli’s Theory of Thought Styles.