Unknowing in Tolkien's Legendarium and the Agnosia of the Elvish Tradition

The many layers of Unknowing in Tolkien’s legendarium make some of the most profound statements in his work. Unknowing creates space for the reader to have a more active and intimate experience with the text, and supports the central Christian moral message in The Lord of the Rings. The theme of Unknowing ties the legendarium to a larger set of scriptural and Christian writings, including the Book of Job, Mystical Theology, and The Cloud of Unknowing. Finally, Unknowing is shown to be a function of the legendarium reflecting a dominantly Elvish perspective. By dismissing the assumed authority of that perspective, which the paper terms the agnosia of the Elvish tradition, a postcolonial reading of the legendarium can be found that furthers the Christian themes. By contrasting what is shown and what is told in the texts, the reader participates in an experiential event of challenging a narrative of power, and thereby transcending the agnosia of the Elvish tradition.