Volcanoes in Literature and Film
Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
1-1-2015
Abstract
The beauty and power of erupting volcanoes, as well as the often tragic outcomes of violent eruptions, have long inspired writers and filmmakers. The fictitious Mt Doom is probably one of the most famous volcanoes in the world. In 1954, the British philologist and writer JRR Tolkien (1892-1973) completed his three-volume work entitled The Lord of the Rings. The novel set the stage for modern fantasy literature and featured as one of the central and key elements the volcano Mt Doom or Orodruin (“Mountain of red flame”). This trilogy is one of the most popular works of fiction in the twentieth century and has been named the book of the millennium by many critics and readers. The Orodruin volcano in Mordor was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring, in the quest to destroy the One Ring, leading to the climax of a long and complex epic struggle. This Tolkien tale became the source of an enormously successful film trilogy directed by Peter Jackson: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2003), and The Return of the King (2003). The filming of the trilogy was a massive undertaking that took 8 years, but resulted in a product that is so far the highest grossing film series of all time.
Publication Title, e.g., Journal
The Encyclopedia of Volcanoes
Citation/Publisher Attribution
Sigurdsson, Haraldur, and Rosaly M. Lopes. "Volcanoes in Literature and Film." The Encyclopedia of Volcanoes (2015). doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-385938-9.00078-X.