An Ode to Tolkien: A South African Inspiration Behind Celenic Earth Chronicles
Shaun M Jooste 
Every writer has a spark that first lights their imagination. For me, that spark came from J.R.R. Tolkien, the father of modern fantasy. Long before I began crafting the Celenic Earth Chronicles, I walked through the pages of The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, learning what it means to build worlds, shape myths, and breathe life into heroes and legends.
What makes this connection even more personal is that Tolkien, like me, first drew breath on South African soil. Though his journey took him far beyond our homeland, his beginnings here remind me that epic dreams can rise from familiar ground.
The roots of a shared homeland
Though his fame is forever tied to Middle-earth, J.R.R. Tolkien’s earliest years were spent in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The dusty landscapes, the fierce heat, and the sense of wide-open possibility may have seemed far from the rolling hills of the Shire, but they shaped his first impressions of the world. As a South African myself, I take pride in knowing that the same soil that nurtured his childhood also nurtures my own imagination. His legacy proves that greatness can spring from our corner of the world.
The master of myth and language
Tolkien was more than a writer; he was a philologist, a lover of myth, and a craftsman of languages. His passion for words was not just academic; it was creative alchemy, turning letters into living histories. This fusion of scholarship and storytelling has been my compass in shaping the Celenic Earth Chronicles. Like him, I strive to ensure that every realm, every rune, and every creature is not just decoration but part of a tapestry that feels ancient, authentic, and alive.
The enduring flame of epic fantasy
The fire Tolkien lit continues to burn across generations of fantasy writers. His works showed me that a story can be both intimate and immense, carrying the weight of entire worlds while speaking directly to the reader’s heart. When I wrote of elves, dwarves, merfolk, vampires, and the College of Elements in my trilogy, I was not copying his vision but carrying the torch forward in my own way. His flame gave me the courage to dream bigger, to write bolder, and to believe that fantasy could be more than escapism; it could be a legacy.
Carrying the legacy forward
Tolkien’s shadow is long, but it is not heavy; it is a guide. To me, he is both a distant mentor and a kindred spirit, bound by homeland and by love for the epic tale. My Celenic Earth Chronicles would not exist without the path he first laid. This ode is my way of saying thank you: for Middle-earth, for the myths that endure, and for inspiring me to create a world of my own.
