The Annunciation and “Lord of the Rings”

More belated Annunciation thoughts.  From Isaac Augustine Morales, The Annunciation and the One Ring | Dominicana Blog:

In a seemingly insignificant detail in one of the appendices of his masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien notes that the destruction of the One Ring and the defeat of Sauron took place on March 25. What might have led Tolkien to date the destruction of the ring with such precision? Being a devout Catholic, Tolkien most likely was subtly weaving into his work an ancient Christian tradition regarding the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the feast the Church celebrates today.

According to this tradition, the date of the Annunciation coincided with a number of significant events in salvation history. March 25 was not only the day on which Christ was conceived in Our Lady’s womb; it was also the day of the creation of the world, the day Adam and Eve fell, the day Abraham (nearly) sacrificed his son Isaac, the day the Israelites were set free from Egypt, and the day of the crucifixion.

It would be easy to dismiss these associations as pure fancy – how could one possibly determine the exact date of Abraham’s final trial, much less the creation of the world? To interpret this tradition in such a wooden manner, however, is to miss its deeper theological significance. The point is not that each of these events actually happened on the same date, but rather that they mutually illuminate one another. The incarnation – the event the Annunciation celebrates – and the crucifixion brought to a climax the story of God’s dealings with Israel and with the world.

[Keep reading. . .]

HT:  Matthew Cantirino