J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the Ringsbooks are beloved classics, but that hasn’t stopped them from being frequently forbidden from public shelves. The American Library Association includes these fantasy epics on its Banned and Challenged Classics list, which outlines titles that have been the topic of controversy, barred from use in public schools, or even burned in the years since their release. In many cases, such asThe Lord of the Rings, this is a terrible injustice.
Tolkien’sLord of the Ringsis a heartwarming and inspiring tale in which the most unlikely hero triumphs over evil. It’s packed full of themes of love and hope, as well as the trials of overcoming temptation and the heroics of self-sacrifice.Lord of the Ringshas often been compared to various religious works, especially the Christian Bible, given the common themes from one to the other. Despite this,TheLord of the Ringshasn’t always been easy for all groups to get hold of.
The Lord Of The Rings Books Were Banned For Being “Satanic”
Books Containing Dark Magic Are Often Challenged
TheAmerican Library Association listsThe Lord of the Ringsas a banned or challenged book because the series, as well as other works from Tolkien,were deemed “Satanic” and burned outside the Christ Community Church in Alamogordo, New Mexico, in 2001. Precisely why they were given this status is unclear, but it likely comes down to the story’s use of magic and general supernatural elements. This tends to be the trend when it comes to banned fantasy titles since many major series within the genre depict evil and good forces alike using magic and spells.
The Lord Of The Rings Is Not The Only Beloved Fantasy Series To Be Banned
The Fantasy Genre Is Often Controversial
Tolkien is often called the grandfather of fantasy. So, if his books were banned, it’s no surprise that more within the genre were challenged also.J.K. Rowling’sHarry Potterbooks remained firmly on the ALA’s top 10 most banned books listsfor several years running in the early 2000s. Similar reasons, such as “occult/Satanism” and even “anti-family,” were cited as the reasons.C.S. Lewis’The Chronicles of Narniabookswere also banned for their use of magic and portrayals of war.
The Golden Compass, Ender’s Game, and The Giver have also been banned—all classics but all accused of misguiding readers in the way of witchcraft or general morality.
More recently, Sarah J. Maas’A Court of Thorns and Rosesbooks have been added to the Banned or Challenged list, thanks to those general fantasy themes and sexually explicit content.The Golden Compass,Ender’s Game, andThe Giverhave also been banned—all classics but all accused of misguiding readers in the way of witchcraft or general morality. So, while it’s difficult to imagine anyone burning Tolkien’sLord of the Ringsbooks today, it’s clear when looking at the fantasy genre that this is an ongoing trend.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
