Thesis Theater: Shae Rossi, "Movement Through Enchantment...the Otherworld in Tolkien’s Legendarium"

This recording from October 10, 2026.

Signum University presents Thesis Theater with Shannon (Shae) Rossi, "To Work an Enchantment upon Them: Movement through Enchantment into the Otherworld in Tolkien’s Legendarium." The connection between J.R.R. Tolkien and the Celtic Otherworld has been much discussed. This paper is a study of the methods that Tolkien uses to move both his readers and his own characters into the Otherworld, also known as Enchantment or Faërie. In order to identify the author’s influences, an overview of the Celtic Otherworld is presented, as would have been familiar and available to Tolkien during his life. Themes of Time, Liminality, Music, Supernaturality, and Abundance are explored and discussed. The paper then turns to Tolkien and explains the connection between these themes, the Otherworld, Tolkien’s Faërie, and the state of or physical manifestation of Enchantment. A deep dive and close reading of a number of Tolkien’s works is then undertaken, in order to parse the techniques the author uses to evoke Enchantment / Faërie in the reader or characters. Rather than copying the original Celtic stories, Tolkien leans into the tales and themes as a basis for his own, using them to lend weight and credence to his own legendarium, so that immersion leads to credibility and realism. His works are not direct copies, however, but build upon the stable ground an understood reality provides. About the Presenter: Shannon (Shae) Rossi is a Tolkien scholar, writer, game designer, and cancer survivor. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a concentration in Folklore from Smith College and will soon graduate with a Masters degree in English Language and Literature, with a concentration in Tolkien studies, from Signum University. When not studying, Shae does yoga, tai chi, belly dance, medieval reenactment, sings, swims with her mermaid pod, and hikes the woods with her aging pup, Bjorn in hopes of stumbling into Faërie. While currently a Senior Quest Designer on Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft, Shae previously wrote and designed quests for The Lord of the Rings Online. A love of languages led her to studying Spanish, Japanese, and Old Norse, as well as working as a course writer for Pimsleur Language Programs. A newfound obsession with k-dramas is adding Korean to the list.

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