What were The Inklings
The Inklings were an Oxford based club or a society. Originally the club
was founded by a student called Tangye-Lean. The year was 1931. The club
was supposed to be a long living club in contrast to
most of the Oxford University clubs in those times, which died usually
quite quickly. The idea of The Inklings was that the members would read
their own writings, which then would be evalued by the others. To gain
more popularity for the club two university professors, J.R.R.Tolkien and
C.S.Lewis were invited as a members. How ever the club soon died out, but
the name Inklings was transferred to a group of friends who had quite
regular meetings where they discussed and read literature, especially
their own unpublished works. So the love to literature was the unifying
factor for The Inklings. Usually The Inklings met every tuesday in a pub
called Eagle and Child, and in thursdays in the home of C.S.Lewis. The
Inklings was never an official society. It never had any written rules or
official members. The influence of The Inklings to the english literature
was quite remarkable. Their most influential years were c.1935-1949.
The members were not only united by their love to literature, but they also supported similar kind of values, and their writings can be seen to develope same kind of themes. One of the members, John Wain, who didn`t share the ideas of the others, once said that Inklings were "politically conservative, not to say reactionary; in religion anglo-or roman catholic; in art, frankly hostile to any manifestation of the modern spirit". Although Wain`s description was a bit too critical, it is true that The Inklings were deeply religious and liked everything traditional. For instance in Tolkien`s The Lord of The Ring there can be seen evidence of this hostility towards everything modern. In the final episode the "industrial" Shire is destroyed and everything is well again. How ever one of the best known inklings, Owen Barfield, describet the thing that unites The Inklings as "the yearning for infinite and unattainable, the conviction of the dignity of man and his part in the future history of the world conceived as a kind of progress towards increasing immanence of the divine in the human, the idealisation of love between sexes, the opposite of tragedy, the happy ending". So The Inklings were not just religious, but also romantics.
Who were The Inklings
C.S.LEWIS:
Clive Staples Lewis was the soul of The Inklings. Most of the members were
his personal friends, and meetings were held regularly in his home. Lewis
was born 29.11.1898 in Northern Ireland. In 1919 he was a student in
Oxford University, and met his later friend Owen Barfield there. In 1920s
he became a professor in Oxford, and soon met J.R.R.Tolkien there.
They quickly became very close friends. It was Tolkien who together
with another Inklings, hugo Dyson, converted Lewis into christianity. Both
were at first members of a club called The Coalbiters, who read ancient
Icelandic sagas in the original language. The club died when all they run
out of sagas, and both Lewis and Tolkien joined The Inklings. Lewis
published many books during his career. Both he and Tolkien wanted to
write a story were there would be a time or space-travel. Tolkien started
his own story, but never got far with it. Lewis however published his
book, Out of The Silent Planet, in 1936. In 1943 the second book of the
forthcoming trilogy was published, Perelandra. The final book came out in
1945, and was called That Hideous Strength. With these books Lewis became
well known and much read author. He also write several religious books,
and a well known children books serie, chronicles of Narnia, which were
published 1951-1955. In 1954 Lewis moved to Cambridge, where he obtained a
professorship. In 1963 he died.
J.R.R.TOLKIEN
Tolkien was perhaps the most famoust of The Inklings. He was born in
South-Africa, Bloemfontain, in 3.1.1892. The family how ever soon moved
back to England. Tolkien spend his childhood in Birmingham area, and went
there to King Edwards school. There he succeeded in his studies well, and
went to Oxford university. Tolkien`s studied in ancient english language
and classical languages were not finished when The First World War started
in 1914. Tolkien first complited his studies, and then in 1916 joined the
army. He took part to The Battle of Somme, were the british army attacked
germans and suffered terribly losses without any gains. Tolkien survived
the battle, and was soon returned to England due illness. When the war
ended in 1918 he returned to Oxford. In 1920 he was how ever offered a
teachers job in Leeds University, where he soon became professor. In 1925
he how ever returned to Oxford where he was offered a professorship. There
Tolkien soon befriended C.S.Lewis, joined The Coalbiters and then The
Inklings. In 1937 his children`s fantasy book, The Hobbit, was published
and soon became quite popular. A sequal was needed and Tolkien started to
write another book, The Lord of The Rings. In 1954 the book was published.
At first it sold well, but a real success it became in late 1960s when the
students took it as their own. Tolkiens third major fantasy book, The
Silmarillion was published after his death, in 1977. He also published
several children`s books, including Farmer Giles of Ham, and also some of his
academic works, for instance his edition of the ancient english story Sir
Gawain and The Green Knight. Tolkien was married with Edith Bratt, and
they had four children. Tolkien died in 1973.
CHARLES WILLIAMS:
Williams was born in 1886. Among The Inklings he was a rare phenomen,
because he had never went to the university. In 1908 Williams got a job at
Oxford University Press, London. He soon started to write books, but never
although he has some enthuastic readers he never became even nearly as
popular as Lewis and Tolkien. He also quite regularly gave lectures in
London City Literary Institute, and during The Second World War even in
Oxford University. His first book, War In heaven, was published in 1930.
After that he published several books. Usually they were occultic
thrillers, with very unusual themes. Williams also published some
theological books, and was quite a good poet. In his poetry he received
much help from the famous poet T.S.Eliot. In 1939 Williams moved to
Oxford. He had met C.S.Lewis in 1936, and they became firm friends. Thanks
to Lewis Williams became a member of The Inklings. He died in 1945.
OWEN BARFIELD:
Barfield was born in 9.11.1898. Barfield studied in Oxford University at
the same time as C.S.Lewis, and during their studies in 1919 they became
friends. In 1922 Barfield joined Anthroposophical Society. How ever
barfield didn`t became professional scholar, but instead a lawyer. He also
started to write. In 1926 he published his first book, History In English
Words. After this he published 11 other books. He how ever didn`t write
fiction, but instead literature critisism and rather philosophical
thoughts. Especially Barfield liked the ideas of Rudolf Steiner. His most
important book was What Coleridge Thought, which was published in 1971. In
a way it can be seen that other inklings write books and then Barfield
made theories ab out them, and defined their ideology etc.
HUGO DYSON:
Dyson was a friend of Tolkien. They had first met in
University College, Oxford, in 1919. He became a 17th century
scholar. Dyson was also one of the first
members of The Inklings. Together with Tolkien they converted their mutual
friend C.S.Lewis into christianity. Later Dyson was a professor of
literature in Reading University. Dyson was also a good actor, and gave
lectures about Shakespeare in BBC.
W.H.LEWIS:
He was a brother of C.S.Lewis, and also among the first members of The
Inklings, although he rarely had a change to attend the meetings. Warren
Lewis was a major in british army. He was also a 18th century french
scholar, and an author. He used to do a long walking trips with his
brother in the Oxfordshire countryside, and sometimes Tolkien joined
them.
R.W. HAVARD:
He was a family doctor of both Tolkien and Lewis, and also a close friend
of them. Like Tolkien he was a catholic. Havard was also among the first
memebers of The Inklings. Interestingly C.S.Lewis still in 1941 listed as
a members only himself, Tolkien, W.H.Lewis, Dyson, Williams and Havard.
NEVILL COGHILL:
Coghill is also mentioned as one of the original members, although Lewis
did not list him. He was a scholar, and speacialised in Chaucer. Later he
followed Tolkien in Merton College as a professor of english language and
literature.
GERVASE MATTHEW:
Matthew was a roman catholic priest, and Tolkien`s childhood friend. He
was also a fellow of Balliol College, in Oxford.
CHRISTOPHER TOLKIEN:
He was Tolkien`s youngest son, and get a degree in Oxford from the english
language and literature. He also became a member of The Inklings, and
later in his life started to edit and publish his fathers unfinished works
and papers.
JOHN WAIN:
Wain was quite a well known poet, whom Barfield introduced to The
Inklings. He how ever rarely attented the meetings, and it seems he didn`t
share the views and ideas of the other members.
DOROTHY SAYERS:
It is a bit controversial wether Sayers should be included as a member or
not. Inklings didn`t have any rules against female members, but Sayers was
the only woman who ever attented the meetings, and she did only couple of
times. Sayers was a friend of Lewis, and also corresponded with Williams.
She wrote many kind of books, but only her Lord Peter Wimsey detective
stories became popular. It seems that she also was a bit too liberal
minded for The Inklings. Especially Tolkien didn`t approve her.
ROY CAMPBELL:
He was rather well known right wing poet.
ROGER L.GREEN:
Green was an author of children books.
CHARLES WRENN:
Wren was a fellow of Pembroge College, Oxford. But in what subject, beats
me.
Other members were:
J.A.W.BENNETT
Lord DAVID CECIL
Commander JIM DUNDAS-GRANT
ADAM FOX
COLIN HARDIE
R.B.McCALLUM
C.E.STEVENS