Oxonmoot 2024

At the 2005 Aston conference, I lectured on William Morris's influence on Tolkien, and my lecture was published in the 2005 Proceedings. I divided the lecture-essay into four parts: the visual inspiration of the tapestries in Exeter College which were designed by Burne-Jones and woven in Morris's workshops, the influence of Morris's translations of the Norse sagas; of Morris's original Gothic romances; and his poetry. I have not changed my view of those last three parts, only reinforced them with more material. However,  must revise my view of the tapestries, especially the Adoration of the Magi in the Chapel, as more information has surfaced, notably on Tolkien's likely source of the name Melkor, no longer initially inspired by the warrior Magus in the Chapel tapestry, but by a medieval text set for his Finals.