Welcome to The Elven Rings! This site is about Tolkein's works and adaptations thereof, and the medieval literature and languages that inspired him. Here's why:
I was introduced to Tolkien via the movie posters for The Fellowship of the Ring in Germany, where I was living as an exchange student. I'd never read much fantasy before, but those posters were pretty cool looking, so I decided to see the film. But first, I wanted to read the book so I knew what was going on when I saw the movie (because I'd be seeing it in German). I found an English copy of The Lord of the Rings in one volume at a bookstore in the train station, and the rest is history.
Meanwhile, I majored in English literature in college and discovered a mild interest in medieval literature. Fast forward several years (and life adventures) later, and that interest is no longer mild; I have a master's degree in Germanic Studies, in which I've focused on medieval Germanic languages, literature and linguistics. It's been pretty fun to read medieval knights' tales and the like in archaic forms of German and discover things therein like magic rings that make the wearer invisible, or to find the obvious inspiration for Rohan's poem (recited in part by King Theoden in The Two Towers film) in the middle of an Old English fragment.
There is, in my opinion, much joy to be found in such explorations and discoveries; in the contemplation of literary influences and the kinds of decisions that go into making translations, adaptations, and augmentations of source materials.
So pull up your cart, pass around some malt beer, and fulfill your oaths. You are most welcome here.