Dear Readers,

   We would like to present you a second Special Issue of our periodical "Aiglos" in English. The main reason we decided to publish this second issue of English version of our journal is the seventy fifth anniversary of the publication of The Hobbit by J.R.R.Tolkien, and the 2012 Return of the Ring convention at Loughborough University. It is an occasion to present the state of Polish tolkienology after seven years since the last issue. During that time a lot of things happened in this area, and the interest in and knowledge of J.R.R. Tolkien and his works developed greatly. This we would like to share with wider public.
   In this issue we are giving you a variety of articles and essays, which include a wide spectrum of topics ranging from the presentation of the first J.R.R. Tolkien scholars, through the text like: Renata Leśniakiewicz-Drzymała "Völsunga saga as an Inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien", Michał Leśniewski "Tolkien and the Vikings J.R.R. Tolkien's connection to the Victorian literature concerning the North" or Marcin Morawski "The Rivendell Hymnal and Tenebrae – Tolkien, Elves and the Roman Liturgy" which deal with inspirations for Tolkien's legendarium, up to the analyses of the Tolkien's texts such as: Maria Błaszkiewicz's "Samwise the Great", Justyna Brzezińska "Éowyn – the misunderstood Lady of Rohan", Magdalena Kudelska "Noegyth nibin – racism in Beleriand?" or Tadeusz Andrzej Olszański "Master of Doom and Ring-bearer Fate and Free Will in the Middle-Earth of the First and the Third Age".
   Most of articles and essays in this issue were published earlier in polish issues of our periodical, still some of them, like for example: Maria Błaszkiewicz’s "Who are you, and what are you doing in this land? A different way of looking at known things – an epic reading of The Lord of the Rings" or Agnieszka Kruszyńska’s "The Sense of Unity and the Category of Unity. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings in the Context of Medieval Epic", were specially prepared for this issue.
   Beside the articles and essays we have also included translations the most important and most interesting interviews published in earlier issues of "Aiglos". We also included the most interesting, in our opinion, reviews published in our periodical.
On a lighter tune, we decided to present you also a selection of poems and illustrations, prepared by the best Polish artist, who draw inspiration from Tolkien’s works. We hope, that you will enjoy this issue of our journal.
   Finally, you will find more about the contents of the special issue of Aiglos in the Issues.

With best wishes,

The Aiglos Editorial Staff

Dear Readers,

   This is a special English-language issue of our half-yearly Aiglos. The main reason we decided to publish an English version of our journal is the fiftieth anniversary of the complete publication of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, and Tolkien 2005, the conference and convention held at Aston University in Birmingham. Members of our editorial staff are going to participate in the event not only by preparing papers and lectures and presenting the works of Polish Tolkien artists.
  We also wish to present the Polish reception of Tolkien's works and Polish tolkienology to the wider public. We hope to show that there is quite a lot going on in Polish tolkienology. In this issue you will find a variety of articles and essays which cover a wide spectrum of topics ranging from the history of Polish translations of The Lord of the Rings and a short history of Polish fandom, through texts which deal with concepts and ideas rarely discussed by Tolkien fans, such as C. K. Chmiel's "Reflections on Good in Tolkien's Legendarium" or Z. Stanecka's essay on the reception of The Lord of the Rings by children. Some of the material in this issue, like for example T. A. Olszański's "Are Tolkien's Heroes 'Cardboard'?", K. Stopa-Olszańska's "The Kalevala and Tolkien, Tolkien and the Kalevala", or Z. Stanecka's "Tell Me a Story, Mum... or the Child in the Land of The Lord of the Rings", have already been published in regular issues of our journal. Others, like A. Adamczyk's "Tolkien and Nature", were published in other Polish tolkienist periodicals (in this case Gwaihir), and some of them, like for example M. Leśniewski's "The Question of the 'Round Arda'" or T. A. Olszański's "The Polish Story of The Lord of the Rings: Three Translations, Many Editions", were written specially for this issue.
  Besides the articles and essays we have also included reviews of several Polish monographs on Tolkien and his work, published before 2004, and for those who like fanfiction, we have chosen three stories by Polish authors. There are also a few poems in Quenya and Sindarin and Middle-earth riddles.
  The whole issue is interspersed with a few dozen illustrations, prepared by some of Poland's favourite artists drawing inspiration from Tolkien's works. We hope you enjoy this issue of our journal and that the conference in Birmingahm will be fruitful in every respect.
   We are looking forward to your letters and your opinions about every issue. The most interesting letters will be published on our website in the department of Letters to the Editors.
  Finally, you will find more about the contents of the special issue of Aiglos in the Issues.

P.S. We would also like to inform you in advance that orders made between 1st and 17th August will be carried out after 17th August.

With best wishes,

The Aiglos Editorial Staff