9 Things Rowling Blatantly Stole From LotR That Shaped Harry Potter
A giant spider in the forest
Both series send young heroes into danger from an enormous spider. In The Lord of the Rings, Shelob turns a hidden passage into a deadly encounter; in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Aragog and his offspring threaten Harry and Ron in the Forbidden Forest.
The spiders differ: Aragog speaks and has a protective bond with Hagrid, while Shelob is a solitary predator. But when Aragog allows his children to pursue Harry and Ron, the immediate struggle to survive echoes Tolkien’s scene, temporarily displacing the larger threat.
Two powerful wizard mentors
Dumbledore and Gandalf share more than long white beards. Each has great magical authority, a warm but sometimes exasperating manner, and an ability to seem more formidable than first impressions suggest.
Both recognize the importance of a seemingly ordinary young person and help prepare that person to face a powerful enemy. Their influence often comes through understanding people rather than displays of magic.
Mentors leave young heroes
The stories also use the mentor’s absence to push the young hero forward. Gandalf falls in Moria, leaving Frodo to continue without him. Dumbledore’s death leaves Harry with a mission still to complete and questions about his mentor’s choices.
Gandalf returns, while Dumbledore remains dead. Despite that difference, both departures remove the hero’s protection and force him to confront evil without the mentor’s guidance. The article notes that Dumbledore’s mistakes and manipulation give Rowling’s version its own character.
Trolls and a familiar model
The article also compares the mountain troll in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone with the monsters serving Sauron. Rowling did not invent trolls, which have appeared in folklore in many forms, including cunning supernatural neighbours and wilderness predators.
The passage describes the Hogwarts troll as huge, dangerous, slow-witted and armed with a club, then begins to argue that this version resembles Tolkien’s lumbering creatures. The supplied text ends before completing that comparison.
Key points
- The article argues that several Harry Potter elements closely resemble Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
- Aragog’s threat to Harry and Ron recalls Shelob’s attack on young heroes.
- Dumbledore and Gandalf share traits and a similar role in their heroes’ journeys.
- The article’s troll comparison is incomplete in the supplied text.