If you have ever picked up one of Tolkien's books, or looked at any of the artworks that they have inspired, you have probably seen the symbol displayed elsewhere on this page. If you are particularly astute you will have even seen that it is actually made up of his initials. The central line is both the "J" and the "T", while the two "R"s mirror eachother on either side.

Many artists and craftspeople have something similar to this, and it is often referred to as a "makers' mark". The tradition of using a small sign or symbol to mark your creations probably arose from the general illiteracy of the population — even the skilled crafters within it. Also at issue was that a mark like this would take up less space on a piece than would a name.

Tolkien, as it turns out, was not only an exceptional writer and skilled linguist, he was also a doodler. Throughout many of his works you will find a variety of sketches and illustrations that he did himself, including the symbol in question. In all likeliehood he came up with this symbol one day and decided to use to sign his work. In a way this connected him to the older world which he created.

Click here to see a larger version of the Tolkien Sigil. (43 K)