In the wake of the new film adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings," a massive wave of merchandising is currently sweeping over us, with no end in sight. Due to its enormous success, the press, entertainment media, the uninformed, and fantasy fans around the world are repeatedly asking one significant question: What is so special about J.R.R. Tolkien's epic of the Ring? Voenix, a mythologist, author, and painter, seeks to find answers of a different kind in this book. He takes a thorough inventory of the worlds and characters created by Tolkien in his unique style and compares them with the existing myths of the West. Although the master of fantasy distanced himself from any allegorization of his main work throughout his life, a closer examination reveals astonishing parallels to the most famous legends.