Exploring The Myths Of Middle-Earth: Washington College's Tolkien Authority Appears On History Channel

Watch trailer for "Tolkien's Monsters" on Youtube

Chestertown – Corey Olsen, Assistant Professor of English at Washington College and a leading authority on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, will be featured on the History Channel program “Clash of the Gods” on Monday, October 5, at 10 p.m.

“Clash of the Gods” is a series focusing on various strains of mythology and legendry. The October 5 episode, “Tolkien’s Monsters,” will explore Tolkien’s “fantastical world of hobbits, orcs and wizards, and uncover the real-life influences that shaped his epic fantasy, The Lord of the Rings,” according to the History Channel.

Olsen, an authority on Arthurian literature and Chaucer as well as Tolkien, hosts a popular site, “The Tolkien Professor” (http://www.tolkienprofessor.com/index.html), which has attracted more than 500,000 visitors since launching last summer; there have been more than 60,000 downloads of his podcasted lectures since they first posted to iTunes last July.

After its initial broadcasting at 10 p.m. on October 5, “Clash of the Gods: Tolkien’s Monsters” will re-air on the History Channel at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, October 6.