Joy Chant and Tolkien

[Lobelia]

Has anyone come across a long out of print novel called RED MOON AND BLACK MOUNTAIN? The author said she had never read LOTR (according to her librarianship tutor, who used to work at my library school years later), and yet:

There was a race, the Starborn, who were like a cross between Elves and Numenoreans

A people who were like a more nomadic version of the Riders of Rohan, except they rode unicorns ("davlanei")

An Aragorn and Arwen couple (she was a Starborn, he was of the short-lived nomadic folk, except his mother was a princess and he'd spent time at his grandfather's castle) - she had to give up her magic to marry him (well, it just happened, when a Starborn married a mortal)

A Shadowfax unicorn

A Dark Lord who had a prophecy about him which was carried out because of a technicality

I should add it was a good story and read less like Tolkien than Rosemary Sutcliffe, if she had written fantasy!

[burrahobbit]

Archetypes. Also, lots of things are influenced by Tolkien's stuff, so she could have read that without having read LotR.

[Finwe]

Also, Tolkien's works were influenced by a lot of stuff, so she could have read some of those without having read his works. Beowulf, Norse myths, and the Kalevala are all excellent examples.

[Lhundulinwen]

I agree. When Tolkien wrote LOTR he put a lot of time in for research (didn't hurt that he was a college prof. either!!!) and covered all the bases. Beowolf, Mythology, Lore, Legend, and other cultural ideals all were thrown into the pot now know as the LOTR we all know and love!! Even if she never had even heard of LOTR it is quite possible she drew from the same sorces.