I like the thread you began here,
Esty. While I don't know enough of B5 as I should,
in what I've seen I've got hints of Tolkien's influence.
I came across an interesting piece of fanfiction where, in Chapter 4, a reference to Tolkien and one of his poems provokes an interesting response from Delenn. The piece is called 'The Road Less Travelled', and the chapter can be found here:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3442388/...Less-Travelled
The piece is a crossover between
Babylon 5,
Star Trek: Enterprise, and
Dead Like Me. The
USS Enterprise, under Captain Archer, has come to the B5 universe; and in Chapter 4 there are discussions on when the timelines in the different universes diverged with relation to Earth, including its popular culture. Commander Summers, from the
Enterprise, remarks that the Minbari language sounds like Elvish, leading to this:
"That language sounds a lot like Elven, as written by J.R.R Tolkien." Summers said absently.
"That's funny considering your ears," Garibaldi winced as he felt himself get poked in the ribs. "Commander..."
"Commander Summers is mostly human," Ivanova explained, figuring that Delenn would understand due to her transformation the previous year, becoming part human. Both Commander Summers and Delenn were hybrids of a sort. "Her ears are the result of her mixed heritage. She is part Vulcan."
"Really?" Delenn enquired. "What is this Elven? Who is Tolkien?"
"Elven is a language created by Tolkien, a writer on Earth, in the 1950s," Summers explained. "There are several dialects of it. They are derivatives of various Earth languages. Anyhow. It forms part of the mythos surrounding the Lord of The Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion."
"Could you speak some of the language?" Delenn asked, sounding curious.
"I am not well versed," Summers admitted. "Though, I do know a poem which was translated into Western Common or English as the book is written in it. It is one of my favourites, though it is fairly sad. It's about an elven king, named Gil-galad."
"May I hear it?" Delenn asked, her curiosity rising rapidly.
"Very well," Summers nodded, recalling the poem:
"Gil-galad was an Elven-king.
Of him the harpers sadly sing, the last whose realm was fair and free, between the Mountains and the Sea. His sword was long, his lance was keen, his shining helm afar was seen; the countless stars of heaven's field were mirrored in his silver shield. But long ago he rode away, and where he dwelleth none can say; for into darkness fell his star in Mordor where the shadows are."
Delenn went pale as she heard the last line. How do they know of the Shadows? Delenn thought rapidly. "What do you know about the Shadows? What is this Mordor?"
"Mordor was the realm of Sauron," Summers went on. "One of the great evils of Middle Earth. It is the focus of the Lord of The Rings. I have the books, and the movies if you wish to take a look."
"Yes, I would very much like to," Delenn was both intrigued and surprised. How can they know about the Shadows? She thought again. The Earth of that period had only just started venturing into space. They shouldn't have had any genuine knowledge of aliens, let alone Shadows.
"I hope you enjoy them," Summers said. "I have to say, my favourite character is Legolas, though George's favourite is Strider or Aragorn, the ranger from the north." George had seen so many jerks in her long life that she confessed to Tru that she would have loved to have known someone as noble and cool as Aragorn.
"Ranger?" This was disturbing, yet very revealing. Is that a subtle reference to the Anla'shok?
"Yeah, the rangers are cool," Summers continued. "They fought the evil that came from the shadows of Sauron and Mordor. They walked the paths less travelled." As she spoke, Summers had noticed the colour draining from Delenn's face. "Are you okay, Ambassador?"
"Yes," Delenn nodded abruptly, trying to brace herself from the shock. How could have this human writer known so much, she needed to know more, and she needed to speak with the Vorlon, Ambassador Kosh. This Tolkien must have had a Minbari soul, Delenn realised. I have to find out more about the books and movies she referred to.
Regardless of the whole piece of fanfiction, that bit made me smile.
It would be nice to think that Tolkien might still have such an influence long after all of us here are dead, in 'states unborn and accents yet unknown'.