More to William Morris: Two Books that Inspired J. R. R. Tolkien-The House of the Wolfings and The Roots of the Mountains
William Morris (1834-1896) was a brilliant and broadly talented artist, poet and writer. Like Tolkien, he translated the ancient tales of Northern Europe into English. He was one of the first to write tales like those old sagas into the form of modern novels. Tolkien was following Morris' example when he wrote The Lord of the Rings.