Theories Vs Reality

The connection that Wheelers established had solid proofs for the stories but then too they required certain experts to validate their hypothesis. They wanted to know more about the ancient temple and about God Nodens. Initially, they had translated the inscribed words but as they were not the experts they approached their friends who were then in the Oxford for help.

Seeking Help

One of them was J.R.R Tolkien who was the professor of Anglo-Saxon and Celtic literature and the other was the archeologist and philosopher at Pembroke: R.G Collingwood. These were the people Wheeler intended to seek help because they were the ones who could link the broken strings and could tell about the words inscribed on the curse table with its real meaning.

The Etymologist

J.R.R Tolkien was the professor of the Celtic literature and was a close friend of C.S.Lewis, both were the members of the informal literary discussion group called the Inklings. Tolkien had a thorough knowledge of etymology and was at Oxford at that time when he was consulted by the archeologist couple to know more about the words and the Nodan God.

The Deity Nodan

So the professor told about the deity Nodan and its significance. The deity was associated with healing, hunting, dogs and the sea. The name Nodan was related to Old Irish Nuada, who was the first Tuatha de Danana but he was banned from ruling Ireland as he had lost his hand in the battle. He was also associated with the Fisher King of Arthurian legends and the Roman god of Mars.

Decoding The Words

The professor and the archeologist both helped the Wheelers to materialize their speculations into reality. As the professor had the vast knowledge of the words and their formation along with the facts of the archeology they were able to relate the story of the ring and the curse table. Hence the broken strings started to form meaning.

The Ring

The professor and the other experts worked on the story for a couple of years together. Tolkien was so inspired by the story of the ring and the curse table that it made him write a work of fiction on the same. It was believed that at the particular timing he had thought about the idea of the famous”The Hobbit” storyline and had published it on 21 September 1937 which got an insane amount of popularity.