Did J.R.R. Tolkien create Orcs?

ANSWER: Most people will tell you that J.R.R. Tolkien invented the Orcs of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings but that is not correct. Tolkien reused older ideas for his fantasy creatures, including the Orcs. read more

No, Tolkien did not create any real orcs. Thank goodness! But if you mean, did Tolkien create a literary invention, a new creature called the orc, a new mythical being, well, that is a question with a more complicated answer. read more

He retired in 1959 (aged 67) from and continued to live in Oxford until moving to Bournemouth to spend the last few years of his life in peace. He died in 1973. read more