20th century British author J.R.R. Tolkien is best known as the creator of Middle Earth, the imaginary realm that hosts his legendary stories The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion. But beyond his impact on fantasy literature (an impact that many would say defined the genre), Tolkien was also a devout Christian, with his dedication to the faith being credited in part for influencing the conversion of his friend and fellow literary giant C.S. Lewis. Given these facts, it is perhaps not surprising that, more than 40 years after his passing, his influence would work its way throughout many facets of Christian culture-- Christian music included.

I read my first Tolkien book at 8 years old, and by age 10 I was completely hooked on the world he'd created. I wouldn't discover Christian music until I was 16, at which point I was both surprised and delighted to start stumbling across subtle Tolkien references in the music of artists I was coming to love. In honor of the release of The Gray Havens' new album Ghost of a King, I've rounded up six of my favorite times Christian music paid homage to J.R.R. Tolkien.

1. The Gray Havens' Band Name
 
The name "The Gray Havens" is a reference to the elvish sea port on the western shore of Tolkien's Middle Earth. The port's primary purpose is to send elves across the sea to the paradisal land of Valinor (a journey Frodo also takes at the end of The Return of the King). The name is fitting for an act like The Gray Havens, who display beautifully on new album Ghost of a King their ability to send listeners on an otherworldly journey. 

2. Jason Gray's Everything Sad is Coming Untrue
 
Jason Gray's 2009 album Everything Sad is Coming Untrue is named after a quote from the third book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King. Following the defeat of the story's primary enemy, the hobbit Sam asks "Is everything sad going to come untrue? What's happened to the world?" It's a question that Jason Gray recast in his album's title track to express the way God's redemption finds us in surprising places: "The frozen rivers run, the death of winter comes undone / Whispers of Kingdom come while the bluebird sings. / Everything, everything that I thought I knew / Everything, everything sad is coming untrue."

3. The Creation of the Rabbit Room
 
Following a visit to the U.K. and some of the haunts of the group of friends that called themselves The Inklings, a group which included Tolkien and Lewis, artist Andrew Peterson was inspired to found a similar creative collective he has called The Rabbit Room. It's a group that facilitates creative community, most notably through their yearly conference Hutchmoot. The conferense is another strong Tolkien reference, since the title is modeled after the Entmoot in Tolkien's The Two Towers (a gathering of the tree-like beings called the Ents).

4. Newsboys' "Secret Kingdom"
 
Newsboys' 2006 album Go was a late victory for the Peter Furler era of the Newsboys, featuring the marriage of heartfelt and quirky that captured so many audiences. The track "Secret Kingdom" played up the delightfully unexpected side of the group's lyrical style at the time, featuring subtle Tolkien references in the first verse to imply leaving the comfortable behind: "This here's gonna light a fire / Gonna pink slip preaching to the choir/ Gonna send us hobbits outta the shire / Here's the theme song, get your ring on."

5. Remedy Drive Lyrics
Jason Gray and Newsboys aren't the only ones who have taken some lyrical inspiration from hobbits. When writing lyrics in mid-2015, Remedy Drive lead singer David Zach also used hobbits and their homeland The Shire as metaphorical for the comfortable and familiar, sharing the lyrics on facebook: "We would breathe the fire of an ancient race / we would leave the shire for a far off place / but we're too comfortable here and we're too safe." There's no word yet on if this song will make it onto a recorded project, but we can only hope so.

6. Éowyn
 
The name for hard rock act Éowyn might seem like a fitting reference given her gothic-inspired style, but the fact is that it's actually her name. Éowyn was born Rebecca Éowyn Denee Krueger, and now following her marriage goes by Éowyn Riggins. She credits the name to a Tolkien enthusiast father, but it seems like it was meant to be as her ethereal stage presence and vocal style pair well with the fantasy-inspired name.

Are there any stand-out Tolkien references I missed? Share them in the comments!