Dutch Tolkien books - Introduction (29.07.05 by Johan Vanhecke) - Comments

The Dutch translation of The Lord of the Rings is called 'In de Ban van de Ring'. Back in 1956 it was the very first translation of the book, and it was also the first work of Tolkien translated into Dutch. In 1960 a translation of The Hobbit, called 'De Hobbit', was published as a small paperback, in order to help to sell the stocks of The Lord of the Rings. Other Tolkien books weren't translated till the seventies. They include translations of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Bilbo's Last Song, etc. Creating a bibliography of all Tolkien books translated into Dutch is not very easy. The Dutch publisher, Het Spectrum, has destroyed the greater part of its archives, making it very difficult to trace things back.

Because the bibliography of all Dutch Tolkien books is very long we decided to split it up in seven parts:

This article is originally written by Johan Vanhecke. To him goes our greatest gratitude! A very great thanks goes to Felix Claessens, an avid Hobbit collector, and to Jan Boom, who has an extensive Tolkien book collection, for their corrections and reflections.
Some parts of this article have been previously published in 'the Tolkien Collector' and we got the kind permission from Christina Scull to publish large parts here. I wish to thank her for giving us this opportunity. Pieter Collier from the Tolkien Library made some textual alterations and corrections within the article with the permission of the author.

This bibliography tries to be complete, but there is still  work to be done. The descriptions are sometimes not as accurate as we would like, and some errors and omissions remain, as we don't have all the (nearly 400) editions on the shelves. We have done the best we could with all the information available to us. Remarks, additions and corrections are mostly welcome (please send an email to info@tolkienlibrary.com).

In combination to this article there was made an easy to use identification table for 'In de Ban van de Ring', giving a fast overview of every different printing, making the identification of your own 'In de Ban van de Ring' a lot more easier.

PART 1: 'In de Ban van de Ring' from 1957 - 1996

The Lord of the Rings was the first Tolkien work to be translated into Dutch. It was rewarded a price for the best translation of the year. The book was published in three parts [A1a-c], each 3000 copies. The illustrations on the dust-jackets are by Cees Kelfkens. For the press some paperback-copies were issued. [A1bis a-c].

[A1a] In de Ban van de Ring. Deel I: De Reisgenoten.

1st Dutch Lord of the Rings - 1ste druk In de Ban van de Ring
[A1a] In de Ban van de Ring. Deel I: De Reisgenoten - without jackets
[A1a] In de Ban van de Ring. Deel I: De Reisgenoten - front view without jackets
In de Ban van de Ring. Deel 1: De Reisgenoten. Translated by Max Schuchart. Utrecht/Antwerpen: Het Spectrum, 1956. 22.5 x 14.5, 467 + [1] pp., hardback.

On the dust-jacket Tolkiens name was wrongly spelled "J.J.R. Tolkien". "The map of Middle-earth", redrawn by Cees Kelfkens after the original map by Christopher Tolkien, is printed in black (42 x 37.5) and put sixfolded in a pocket tipped at the final endpapers. The map of A part of the Shire is on p. [28]. The ring inscription is on p. 64. The prologue starts on p. 11. Moria Gate is on p. 351 and the runes on Balin's Tomb on p. 368.

The book is bound in brown linen. The lower cover has in the middle the Spectrum logo in a red panel. Stamped in gilt on the spine there are 3 rules, 'J.R.R. Tolkien' against a red panel, 3 rules, 'In de ban / van / de ring', 3 rules, 'De / reis / genoten/ *' against a red panel, and 3 rules; and at the bottom 'Spectrum' against a red panel, with 3 rules above and below. All text in uppercast.

The dust-jacket is olive green. The lower cover gives the name of the author wrongly spelled as J.J.R. Tolkien, and the tittle of the book. It shows a red flame under a big eye, and a drawing by Cees Kelfkens of four hobbits and two black riders (see image, click for enlargement). The spine has 'J.J.R. Tolkien', a burning eye, 'In de ban / van / de ring / *', De Reisgenoten [running down] and at the bottom 'Spectrum'.

[A1b] In de Ban van de Ring. Deel 2: De Twee Torens.

[A1b] In de Ban van de Ring. Deel 2: De Twee Torens
In de Ban van de Ring. Deel 2: De Twee Torens. Translated by Max Schuchart. Utrecht/Antwerpen: Het Spectrum, 1957. 22.5 x 14.5, 394 pp., hardback. The book is bound in brown linen. The lower cover has in the middle the Spectrum logo in a red panel. Stamped in gilt on the spine there are 3 rules, 'J.R.R. Tolkien' against a red panel, 3 rules, 'In de ban / van / de ring', 3 rules, 'De / twee / torens/ **' against a red panel, and 3 rules; and at the bottom 'Spectrum' against a red panel, with 3 rules above and below. All text in uppercast.

The dust-jacket is light brown. The lower cover gives the name of the author, now correctly spelled, and the title of the book. It shows a red flame under a big eye, and a drawing by Cees Kelfkens of two towers and two birds, probably nazgûl (see image, click for enlargement). The spine has 'J.R.R. Tolkien', a burning eye, 'In de ban / van / de ring / *', De Twee Torens [running down] and at the bottom 'Spectrum'.

[A1c] In de Ban van de Ring. Deel 3: De Terugkeer van de Koning.

In de Ban van de Ring. Deel 3: De Terugkeer van de Koning. Translated by Max Schuchart. Utrecht/Antwerpen: Het Spectrum, 1957. 22.5 x 14.5, 432 pp., hardback. Tipped in just before the final endpapers is a map of "a part of Rohan, Gondor and Mordor", redrawn by Cees Kelfkens after the original map by Christopher Tolkien. The Appendices are only partly translated. Appendix A: Annalen van de koningen en heersers, I. De Numenoriaanse Koningen (translation starting at 'There were three unions between the Eldar and the Edain', II. Het Huis Eorl, III. Durins Volk (without the family tree); Appendix B: Het verhaal der jaren (Chronologie van de Westlanden); Appendix C: De kalender van de Gouw [being only a part of what was Appendix D]. The book is bound in brown linen. The lower cover has in the middle the Spectrum logo in a red panel. Stamped in gilt on the spine there are 3 rules, 'J.R.R. Tolkien' against a red panel, 3 rules, 'In de ban / van / de ring', 3 rules, 'De / terugkeer / van de koning/ ***' against a red panel, and 3 rules; and at the bottom 'Spectrum' against a red panel, with 3 rules above and below. All text in uppercast.

The dust-jacket is grey. The lower cover gives the name of the author and the title of the book. It shows a red flame under a big eye, and a drawing by Cees Kelfkens of Mount Doom and the crowning of the King (see image, click for enlargement). The spine has 'J.R.R. Tolkien', a burning eye, 'In de ban / van / de ring / ***', De Terugkeer van de Koning [running down] and at the bottom 'Spectrum'.

[A2] In de Ban van de Ring.

For many years In de Ban van de Ring was not reprinted. Only in 1965 Het Spectrum issued a one-volume edition, together with an edition in three pockets, in the Prisma Series, with the same matter. The pages in the pockets were not renumbered, but stayed as in the one-volume edition. This resulted into two different second editions, causing the publisher, Het Spectrum, to mix up things several times. Because they used the same matter for one-volume editions as for paperbacks they sometimes forgot to change the publication year. There are more pocket editions than bound hardcovers, and usually the hardcover got the same printing information as the pockets of that year.

The statement claiming it is a 'revised printing' did not mean a full revision of the translation, yet a lot of translation errors were corrected. For example in De Reisgenoten (The fellowship of the Ring) "aangeboren behendigheid" (p. 11) changed into "professionele behendigheid" (p. 12), "niet vatbaar voor tegenspraak" (p. 19) into "zonder tegenstrijdigheden" (p. 20), and "hazelaarstruik" (p. 328) changed into "hulstbosje" (p. 368), "crebenen uit Gangorn" (p. 329) was now written as "crebain uit Fangorn" (p. 368). In a number of cases names were still modified such as "Poenen" (p. 22) became "Grenswakers" (p. 24), the inn "Gouden Tak" (p. 107) became "Gouden Baars" (p. 117) and the name of Gandalf's horse changed from "Schaduwschicht" into "Schaduwvacht".

In de Ban van de Ring. Translated by Max Schuchart. Second, revised printing. Utrecht/Antwerpen: Het Spectrum, 1965. 19.5 x 11.5, 1445 + [3] pp., hardback.

It is bound in blue cloth over boards, with plain upper and lower covers. Stamped on the spine in gilt against a black panel is 'J.R.R. Tolkien / In de ban / van / de ring' in uppercast and 'Spectrum' at the bottom. It has a white dust-jacket with illustrations by Cor Blok (see image, click for enlargement). The map by Cees Kelfkens after Christopher Tolkien (33.3 x 29.5) is folded in six and is laid in the book. Further illustrations are the map of A part of the Shire on p. [10]. The ring inscription is on p. 68. Moria Gate is on p. 394 and the runes on Balin's Tomb on p. 413. The map of Rohan, Gondor and Mordor is on p. 975. This one-volume edition, which in 1972 (12th printing) got ISBN 90-274-8197-0, was reissued several times, but with different colours of cloth. 6th printing: 1968 (bound in greenish cloth, in fact yellow and blue, with blue headbands) 12th printing: 1972 (bound in greenish cloth, in fact yellow and blue, with blue headbands) 15th printing: 1974 (bound in greenish cloth, in fact yellow and blue, with blue headbands) 17th printing: 1975 (bound in greenish cloth, in fact yellow and blue, with blue headbands) 18th printing: 1977 (title-p. says 1975) (bound in olive-green cloth, with blue and white headbands) 23th printing: 1978  

[A2bis] In de Ban van de Ring.

24th printing: 1979 (The first edition with the Studio Spectrum dust-jacket, and a title page with the new big-T tolkien-logo, apart from some copies of the Prisma pocket edition from 1979 (22nd printing). The binding remains the same, with yellow headbands).

[A3a] In de Ban van de Ring 1. De Reisgenoten.

[A3a] In de Ban van de Ring 1. De Reisgenoten
In de Ban van de Ring 1. De Reisgenoten. Translated by Max Schuchart. Second revised printing. Utrecht/Antwerpen: Het Spectrum, 1965. 18.0 x 10.8, 526 pp. [Prisma 1111], paperback. Reprinted in 1966 (twice), 1967, 1968 (twice), 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 (twice), 1973 (twice), 1974 (twice), 1975, 1976 (twice), 1977 (twice?) and 1979.

[A3abis] In de Ban van de Ring.

[A3abis] In de Ban van de Ring
The 22nd printing (1979) has a title page with Studio Spectrum Tolkien logo, but exists with two different covers: the green cover with tolkien-logo (see image, click for enlargement) and the Cor Blok cover [A3a].

[A3b] In de Ban van de Ring 2. De Twee Torens.

[A3b] In de Ban van de Ring 2. De Twee Torens
In de Ban van de Ring 2. De Twee Torens. Translated by Max Schuchart. Tweede, herziene printing. Utrecht/Antwerpen: Het Spectrum, 1965. 18.0 x 10.8, 527-963 pp. [Prisma 1112], paperback. Reprinted in 1966 (twice), 1967, 1968 (twice), 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 (twice), 1973 (twice), 1974 (twice), 1975 (twice), 1976, 1977 (twice?) and 1979.

[A3bbis] In de Ban van de Ring.

[A3bbis] In de Ban van de Ring.
The 22nd printing (1979) has a title page with Studio Spectrum Tolkien logo, but exists with two different covers: the green cover with tolkien-logo (see image, click for enlargement) and the Cor Blok cover [A3b].

[A3c] In de Ban van de Ring 3. De Terugkeer van de Koning.

[A3c] In de Ban van de Ring 3. De Terugkeer van de Koning.
In de Ban van de Ring 3. De Terugkeer van de Koning. Translated by Max Schuchart. Utrecht: Het Spectrum, 1965. 18.0 x 10.8, 964-1445 pp. [Prisma 1113], paperback. Reprinted in 1966 (twice), 1967, 1968 (twice), 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 (twice), 1973 (twice), 1974 (twice), 1975, 1976 (twice), 1977 (twice?) and 1979.

[A3cbis] In de Ban van de Ring.

[A3cbis] In de Ban van de Ring.
The 22nd printing (1979) has a title page with Studio Spectrum Tolkien logo, but exists with two different covers: the green cover with tolkien-logo (see image, click for enlargement) and the Cor Blok cover [A3c].

[A4] In de Ban van de Ring.

In 1980 we finally got an updated translation, based on de text from the in 1966 published 2nd edition of Lord of the Rings by George Allen & Unwin. The appendices were omitted, and were published as a separate edition.

[A4] In de Ban van de Ring.
Some copies [A4bis] have another dust-jacket, with red lettering on a grey background and the drawing of Moria-gate in a medallion in the right down corner
[A4bis] In de ban van de ring spine
In de Ban van de Ring. Translated by Max Schuchart. 26th revised printing. Utrecht/Antwerpen: Het Spectrum, 1980. 19.5 x 11.5, 1293 + [3] pp., hardback. ISBN 90-274-8197-0 [same ISBN as the earlier editions].

It is bound in brown cloth over boards, with yellow headbands and a white ribbon marker. The tolkien-design with the big T is blind-stamped in the upper board. On the spine is stamped in silver [rule] SPECTRUM [rule] Tolkien [running down - big T design]   [rule] IN / DE BAN VAN / DE RING.

It has a green Studio Spectrum big T dust-jacket, with in the medallion Tolkiens drawing of Moria gate (see image, click for enlargement).

Some copies [A4bis] have another dust-jacket, with red lettering on a grey background and the drawing of Moria-gate in a medallion in the right down corner (see image, click for enlargement).

The map of Middle-earth, redrawn by Cees Kelfkens is printed on both endpapers and the map of A part of the Shire is on p. [3].

On p. 9-13 is tolkien's foreword from the 1966 edition. P 14-15 gives a note by the translator.

The prologue starts on p. 16. Moria Gate is on p. 388 and the runes on Balin's Tomb on p. 405. On p. 937 is Kelfkens redrawn map of a part of Rohan, Gondor and Mordor.

[A5a-b-c] In de Ban van de Ring.

[A5a-b-c] In de Ban van de Ring. - spines
While the hardcover edition was labelled 26th printing, the Prisma pocket-editions with the same text and matter (but with the old series numbers and the old ISBN), issued a year later in 1981, were stated as the 24th and the 25th printing. They were reprinted in 1985 (27th and 28th printing). The paging was 1-512, 517-927 and 933-1293.

[A6] In de Ban van de Ring.

[A6] In de Ban van de Ring
A one-volume large paperback-edition, based on the 26th printing, came on de market in 1986. In de Ban van de Ring. Translated by Max Schuchart. 1st printing [=29th printing]. [Utrecht:]   Het Spectrum, 1986. 23.5 x 15.5, 797 + [3] pp. ISBN 90-274-5683-6 [new ISBN]. The book has a red cover with golden lettering: "TOLKIEN / IN DE / BAN / VAN DE / RING / TRILOGIE" (see image, click for enlargement).
The map of Middle-earth is on p. [2-3], the map of a part of the Shire on p. 10, and the map of Gondor, Rohan and Mordor is on p. [580].
The Foreword by Tolkien is on P. 11-13, and the note by the translator on p. 14. Moria Gate is on p. 245, Balin's runes on p. 256.
The synopsis at the beginning of parts 2 and 3 are omitted, and the book contains no appendices. It was reprinted in 1987 (30th printing).

[A7a] In de Ban van de Ring.

From 1989 till 1997 we have the white series editions in three paperbacks, with illustrations by Tolkien on the cover. When the three paperbacks are placed next to each other, the drawings on the spine form a unit showing a larger detail from tolkien's Moria Gate (see image, click for enlargement). The book were reprinted at least once a year, with the same matter and the same covers.

[A7a] In de Ban van de Ring
[A7a] In de Ban van de Ring - spines
In de Ban van de Ring 1. De Reisgenoten. (The Fellowship of de Ring.) Translated by Max Schuchart. [Utrecht:]   Het Spectrum, 1989. 21.0 x 13.0, 502 + [2] pp. 31st printing, paperback. ISBN 90-274-2294-X. The map of Middle-earth, redrawn by Cees Kelfkens is printed in black across the pages [2-3] and the map of A part of the Shire is on p. [8]. On p. 9-13 is tolkien's foreword from the 1966 edition. P 14-15 gives a note by the translator. The prologue starts on p. 17. Moria Gate is on p. 380 and the runes on Balin's Tomb on p. 396. The upper cover has tolkien's illustration of Old Man Willow and a detail from the bottom section of the colour sketch of Moria Gate. tolkien's name and the title of the book are printed in gold, a blurb in black (see image, click for enlargement).

On the spine is again the detail from Moria Gate, the title and tolkien's name in gold, and the Spectrum device in black.

The lower cover has a reduced Old Man Willow, and the blurb, title, tolkien's name and the publisher data in black, and the Tolkien monogram in red-brown.

[A7b] In de Ban van de Ring.

[A7b] In de Ban van de Ring
In de Ban van de Ring 2. De Twee Torens. Translated by Max Schuchart. [Utrecht:]   Het Spectrum, 1989. 21.0 x 13.0, 407 + [1] pp. 31st printing, paperback. ISBN 90-274-2295-8. The map of Middle-earth, redrawn by Cees Kelfkens is printed in black across the pages [2-3] and the map of A part of the Shire is on p. [8].

The upper cover has tolkien's illustration of Helm's Deep & the Hornburg and a detail from the bottom section of the colour sketch of Moria Gate.
tolkien's name and the title of the book are printed in gold, a blurb in black (see image, click for enlargement).
On the spine is again the detail from Moria Gate, the title and tolkien's name in gold, and the Spectrum device in black.
The lower cover has a reduced Helm's Deep & the Hornburg, and the blurb, title, tolkien's name and the publisher data in black, and the Tolkien monogram in red-brown.

[A7c] In de Ban van de Ring.

[A7c] In de Ban van de Ring
In de Ban van de Ring 3. De Terugkeer van de Koning. Translated by Max Schuchart. [Utrecht:]   Het Spectrum, 1989. 21.0 x 13.0, 350 pp. 31st printing, paperback. ISBN 90-274-2296-6. The map of Middle-earth, redrawn by Cees Kelfkens is printed in black across the pages [0-1] and the map of A part of the Shire is on p. [6]. The synopsis of the previous parts start on p. 7, but that should have been on p. 9. On p. 12 is Kelfkens redrawn map of a part of Rohan, Gondor and Mordor.

The upper cover has tolkien's illustration of Dunharrow and a detail from the bottom section of the colour sketch of Moria Gate. tolkien's name and the title of the book are printed in gold, a blurb in black (see image, click for enlargement).
On the spine is again the detail from Moria Gate, the title and tolkien's name in gold, and the Spectrum device in black.
The lower cover has a reduced Dunharrow, and the blurb, title, tolkien's name and the publisher data in black, and the Tolkien monogram in red-brown.

[A8] In de Ban van de Ring.

[A8] In de Ban van de Ring. - front
[A8] In de Ban van de Ring. - spine
[A8] In de Ban van de Ring. - back
In de Ban van de Ring. Translated by Max Schuchart. 34th printing [Utrecht:] Het Spectrum, 1991. 21.5 x 13.5, 1242 pp., hardback. ISBN 90-274-2685-6.

Bound in claret cloth over boards, with white headbands and a claret ribbon marker. On the front, the spine and the back is a white panel with tolkien's name, the overall title and the title of the three parts in black, and tolkien's monogram in claret.
The dustjacket is claret marbled, with tolkien's name, the overall title and the title of the three parts in black lettering and tolkien's monogram in red on a pink panel (see image, click for enlargement).

This is the one-volume de deluxe-edition, especially issued for the centenary.
The map of Middle-earth, redrawn by Cees Kelfkens is printed on p. [2-3] and the map of A part of the Shire is on p. [8]. On p. 9-13 is tolkien's foreword from the 1966 edition. P 14-15 gives a note by the translator.
The prologue starts on p. 17. Moria Gate is on p. 380 and the runes on Balin's Tomb on p. 396. On p. 904 is Kelfkens redrawn map of a part of Rohan, Gondor and Mordor. The synopsis at the beginning of part 2 and 3 are left out.

The matter is identical to the three-volume paperback from 1989 (A7a-c) and has the same errors. There were no appendices, but they were added in a later edition, the 38th printing (1994). Reprinted in 1992 as 35th printing.

[A9] In de Ban van de Ring.

[A9] In de Ban van de Ring - front
[A9] In de Ban van de Ring - spine
[A9] In de Ban van de Ring - back
In de Ban van de Ring. Translated by Max Schuchart. 38th printing [Utrecht:]   Het Spectrum, 1994. 21.5 x 13.5, 1331 pp., hardback.

Binding and dustjacket as in A8, with the minor exception that in the pink panel on the dustjacket 'Aanhangsels' is added (see image, click for enlargement). ISBN 90-274-2685-6. The map of Middle-earth, redrawn by Cees Kelfkens is printed on p. [2-3] and the map of A part of the Shire is on p. [8]. On p. 9-13 is tolkien's foreword from the 1966 edition. P 14-15 gives a note by the translator.
The prologue starts on p. 17. Moria Gate is on p. 380 and the runes on Balin's Tomb on p. 396. On p. 904 is Kelfkens redrawn map of a part of Rohan, Gondor and Mordor.
The synopsis at the beginning of part 2 and 3 are left out.
The matter is identical to A8 edition and has the same errors.

The big difference is that this luxe-edition has the appendices on pp. 1243-1331, but sadly it is the old, incomplete translation from 1957 [see A9].

Reprinted in 1996 as 41st printing.

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