J.R.R. Tolkien’s Oxford academic field in Old English studies was Anglo-Saxon.
At Oxford, Tolkien became a specialist in the language and literature traditionally called Anglo-Saxon, now more commonly called Old English. He held the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professorship of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford from 1925 to 1945. His research included texts, language history, and the traditions surrounding works such as Beowulf.
The term Anglo-Saxon can refer both to the early English people and to their language and literature, which can cause confusion. In Tolkien’s academic career, it primarily identifies the discipline centered on Old English. His philological training strongly shaped his fiction: invented languages, names, and myths were central creative elements rather than decorative additions.