The Semantic Interpretation of the Combination of Textual and Visual Messages in the Lord of the Rings Memes

Kovačič, Janina (author), Ilc, Gašper (mentor)

This thesis aims to demonstrate that a viewer can only find LOTR memes amusing if they are at least vaguely familiar with LOTR, as prior knowledge is crucial for interpreting and deriving humorous effects from them. This objective is carefully considered in the theoretical section through the cognitive-linguistic and relevance-theoretic approach to memes. The cognitive- linguistic framework posits that memes both reflect and adhere to conceptualizations available to members of the same cultural community, which are represented in memes through the combination of visual and textual elements, drawing on Farzad Sharifan’s (2011, 2017) and Limor Shifman’s (2014) works, and the relevance-theoretic framework determines that memes communicate meaning through implicit assumptions, shared cultural context, and optimized cognitive processing, based on the work of Dan Sperber & Deirdre Wilson (1986, 2004). This theoretical foundation is tested with an analysis of selected LOTR memes using Francisco Yus’ (2018, 2016) frameworks. His (2018) framework is used to categorize the selected memes into different types based on the most salient element in each meme and determine the order of inference strategies used to decipher the implicit and explicit messages they present. His (2016) framework is used to identify which overlapping strategies are often utilized in humor in the selected memes. The analysis also identifies and elaborates on the incongruity present in each LOTR meme. The survey results showed that most respondents who successfully interpreted the memes were familiar with LOTR from the films, but they also disproved the hypothesis since some respondents had no prior knowledge of the trilogy and were able to successfully interpret some memes and be amused by them. This thesis provides a general overview of interpreting memes and of deriving humor from them, but more in-depth research into any of its aspects would yield more conclusive answers to the research questions.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Relevance theory, Cultural Linguistics, cultural conceptualizations, memes, The Lord of the Rings.
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2026
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-181554
• Publication date in RUL: 10.04.2026

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Semantična interpretacija kombinacije vizualnih in tekstualnih sporočil v memih na temo Gospodarja prstanov

Abstract

Namen magistrske naloge je dokazati, da so memi na temo Gospodarja prstanov gledalcu lahko zanimivi v primeru, da ima potrebno prehodno znanje o tej trilogiji, saj je ta seznanjenost nujno potrebna za razumevanje le-teh in uživanje v njih. Razumevanje memov je prikazano skozi kognitivno-lingvističen ter relevantno-teoretičen pristop. Prvi nudi okvir skozi katerega je razvidno, da se memi ne samo nanašajo na konceptualizacije, ki so na voljo vsem članov znotraj iste kulturne skupnosti, ampak jih tudi odražajo skozi kombinacijo vizualnih in tekstualnih elementov, kar je razvidno skozi dela Farzad Sharifana (2011, 2017) in Limor Shifmana (2014). Drugi pa nudi okvir, ki določa, da memi sporočajo večstranske pomene skozi implicitna predvidevanja, deljeni kulturni kontekst ter optimizirano kognitivno procesiranje, kar je podkrepljeno z deli Dana Sperberja in Deirdre Wilson (1986, 2004). Teoretična podlaga je preizkušena s pomočjo analize izbranih memov na temo Gospodarja prstanov na podlagi okvirjev, ki ju nudita deli Francisca Yusa (2018, 2016). Njegovo (2018) delo nudi okvir na podlagi katerega je zasnovana kategorizacija izbranih memov v različne vrste glede na element v memu, ki nosi največ pomena. Ta kategorizacija tudi določa vrstni red inferenčnih strategij, ki so uporabljene za namen prepoznavanja implicitnih in eksplicitnih sporočil, ki so v memih predstavljena. Njegovo (2016) delo pa nudi okvir skozi katerega so določene prekrivajoče se strategije, ki so pogosto rabljene za namen humorja, lahko prepoznane v izbranih memih. Ta analiza prav tako določi in pojasni neujemanja, ki so predstavljena v vsakemu memu na temo Gospodarja prstanov. Rezultati same raziskave prikažejo, da je večina anketirancev, ki je poznala trilogijo, uspešno interpretirala izbrane meme, sama hipoteza naloge pa je ovržena, saj so nekateri anketiranci uspešno razumeli nekatere izmed memov in se ob njih zabavali ne, da bi poznali trilogijo od prej. Delo nudi splošen pregled razumevanja memov in uživanja v njih, vendar bi bolj poglobljena raziskava v preučevane aspektov razumevanja in uživanja v memih nudila bolj dokončne odgovore na njena raziskovalna vprašanja.

• Keywords: Teorija relevantnosti, kulturna lingvistika, kulturne konceptualizacije, memi, Gospodar prstanov.