Tolkien's Inspirations

I noticed that a lot of the class exercises were about parallels between the reading and Tolkien's work.  There are obvious elements from Prose Edda and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight that made it into Tolkien's stories that we all listed.  Everyone discussed whether Tolkien had stolen these ideas outright rather than used them as mere inspiration.  I think all of this relates to originality in created work.  People are capable of coming up with completely new ideas, but one's experiences, memories, stories, and worldview build the framework of these ideas.  Since Tolkien loved the stories so much (you'd have to love something to do a translation of it, right?), it only makes sense that he would include it in his story that he wanted his audience to love as well.  He took ideas like dwarves that mine underground, and made them his own by giving them character, history, characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and more that made them unique to Middle-Earth.  What do you all think, does Tolkien steal ideas or use them as inspiration?