The "Ring" and the Remnants of the West

the Asia Times ^ | January 11, 2003 | Spengler

[LadyDoc]

just found this article via blog Baldilocks.

[Texas2step]

Wanna ping the ringers?

[ecurbh]

Ring Ping!!

There and Back Again: The Journeys of Flat Frodo

Anyone wishing to be added to or removed from the Ring-Ping list, please don't hesitate to let me know.

[ecurbh]

A combination of Tolkien and music history. I'm in hog heaven here!

[SuziQ]

Boorish and gruff as the new American Empire might seem, it is an anti-empire populated by reluctant heroes who want nothing more than to till their fields and mind their homes, much like Tolkien's Hobbits. Under pressure, though, it will respond with a fierceness and cohesion that will surprise its adversaries.
Orcs of the world: Take note and beware

VEY good!!

[ksen]

I don't think this guy understood Tolkien at all. Elves=gods? Not in Tolkien's universe.

Of course there are similarities between Tolkien and Wagner, they both had the same source material. So to say Tolkien "recast" Wagner is dubious at best IMHO.

But I do agree with his last line about the orcs of the earth taking note. ;^)

Thanks for the article Texas2step and thanks for the ping ecurbh.

[ksen]

Whoops, sorry LadyDoc, I thanked Texas2step for the article when I see you were the one I should thank.

[MrConfettiMan]

Lunch time ping. :-p

[ksen]

To be sure, The Lord of the Rings is not a great work of literature to be compared to Cervantes or Dostoyevsky.

I almost stopped there, but I pushed on. ;^)

[Samwise]

What a wonderful essay! Thanks for the post. However, I must take exception to this statement:

To be sure, The Lord of the Rings is not a great work of literature to be compared to Cervantes or Dostoyevsky.

The Lord of the Rings is a great work of literature that stands in a league of its own. Superficially it is a child's story to enjoy, but it is woven with so many themes and variations of theme that an adult can read it anew year after year. LotR is filled with wisdom and truth--the truth of fiction. I believe it to be truly inspired.

As a student, I read Cervantes and Dostoyevsky because my profs required it. I read Tolkien because his work compelled me.

[Samwise]

I'm in hog heaven here!

LOL.

[Lil'freeper]

Good find!

This deserves to be in a State of the Union speech- or maybe just a T-shirt:

Orcs of the world: Take note and beware.

[Tribune7]

Great article. Thanks

[Maigret]

I realize this doesn't relate to the above essay, but I have been wondering about what happens when an elf 'dies' in battle? I thought Samwise would be the one to ask :)

[T'wit]

Tolkien's dear friend, C.S. Lewis, grew up entranced with Nordic mythology. I recall reading that Lewis and Tolkien were both (?) later members of a group of dons who read the sagas in original Old Norse / Icelandic. I think they called themselves the Coal Biters. (Pardon my rusty memory :-) )

[Samwise]

"Both Elves and Men are the Children of Ilúvatar, and so have much in common, but there are also great differences between the two peoples. Of these, the most significant is that Elves are 'immortal', at least while the World lasts; they do not suffer ageing or disease, and if they are slain or wither with grief, they are reincarnated in the Halls of Mandos in Valinor.
Although, unlike Men, the Elves must remain in the world until its ending, they are not bound to Middle-earth. They may if they wish take the straight road, and sail into the Uttermost West, a road that is barred to mortals.

[Samwise]

This deserves to be in a State of the Union speech- or maybe just a T-shirt: Orcs of the world: Take note and beware.

LOL and I agree.

[FReepaholic]

>>...This deserves to be in a State of the Union speech- or maybe just a T-shirt...<<

Or a FR tagline.

[LadyDoc]

elves are children of earth. their existence is connected with earth, and when they die their souls go to the West and there is a hint that they are reincarnated (although Tolkein doesn't go into details).

Men however die, but the saying is that they have the gift of death, the implication is that they go elsewhere and have additional deeds to do when the world ends. Tolkien states that (God) did not reveal what would happen to the elves.

Pearce has several books on this, exploring how Tolkien makes his world consistant/parallel with traditional Christian beliefs...Joseph Pearce Tolkien man and myth has a lot of details about this

[Maigret]

Thanks for the excellent reply, I'll see if I can find a copy of Pierce's book.