Posted on 12/17/2007 11:09:50 AM PST by Greg F
I watched the movie versions of Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" over the last three days and tried to sort out the symbolism in Christian terms. Here's what I came up with, would love the insights of any regarding.
Hobbits: Your home and hearth Christians. Humble and happy, not seeking power and acclaim to the same extent as others, perhaps, and content with small things.
Elves: Angels. They are superhuman in their understanding and abilities and they can choose to leave middle earth unlike the other races.
Orcs: Demons. They are a race of elves abused, corrupted and changed by Sauron.
Men: Men.
Dwarves: ?
Sauron: Satan.
Gandolf: The Holy Spirit (?). Gandolf can be seen as a Christ figure, but most often he is advising men, hobbits and elves, and acting through them. That said, he does act directly as well, and at the end of the movie he sails away with the elves (does this end correspond to the book?). If he were a Christ figure I think his actions would be much more definitive. He would be the actor that saves and no army would stand before him.
The Ghost Army: Tolkien was a Catholic. Souls in purgatory given a chance at redemption.
The Ring of Power: Temptation. Only the humble Christian (Hobbit) can withstand the temptation. The lords and kings cannot.
Dwarves: Wayword souls - they brought about their own destruction, at least the ones living in the mountains, because they ‘dug too deep’.
Thank you! Good insight.
Elves: Angels. They are superhuman in their understanding and abilities and they can choose to leave middle earth unlike the other races.Orcs: Demons. They are a race of elves abused, corrupted and changed by Sauron.
If you go by the books, Maiar and Valar == angels. Known examples in Middle Earth are Gandalf, Saruman, Radugast, Sauron and maybe the Balrog.
Sauron: Satan.
Morgoth == Satan
If you viewed it on TV you missed a lot. Lots of editing to fit the TV run time.
Tolkien denied any allegory or symbolism in LotR, but I’m sure his worldview permeates it.
Gandalf is the hardest I think. If Christ he is too weak for my understanding, if the Holy Spirit perhaps more directly acting than I envision, if a man led by the Holy Spirit, perhaps, but then what of the resurrection, not of his own power but by Eru, and if the Holy Spirit then what of his sailing away with the elves and leaving men?
You may be interested in reading:
“Christian History Corner: J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, a Legendary Friendship”
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/augustweb-only/8-25-52.0.html
His symbolism is less direct and calculated than most symbolism in novels I think. That’s what makes it really fun.
The ring of power is a pretty obvious exemplar of the sin of pride, putting oneself above God, or supplanting God.
Gandalf dies for the Fellowship (representatives of all the peoples of Middle Earth) and is Resurrected and given new powers. He even rides a white horse, wields a sword, and leads an unlooked for host of warriors in the Battle of Helms Deep.
Frodo takes the Ring (the sins of the world) onto himself and suffers and sacrifices all that he loves for the world.
Aragorn is the forseen King who establishes his domain on (Middle-)Earth and sets up a rule of peace and tranquility.
There are also some other interesting insights into Tolkein's Theology. I am personally in awe of his reconciliation of "grace and works" in the story. The "works" of destroying the ring are essential for the "grace" to take effect. Frodo cannot destroy the ring of his own choice, it is left to Providence to destroy it. But that hope of Providence had to be brought about by works.
Without the works, the grace was empty. The Ring would have sat at Rivendell as Sauron overwhelmed Middle-Earth with evil.
Without the grace, the works were empty. Frodo would have been taken by evil and would have become the new Dark Lord, overwhelming Middle-Earth with evil.
Leaving Middle Earth with the elves may be a statement about the free will of men in an environment where evil has been destroyed.
I’m a great fan of both Tolkien and Lewis. Thanks.
I also enjoyed this study. We used in a Sunday School Class a couple years ago.
http://www.amazon.com/Gospel-According-Tolkien-Visions-Middle-Earth/dp/0664226108
Tolkien did not like allegory, and emphatically denied that LOTR was such. Any attempt to draw 1:1 correspondence between entities in the Real (Christian) world and Tolkien's fantasy will be problematic. His work was certainly informed by his Christian faith, but is not a Christian Allegory.
Only the humble Christian (Hobbit) can withstand the temptation. The lords and kings cannot.
Neither can the Hobbits. At the end, Frodo put on the Ring and claimed it as his own. Gollum then bit Frodo's finger off, tripped, and fell into the volcano. Tolkien wasn't into Pelagianism (even in an alternate universe).
Gandolf: wears a white robe, leads the people, custodian of tradition, carries a staff, probable summer residence in Gandolf Castle (Castel Gandolfo)=THE POPE
Thank you for your insights. If prophet, priest and king then the Fellowship may also represent in some form the trinity acting with angel and man.
He also says that Elves are like humans but without their limitations - they do not die of natural causes, but can be killed, have greater wisdom, etc.
Actually I was likening it to WW2, with the 2 wizards as Chruchill and Hitler, the peoples being the allies and axis powers, the ring being supreme dictatorial power, etc.
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