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Does Barliman Have a Beard? And Other Important Fannish Issues - Page 3

© Michael Martinez

Therefore, I often draw upon other sources of information (meaning, I suppose, that I am reading with "other vision" just as Sam is allegedly hearing with "other vision" -- "other vision" is very flexible and should eventually wind up on a late-night Ronco infomercial as the newest awe-inspiring kitchen appliance). Still, to make matters more convoluted, Tolkien's bold declaration (in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, one of those books I read with "other vision" in my unyielding sophistic search for truth) that Frodo has never actually used the Ring is flatly slapped aside by the assertion that he has indeed used the Ring to command Gollum in this passage. Whatever the author says really doesn't matter, I guess, so why do people bother purchasing copies of the book? Tolkien's versions of events just don't seem to be popular enough to justify the expense. Of course, what the letter actually says is that Frodo has never exercised his will in using the Ring. Some people, I guess, feel this means that Frodo has been able to use the Ring without any will whatsoever. How one accomplishes such a task escapes me. But at least we know they aren't being sophistic like me. If I may point out the obvious, it requires an act of will to lift a fork, but not to breathe. If using the Ring is as easy as breathing, why did Tolkien say that only Gandalf would ever have had a chance of using the Ring (against Sauron)? Elrond and Galadriel might have believed they could do so, but they never would have been able to. But the "interpretation" which takes the cake for me is the one which states that Sauron was speaking through the Ring. Poor guy. All his attention was devoted to Aragorn's last stand on the two slag heaps, and he never noticed how he was really participating in the drama unfolding on the slopes of Orodruin. So, why didn't Sauron stop the battle then and send for the Nazgul, while Frodo was still outside the Sammath Naur? Did Sauron really like living on the edge? And though the halls of fandom have long been rocked by the infamous Balrog wings debate, other great questions have also left the ranks of fandom bloodied and hostile. For instance, where did Aragorn's people live? Well, Tolkien decided they lived in the Angle, but long before we learned that we used to carefully weigh all the pros and cons. I myself used to propose the Hills of Evendim, Minhiriath, and the Misty Mountains. Finally I started to move toward the Angle with the help of a few friends. And then we got confirmation from Tolkien himself that the Dunedain actually lived in the Angle.

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