Middle-earth revised, again

Top 2. Aug 16, 2002 11:10 AM

» WntrMute - Pictures of the Book of Mazarbul

"Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien" includes a one page copy of the three pages of the book of Mazarbul, with a commentary on the opposite page. I believe that this book was originally printed in 1979, and a reprint came out in 1992. It is hard to find, and there was deliberately an effort to minimize overlap between this book and the later "Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator" book. I think that the picture used in "Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien" was also featured (with the commentary) in the 1977 Tolkien Calendar.

-- posted by WntrMute

Top 3. Aug 17, 2002 4:29 PM

» Amberwest - Re: Middle Earth

In response to message posted by WntrMute:

Dear Michael,

I was struck by one comment you made - What did Tolkien mean by middleearth?

Well, who knows, but I am English and Tolkien is recognised by many English people as capturing the spirit and imagination of England. It may sound crazy but it is a feeling that cannot be explained, it runs in the blood and speaks late at night.

In looking at many examples of English folk lore the hero is not usually attractive - can be very hesitant - wishes to death he had never been given the task - but nevertheless, succeeds. Or does he? because the story is never ending.

In such tales there is usually a wasteland. And so it is with Tolkien. The evil will tear up much of the countryside so where there once was beauty there is now uglyness. Perhaps it goes way back to our pagan heritage where the onslaught of evil was the destruction of the countryside - whereas the victory of good was the growth of the countryside.

Whatever Tolkien thought; like many before him; and many after him; he seemed to have felt that touch of great mysteries with the realization that victory never comes without ultimate struggle.

I would defy anyone walking through the mists of Exmoor, or seeing the sun rise in the Lakes, or standing in rain at Stonehenge and many other places, not to sense the magic of this feeling.

-- posted by Amberwest

Top 4. Aug 22, 2002 8:35 PM

» sjonesnz - Re: Re: Middle Earth

In response to message posted by Amberwest:

What would anyone understand by "genius loci" as applied to this discussion?
Cheers,
Stan

-- posted by sjonesnz

Top 5. Sep 23, 2002 10:18 PM

» erunyauve - Re: Re: Re: Middle Earth

I'm still hoping that there's that *nearly* finished history of the Second Age in some forgotten trunk. You know, the one he was writing in the late 1960s, when the mad plan to reform Galadriel was hatched, and he realized that he would have to rewrite all the little parts of The Silm stashed all over his house (not to mention publish a new edition of LOTR).

In all seriousness, I believe that exonerating Galadriel of guilt in the exile of the Noldor really undermined him near the end of his life. A lot of energy went into trying to make this fit into the Quenta Silmarillion, not to mention LOTR, in which it is implied that she has a guilt for which she must atone (per his own analysis of her lament in Letters #297). Perhaps he turned to the history of Numenor and Gondor out of frustration with this problem, but he kept coming back to it, as we see in several texts in UT and HOME, as well as later letters.

So much of the Second Age and the early Third Age is missing, yet it seems that he had some clear idea - if not some half-written story - behind many of the bits and pieces we do know. Of course, he was the ultimate fan-fiction-friendly writer - he intended his ME to become a living mythology, to be continued in new tales. Perhaps he meant to paint Celebrimbor with a couple of brush strokes and leave him at that - as if to say, "now write the rest of the story".

Still, I can't help but hope - heck, I'd be happy with a complete version of 'The Fall of Gil-galad'.

erunyauve

-- posted by erunyauve