A Real World, a Pseudo-History

» PhoenixStarr - M-e as Earth

An excellent point.

Other points in favor of yours:
--Tolkien was asked about the location of M-e, and Tolkien replied that he liked to think that M-e was our world some 6,000 to 7,000 years ago. But unfortunately, said he, he had not taken any archeology into account, so he could not say there was any visible evidence of this world.

--As discussed in an earlier article, Tolkien was creating a myth for England, since England didn't have any myths. The Shire is heavily based on England, and Rohan's language was heavily based in Olde English.

--As he wrote the Silmarillion, Tolkien established the foundations for the modern world as well. He flooded Numenor (Atlantis) and in the process, made the world round.

Thank you for a lovely little read,
--Vikki

-- posted by PhoenixStarr

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» Dupanewf - Hate to be a stinker

In the first chapter or two of Fellowship of the Rings, reference is made to an express train
(regarding Gandalf's fireworks display with the Dragon) and mothballs (when Bilbo is packing to leave Bag End his vest reeks of moth balls.)

I guess they had express trains and moth balls in Middle Earth? I thought Frodo was supposed to have written LOTR?

-- posted by Dupanewf

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» lawnboy101 - It's ok to be a stinker

I always like it when people point out things like the express train, tomatoes, mothballs, tobacco etc. I like to look at it this way: Tolkien was supposedly "translating" from a copy of the Red Book, which you point out was originally written by Frodo. How many copies removed from the original was Tolkiens source copy is, as far as I know, an open question. It is my belief that all of the contradictions, inacurracies, mistakes, and other "problems" with the material in the books is part of what makes them special. If JRR was creating a myth, why would he not make it as much like "real" myth as possible? Why not purposely put in the gaps, contradictions, conflicts of timeline, fragmentation and other things that make authentic ancient historical records and oral traditions so difficult to deal with. We can be pretty sure that our version of any myth is not identical to the one that would have been told by the fireside 2000 years ago. Why should LOTR be any different. There are even different versions of the same myths and stories among different cultures. Thats why Tomatoes, and mothballs don't bother me. Neither does Haldir showing up at the Hornburg with Elves from Rivendell or Elrond bringing Anduril to Rohan in the movies. If Tolkien really had the goal of creating a mythology then he would have to realize that later tale tellers would take it and run. He achieved his goal if you ask me.

-- posted by lawnboy101

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