Racism and Tolkien.

[Inderjit Sanghera]

This essay is in response to some quotes about how Tolkien was racist. I hope to prove otherwise. In my first one, I will be discussing the races of M-E, whilst in the second I will be looking at the attitudes towards other races in Tolkien’s time, as well as in M-E.


Lord of the rings is one of the greatest novels ever. Yet it is also fraught with controversy. One of the biggest ‘gripes’ that people have with it, are the perceived racist overtones that exist in Tolkien’s works . Supposedly, all dark skinned peoples are evil worshipers of Sauron. Yep, so I suppose that Sam, Tom Bombadil and the Breemen are secretly worshipping Sauron sacrificing goats testicles and rebelling against authority, spraying ‘Eru sucks’ on the classroom walls? So do we automatically assume that every dark skinned person in Middle-Earth is evil, since Tolkien was racist? I don’t think so.

Firstly, let’s start with those little fellas the Hobbits. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. If you’re a grumpy old wizard that is. Many people think that all Hobbits have pale skin, yet this is not true.

In their origin, when Strider was a Hobbit named Trotter and Treebeard was a malevolent megalomaniac Bond villain, Hobbits were said to have be like Aborigines. Of course this was changed, but the diversity of skin colour exists in Hobbits as much as it does in Humans.

The Harfoots, were said to have ‘nut-brown’ skin, and it is probable the Gamgee’s were of the Harfoot clan, as there is a brief reference to Sam’s ‘brown-hand’ in Book Six, though I cannot remember where it was exactly.

And now we come to Mr Unknown identity himself-Tom Bombadil. Tom, the enigmatic jackass also had brown skin, which is shown by the following passage, in the chapter, ‘In the House of tom Bombadil’, in which he asks Frodo to give him the ring.

“ It seemed to grow larger as it lay for a moment in his on his big brown skinned hand”

So these examples show that there were some good dark skinned people in Middle-Earth. “ But hang on!” you say, surely all dark skinned men are evil? Look at the Easterlings, the Haradrim and the Variags of Khand (Such nice names.)

Well, let’s delve into the history of men. In their origin, men were corrupted by Melkor not long after they first arose, and so all men fell into the shadow, and were forsaken for a while by Eru, and their life expectancies were cut dramatically short.

Well, Melkor left them to their own devices as he went off to the war in Beleriand. Many men then revolted, against the ‘men of darkness’. Now, just because they are called the ‘men of darkness’ doesn’t mean they are actually ‘dark-skinned’. Dark is often associated with evil, and so I think that by saying ‘men of darkness’, Tolkien is just saying that they were evil men, and it I probable that they were of mixed races.

O.K, to continue. It is probable that the first main migrating camp for men, was on the Sea of Rhun. The Beorians (House of Beor) were the first to reach the Sea, followed by the Marachians. (House of Hador), whilst it seems that the Haladin (House of Haleth) had passed on to lands further east, with the Druedain, another good dark-skinned people, though I will be picking up on that later on.

Now, the Beorians, were described as having dark hair, and were most like to the Noldor. But a lot of them were also said to have a swarthy complexion, due to interbreeding with other Easterling tribes, such as the Borrim. (House of Bor.)
So we see that there is a race of good dark-skinned men.

We can stretch this further, by looking at the Dunedain of Middle-Earth. Now, it is probable that most of the survivors of the Downfall of Numenor were of Beorian descent, as their descriptions match the descriptions of the house of Beor. (Dark hair, grey eyes etc.) Now, several times, the Rangers are described as having a rather dark complexion, and the cartoon version of Aragorn certainly seems to have a light brownish skin colour.

Now assuming that Minas Tirith is in the region of Florence, Italy. Then couldn’t
They represent the roman empire? Albeit, this conception may be far fetched, due to Tolkien’s dislike of allergy, yet it is still a possibility.

Let’s look at the Borrim. Now, a lot of you who have read The Silmarillion, and thus you will know of the two swarthy tribes, the evil followers of Ulfang and the good ones of Bor. Now, before they excavated into Beleriand, the Borrim resided in Eriador, with other mannish tribes, and probably the followers of Bereg, of the House of Beor.

So, we can see that the majority of the indigenous mannish population of Eriador, were dark-skinned, though most of the Borrim of Beleriand were slain in Unnumbered Tears or it’s aftermath. (A few of Turin’s ‘wolf-group’ may have been followers of Bor or Ulfang. This is a possibility, as one of the men was named Ulrad. Which is similar to Ulfang.)

So the men of Eriador, who were in the majority good natured, set another example of a good dark-skinned people. Though it was a hugely mixed population of many tribes of men, that unfortunately suffered greatly due to the war with Sauron and later with The Witch-King, and so they were pretty much wiped out, as many probably marched with Elendil in the last alliance.

Now, let’s look at the Druedain, the ancestor’s of the Pukel men. The Druedain, and their descendants were another good dark-skinned peoples, who were the first men to ever cross the Anduin (So the Gondorian loremasters say) and they went into the white mountains, though many went with the Haladin into Beleriand, and so got involved in the war with Morgoth. Some survived, and went to Numenor, though when Tar-Aldarion began his journeys to Middle-Earth, claiming evil would come out of his voyages, and by the time that Sauron came to Numenor, they had all gone to Middle-Earth. It was these peoples who later helped Theoden in the War of the ring.


The Dunlendings were another group of good dark-skinned peoples. In the beginning, they had come to the lands the were later known as Gondor, and resided their, but they were pushed out by the Dunedain of Isildur and Anarion. Later on, they went to Rohan, but the Rohirrim pushed them out.

So who can blame the Dunlendings for their misgivings against the Rohirrim? Even then, most of the Dunlendings remained a ‘good peoples’. Some fell into evil, whilst some excavated north and some interacted with the Rohirrim and some even had interracial marriages. Wulf, the leader of the dissension in the time of helm was of mixed Rohhirm-Dunlending race. Another possible ‘mixed-race’ person was Erkenbard, the mighty warrior in LOTR. He was unusually friendly with the Dunlendings when they were defeated and he also knew their language, and so couldn’t he have some kind of Dunlandish ascendancy?

It seems that the Dunlendings were simply misguided by Saruman, who merely inflamed their grievances against the Rohirrim, and later on the lived peacefully in Dunland.

Meanwhile, their northern Arnorian relations settled in Bree, were also living ‘good’ lives (with a few exceptions, such as Bill Ferny, whose evil behaviour was unusual since he was the talk of the village). But Bree was probably not fully mad up of Dunlendings and Hobbits, and it was originally founded by some Haladin, and the Butterbur’s were probably descendants of the Haladin, hence Buttebur’s red cheeks.

The Haradrim, certainly have a Arabic or Indian feel, and as for the Easterlings and the Variags of Khand, Tolkien never gave us any information on their skin colour, which left many to assume they were had a Chinese/East European look. Well, for one, the Wainriders, the most evil of all the Easterling groups were white, and though doubtless some may have been Chinese-esque, we don’t know for sure.

Yet, we still see that even the good ‘white’ tribes of men can be bad. The Numenoreans had the greatest fall of man since their first fall, and Boromir tried take the one ring, whilst Isildur failed his people by not throwing the ring in Mount Doom when he had the chance.

Yet Tolkien held that all men were ‘fallen’, due to the ignorance of their forefathers. (Except perhaps for a few exceptions, such as Hurin, Huor, Beren, Tuor, Amandil, Elendil and Aragorn) So one can see that man is a very complicated race in M-E, and as we see in Tolkien’s last book, which he abandoned (The new Shadow?) men were destined to fall again, and again and again, no matter what race they were.

Well, that is it for Part 1, and Part 2 will be completed in two weeks time. I apologise for the absurd length of this essay.

[zagwakh the sneaky]

I do not wish to under mine all the you have done, because it seems to me that you have researched your essay extensively, and I am in no way saying the JRRT WAS a racist. What I would like to say is that millions of people the world over have fallen in love with Tolkien's stories of Middle Earth. Who cares what the man himself believed in so long as all those have read his works are able to interpret them for themselves and have our own beliefs that we abide by. I am sure that if I were to meet some of my favourite musicians then I would think that some of them are complete tossers, yet that does not nessecaryily alter the way that I view or interpret their music or my own personal beliefs. In summary what I mean is there are those who will view Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' as a fantastic work of literature and will find in it themes and sub-themes that others may not. Isn't that what makes a great piece of literature?

[Inderjit Sanghera]

Well, the whole point of this, was just to show peopel that not all the good guys wer white and bad guys black. Believe me this time next year there will be a lot of contorversy surronding ROTK, so couldn't some of these examples be used as arguments against the allegations? I bet anyone £100 that the Wild men will be white. Has anyone seen a picture of them?

[the guy who be short]

personally i think you are wrong
notice how all of tolkiens "evil men" in alliance with sauron come from either the south or the east - where men are dark skinned and oriental. how come none of the worshippers of sauron came from the north?

[Ultimatejoe]

Sauron had allegiance with many of the Northman who lived in Rhovannion. The geodemographics of Tolkien are really no more than a lingering influence of his earlier work on the Book of Lost Tales, which was written specifically as a new native 'mythology' for Britain; the most north-westerly region of Europe. When working on the Silmarillion the intent and methodology of the writing was decidedly different (if you don't believe me ask Micheal Martinez) he still retained the geography of his original legendarium. To imply a racist intent is absurd. Even if the forces of evil came exclusively from the South and East, which I have already demonstrated is not true, so what? The odds are 50-50 that one of those directions would be chosen. By all probability at least one would have been used no matter what.

Regardless, your examples are false. Morgoth resides in the North and draws forces from there; Sauron draws men from the Northern tribes of Rhovannion, the realm of Angmar is full of wild North-Men... do your homework before you make such an accusation.

[Legolas]

personally i think you are wrong
notice how all of tolkiens "evil men" in alliance with sauron come from either the south or the east - where men are dark skinned and oriental. how come none of the worshippers of sauron came from the north?

Some of Sauron's supporters did come from the North. Remember the Witch-King of Angmar? Angmar was in the north.

But the biggest reason that not many men came from the north is because there were no men in the north. Men either came from the east/south, or the fallen isle of Numenor. The portion of Middle-earth we know is the very northwest corner. There's nowhere for them to come from.

Also, the men east and south had little/no contact with the elves (except for, perhaps, the Avari) and were not under the superivision of Aman. They were more accessible to the influence of Sauron.

[Lalaith]

Tolkien was a specialist in North European languages and literary traditions so it is natural that his work would have a North European 'feel' in terms of the culture and appearance of his heroes. That doesn't make him racist.
I would also, like Inderjit, point to the Druedain, who are about as non-Aryan as they come.
Not only are they held in enormous respect and affection by both elves and their fellow Edain, but they are also the only men *never* to have succumbed to Morgoth.

[Inderjit Sanghera]

The guy who be short- What on earth are you talking about? Since all Men and Elves orignated from the East, it means that they were black? And the Avari had a magical skin change? And the Druedain and the 'swarthy skinned' Breelanders were white? And the Numenoreans were Sauron worshippers, and they originated from the 'north' and even some of the Marachian tribes of Rhovanion held alliances with the Easterlings. The Borrim, a 'swarthy skinned tribe'made up a large proportion of Eriador-a Northern realm.

[ January 28, 2003: Message edited by: Inderjit Sanghera ]

[ January 28, 2003: Message edited by: Inderjit Sanghera ]

[Maédhros]

And what about elves?

[Inderjit Sanghera]

Maedhros-what do you mean?

[Orald]

The Druedain were not a dark skinned people. They were squat, not swart.

[Inderjit Sanghera]

I think Tolkien likens them to pigmies somewhere, though I have forgotten where it is.

[Maédhros]

Are there any dark skinned elves?

[The Saucepan Man]

Excellent topic, if I may say so Inderjit, and a subject which I have previously contemplated myself.

My initial reaction, when I first read the book many years ago, was that there were racist overtones in LotR. After all, on casual reading, all of the "baddies" seem to come from the south and the east and are described as swarthy or squint-eyed.

One of the travellers from the south in the Prancing Pony, for example, is described as a "squint-eyed ill-favoured fellow". When Frodo uses the Ring he follows a "swarthy Bree-lander" out of the door (presumably to alert the Ringwraiths).

When the Southerlings arrive at the Black Gate, Gollum describes them to Frodo and Sam thus:

Dark faces ... They are fierce. They have black eyes, and long black hair, and gold rings in their ears. And some have red paint on their cheeks, and red cloaks ... Not nice; very cruel wicked Men they look. Almost as bad as Orcs but much bigger ... Smeagol thinks they have come out of the South beyond the Great River's end.

The Southrons who are ambushed by Faramir's men are described as "swarthy men in red" and the Southron who falls close to Sam has "black plaits of hair braided with gold" and a "brown hand" still clutching the broken hilt of his sword.

In the Battle of Pelennor Fields, Sauron's forces include Southrons with scimitars, Easterlings with axes, Variags of Khand and "out of Far Harad black men like half-trolls with white eyes and red tongues".

References such as these did lead me intially to think that dark-skinned Men were portrayed as the "baddies" lined up against the good ol' white folk of the North West.

But, on re-reading the book again recently (for the first time in adulthood), and particularly since learning more of JRRT's other writings, I have come to reconsider my initial view and my thinking is now much more in line with the fine analysis that you have presented, Inderjit.

It is, I think, important firstly to bear in mind that JRRT was an Englishman writing a book in the first half of the twentieth century, when attitudes towards those of different colour was very different from those today. Great Britain was still an (albeit diminished) Empire and still had colonies in far flung parts of the world. My imprssion is that British society in general at that time still viewed dark skinned people, if not as inferior, either as exotic and perhaps slightly dangerous, or as the "servant classes". While racism still unfortunately exists today, society in general has become much more enlightened on this issue.

Now, that is not to say that JRRT was a racist. Far from it. However, his writings are bound to reflect the attitudes of the time in which he was writing.

But that is not the whole story by any means.

Firstly, the fact that the evil powers (Melkor and Sauron) are associated with blackness does not indicate racism. It may be trite to say this, but I believe that this point has been used to justify theories of racism in JRRT's writings. Clearly, however, the colour black (not black skin) has always been associated with evil.

As for the squint-eyed fellow and the swarthy Bree-lander, the first (as I recall) turns out to be a half-orc, while the description "swarthy" does not necessarily imply a different racial stock from other peoples of the north. It may simply mean that their skin is tanned from exposure to the elements. Strider, for example, is first introduced to us as a "strange-looking weather-beaten man". It is likely that he was heavily tanned (hence, possibly, the representation of him in the animated film).

The Southrons, Easterlings, Haradrim and Variags are from the south and the east. As has been pointed out, the story is set in a location with which JRRT felt comfortable, ie the north west (representative of Europe). To the extent that Men come to Sauron's aid from "off the map", they are bound to come from the south and the east. There was only sea to the west and nothing much further north. The Southrons, with their scimitars, red cloaks and gold earrings have a Turkish or Middle Eastern flavour to them. Taking ME as representative of Europe, this makes geographical sense. On the same basis Far Harad can be seen as representative of Africa (hence the black men of Far Harad, although their likening to half-trolls is perhaps unfortunate). The Easterlings and the Variags of Khand (of whom I think little description is given) may have been of similar stock, or oriental. But they may just as easily have been from the region that would represent Russia, in which case they need not be dark-skinned at all.

And in any event, we only hear of those who have joined forces with Sauron. They are not necessarily representative of the peoples of these regions as a whole. What of those who remained behind? They are likely to have been just as "good" as the people of Rohan and Gondor. Furthermore, once Sauron was defeated, it is quite likely that many of those Men who fought on his side would have seen the error of their ways, just as the Dunlendings did. They were not necessarily intrinsically evil (as, say, orcs).

And, as others on this thread have said, Melkor and Sauron did not recruit solely from the south and the east. Men from the north allied themselves with these dark powers at various times. Also, noble Men like Boromir, and those who were not so noble, such as Wormtongue, were seduced into evil ways (although Boromir, of course realises his error and repents).

Inderjit, you have also pointed out that there are dark-skinned people amongst the "good" people in the tale. Although, as I have said, I do not think that the description "swarthy" necessarily implies naturally dark skin, it is of course quite capable of bearing that meaning. I never imagined the Dunlendings as dark skinned, but there is nothing to suggest that they were not. The various migrations of Men would, as you note, inevitably have led to dark complexions amongst the peoples of Eriador and the other realms of north western ME. The Harfoots are also a good example, being browner of skin than the other types of Hobbit.

Which brings us to the Woses. I had always imagined them as dark-skinned, but now I read the description of Ghan-buri-ghan again, I see that this is not necessarily so. Perhaps my initial view was coloured (no pun intended) by the fact that our only experience today of simple-living and reclusive people is remote tribes in places such as Papua New Guinea, Ecuatorial Africa and the Amazonian rainforest. It will be interesting to see how they are portrayed in RotK.

So, I agree with you. The presence of dark-skinned people in Sauron's army makes geographical sense and would also have resonated with English readers of the 1930s and 1940s, who would have seen them as exotic and perhaps rather scary. But that does not make JRRT a racist, and I think that there is sufficient evidence on a closer examination of his works to show that he was not. And it is this which allows the books to stand up to scrutiny in a much more multi-cultural society than that prevailing at the time that they were written.

[Rumil]

Good posts by Inderjit and Mr Saucepan,

I'd always thought of the Druedain as more like Neanderthals (I've aways seen Neanderthals represented as 'white' but why so? Hmmmm)

Its worth noting that before the advent of mass tourism, a tan was viewed as a marker of low social class (in Europe at least) as only the people who worked out-doors would be tanned. Unlike, presumably, hobbits of independent means and luxurious holes!

I'm not too clear on the significance of 'swarthy' - can this also mean unshaven?

[Inderjit Sanghera]

Maedhros-no, Elves were fair of skin. That is becuase Elves in M-E are based on North-West European legends. The Noldor may have had a darkish complexion though, becuase they are likened to the Beorian's, who had a quite dark complexion. As for 'Aryan' races, the Vanyar were one, though they bored me to death and the Marachians were another, and most of the downfalled Numenroreans, an exmaple of a fall of a 'fair-skinned' tribe.

[Inderjit Sanghera]

Neandrethrals were pre-historic humans who resided in the Neander valley of Germany. Thy were driven out by newly come Africans, who eventually became Europeans. Oh, and swarthy is dark skinned

[doug*platypus]

I think that we need to keep in mind that neither the Easterlings nor the Southrons are evil men. They worship Sauron as a god, which is a heresy, as the only being that should be worshipped in Arda is Ilúvatar. They have been deluded by Sauron into fighting a war far from their own home for an ally who cares little for them apart from their use as weapons. Anyone who has heard of Gallipoli might be a little more sympathetic towards them.

At any rate, Sam seems to see the human aspect of the Southrons, and so does Tolkien himself (in Letters of Tolkien). The mere fact that they are fighting Gondor does not make their entire race evil. Similarly, Gondor although on the side of the almost faultless elves, is not composed strictly of good people. Look at Denethor. He would, by Tolkien's admission, have become a tyrant little better than Sauron had he won the war, with or without the Ring, and would have shown as little mercy to the Southrons or Easterlings as he would to the orcs - without justification.

Gondor, Harad, and other nations are political entities, just as France or Germany are. You cannot say that all Haradrim are evil anymore than you can say all North Koreans are. That kind of propaganda won't hold up these days, and nor would it to Tolkien at the time he wrote his books. The fact that all the dark-skinned people fight for Sauron is not enough to say that Tolkien was racist. There is no evidence whatsoever in The Silmarillion, The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings to indicate that he is.

Regarding your first post, Inderjit - what colour is brown? Are there no Caucasians who could be described as having a "brown hand"? There is such a thing as a tan, and I'm sure that as a gardener Sam had a lot of time to work on his, toiling away with his shirt off in front of Frodo's study window. He would not necessarily have to resemble a Fijian to end up with a brown hand. Ditto Bombadil.

I am, however, greatly interested in your description of the House of Bëor containing dark-skinned members with descent from Bor's people. I wasn't even aware that Morgoth's allies (and those who betrayed Maedhros) were dark-skinned. I though they were Caucasian, as I believed the other Edain to be. If you can post a quote on their complexions, I'd greatly appreciated. Personally, if I was ever to make The Silmarillion into a movie, I would make the Woodmen of Brethil look African-American, and it would be nice to know that this would not be completely out of order.

[Inderjit Sanghera]

Sam was of the Harfoot clan of Hobbits ,and they were reported to have nut brown skin. The wood men of Brethil were, in my opinion, dark skinned since it seems all of their descendants, such as the Breemen and the Dunlendings were said ot have dark ksin ,and the short story 'Tal-Elmar' appears to be about a group of Haladin who had removed further to the south of M-E, possibly by the river Harnen.

As for dark skinned Beorians, here is a quote from HoME 12: Peoples of Middle Earth; Of Dwarves and Men.

" There were fair headed men and women among the house of Beor,but most of them had brown hair, some indeed being swarthy"

As for the intermingling of the Easterlings and the Beorians, I cannot YET find a quote, but I will take a closer look later.

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

You may all be interested in the following discussions:

Can the book be considered rascist? (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=2159) (sic)

Racism in LOTR? (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=216)

Are Tolkien Books Racist? (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=794)

Are Tolkiens Books Sexist? (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=1424)

Lord of the Rings labelled racist (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=2308)

[Maédhros]

Ok, Inderjit Sanghera, you made very good points with the descriptions you have made in your essay.
But what makes me wonder is the fact that the "fairest of the Children" of the World are all "not dark skinned or oriental or diff", but as Tolkien would say fair. (White)
This kinds of makes me wonder.

[Inderjit Sanghera]

Well, the only thing I can say to this is that they were based on North European folklore. What of the Dwarves? Does it ever mention they were of an exclusive skin colour?

[The Saucepan Man]

Thank you, Squatter, for those links. smilies/smile.gif They certainly do make interesting reading. One thing that they do make clear is that JRRT was not a racist and, indeed, deplored the idea of racism - as we can see from his angry reaction to the request from a German publishing house in the 1930s asking him to confirm that he was not Jewish.

I had not realised that he spent the early part of his life in South Africa. I think that it does him (and no doubt his family) great credit, considering the views to which he would have been exposed, that he rejected the idea of racism so firmly.

Having read the threads posted by Squatter of Amon Rudh, I think it is instructive to compare the following two links given in those threads:

The Shadow of Racism (http://greenbooks.theonering.net/quickbeam/files/040101.html)

and

Lord of the Rings labelled racist (http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/index.cfm?id=1387552002)

The first is a thoughtful and well-written article by one Quickbeam which considers the case for racism in LotR, but rejects it on the basis of a more detailed analysis of JRRT's works. He cites many of the arguments discussed on this thread above. I particularly like the reference to Sam's musings on the background of the Southron who falls close to him:

He was glad that he could not see the dead face. He wondered what the man's name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil of heart, or what lies or threats had led him on the long march from home; and if he would not really have rather stayed there in peace ...

I wish I had read further when I made my earlier posting on this thread and rediscovered this passage, since it really confirms for me that there was no racist intent in JRRT's use of Men of the South and the East as servants of Sauron. It reminds us that, but for Sauron's lies and/or threats, these Men would in all likelihood be living peaceful lives in their homelands. They are not intrinsically evil, like the orcs (of whom, notably, no such stmpathetic view is ever painted).

The second link above is to a report of comments made by one Dr Stephen Shapiro, apparently an expert in "cultural studies, racism and slavery", accusing LotR of outright racism. I would recommend Squatter's excellent analysis of the report in the last thread given in his post above. Basically, Dr Shapiro relies on all the obvious passages in LotR where dark-skinned characters are portrayed as "evil" or wrongdoers. What he does not do is undertake any deeper anlysis of JRRT's works, as Quickbeam and most of those who have posted on this thread and the other threads on this topic have done. He may be an expert in his own field, but he is clearly no expert on the works of Tolkien.

There is one point that he seeks to make that is worth addressing. He argues that, because orcs are black-skinned, and because they are evil, that is clear evidence of racism on JRRT's part. He tries to suggest that the hordes of invading orcs represent JRRT's (alleged) concern that hordes of immigrants were flooding England. That is utter nonsense in my view. As has been pointed out, the timing is wrong for a start. LotR was long finished by the time immigrants were arriving in any numbers in England in the 1950s - largely at the request of the government of the time, I might add.

In any event, I can see no analogy (intended or otherwise) between the orcs and non-white peoples. The orcs are servants of the Dark Lord and it is therefore approriate that they are dark in appearance. I had not originally imagined orcs as black-skinned myself, but taking them as such, I picture their skin as black in the way that rotten flesh is black, rather than in any way like the ebony and olive colours of dark skin in reality. Orcs do not even figure in the argument for me.

All that I have read on these threads simply reinforces my view that there is no racist undertone in JRRT's books. If one looks at it on any more than a very superficial level (as Dr Shapiro fails to do), there is ample evidence to show that there is no analogy to be drawn in his works between the colour of a character's skin and that character's virtue.

[ January 29, 2003: Message edited by: The Saucepan Man ]

[Maylin]

hmmm...well, I can't believe that orcs are represent Africans, since in the chapter, "The Black gates are Closed", it discribes are darkskinned people that come along with the Oliphants. and since it was england's mythology, a people from somewhere else would most likly be helping the adversary.

[Inderjit Sanghera]

"There is one point that he seeks to make that is worth addressing. He argues that, because orcs are black-skinned, and because they are evil, that is clear evidence of racism on JRRT's part"

Weren't orcs said to be a yellowish Mongolid type colour? I think J.R.R says something like this in one of his letters.

[The Saucepan Man]

In my Illustrated Tolkien Encyclopedia, Orcs are described as having skin which was "black as wood that has been charred by flame".

Now, I don't yet have the letters, HoME volumes etc, so this is all I've got to go on for the time being, but the description must have come from somewhere in JRRT's writings.

[doug*platypus]

Interesting quote, there, O Saucepan, but I think that words actually written by Tolkien should really be given more weight. It's shocking the amount of liberties that are taken and errors that are made by some of the so-called Tolkien Scholars out there. They should use the Barrow Downs as an editing station, and there would be less confusion for all.

Inderjit is correct - I have just finished Letter 210, about the initial storyline of the animated version (and how much Tolkien hated it!!):
The Orcs are definitely stated to be corruptions of the 'human' form seen in Elves and Men. They are (or were) squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, with wide mouths and slant eyes: in fact degraded and repulsive versions of the (to Europeans) least lovely Mongol-types.


Letter 210
Genghis Shagrat? This is the closest to racial prejudice I've seen Tolkien come, but he isn't saying that Orcs look like present day Mongolians. Still, I don't think Letter 210 would go down very well in the far east.

[Inderjit Sanghera]

What did Tolkien hate the cartoon version, by Bakshi? Can't blame him really.his

[ February 01, 2003: Message edited by: Inderjit Sanghera ]

[The Saucepan Man]

I appreciate that Tolkien reference guides may not always represent the last word, but as I said, other than the books themselves, the Illustrated Encyclopedia is all I have to go on for the time being. And it seems to me that the notion that Orcs were black-skinned must have come from somewhere in JRRT's works, rather than having been made up by the author of the Encyclopedia.

There are a few possible references in LotR that I managed to find. For example, the Orc-Chieftain who leads the attack against the Fellowship in the Chamber of Mazarbul, is described as having a "swart" face, meaning dark-hued (though not necessarily black).

While listening to the Uruk-Hai and Orcs argue amongst themselves, Pippin sees "a large black Orc, probably Ugluk" (although the fact that he was standing in the twighlight might have made him seem darker). Also, Ugluk describes the horesemen of Rohan as "Whiteskins".

None of these references are conclusive, although there may be others.

Anyway, it makes no difference to the original point that I was making which is, even if the Orcs are black-skinned, this does not (as Dr Shapiro attempts to argue) in any way suggest to me racism on JRRT's part.

[Inderjit Sanghera]

I think there was a varying degree of skin colour becuase of the intermingling of Orcish tribes.

[Lossentilien]

I guess I can kind of see where the idea of racism in the books came from, but I don't agree with it.

Tolkien was trying to write a story for England, was he not? A folklore for the country, which would mean that if all the characters were ethnic that the story wouldn't be English based. That's my understanding anyway.

I don't think that it was in any way intended to be racist, although underlying thoughts may have come through, this is possible, but people seem to be blowing everything out of proportion. Especially at the moment, everyone has become extremly uptight about being politically correct and are finding some kind of injustice in everything.

[ February 03, 2003: Message edited by: Lossentilien ]

[GaladrieloftheOlden]

I personally think that this is JUST A BOOK! It would certainly be different if Tolkien just said, straight out, "the orcs are bad BECAUSE they have dark skin" it would be different. But this is, in my opinion, a little bit strange. Even if Tolkien WAS a racist, he wrote a masterpiece, and that should be enough.

[GaladrieloftheOlden]

Also, if you need more arguments about racism etc, try going here...
http://www.angelfire.com/sk/sharkens/pc.html

Hehe, it IS just w humor site link though. smilies/evil.gif

[KamexKoopa]

Topics of this ilk pop up almost daily on the various movie boards of IMDb. I don't think he was racist, as others have said he was creating a mythology for England. Would you call Tyler Perry racist for not casting white people in his movies?


(I realise this thread is pushing ten years old, and most posters from it have either forgetten or left, but still ;) )

[HerenIstarion]

most posters from it have either forgetten or left, but still ;) )

Well, I'm actually still subscribed to number of topics (even a decade old ones :D) so get mail notifications

But that's just an aside

[KamexKoopa]

Well, I'm actually still subscribed to number of topics (even a decade old ones :D) so get mail notifications

But that's just an aside

Haha nice! I've been looking back at a lot of the past pages, there are some long dead threads that make me wish I'd have been a member at the time, it's making interesting reading D: I wasn't allowed on the internet at the time, but still :D

[Ulvenok]

On the topic of racism, of course Tolkien was a racist and so are you. I saw a lecture about predjudices held by some neuro scientist. Anyway racism is in all of us, we are all hostile towards people who are different than ourself, and that for a good reason. If Tolkien would have been a black person writing these books in Africa the orcs would be white devils and the elves would be tall black men. Even if you say you're not a racist you're lying to yourself, because you are. Just like we got different tastes in music we got different tastes when it comes to appearances. Of course one can get over these differences if one gets to know that person, but on a very primal level we are all racists even Tolkien which is apparent reading his books.

[alatar]

Ulvenok, interestingly, your post here was predicted with high probability, as you'd hinted at Tolkien and racism elsewhere. Anyway...

What or who defines a 'race?' In Tolkien's world, it may be more clear earlier in time, with orcs and elves and dwarves and men, but by the fourth age?

And me, I think more of families and genotypes than names and phenotypes. When you say 'all,' you might be painting with too broad a brush.

[Inziladun]

On the topic of racism, of course Tolkien was a racist and so are you. I saw a lecture about predjudices held by some neuro scientist. Anyway racism is in all of us, we are all hostile towards people who are different than ourself, and that for a good reason. If Tolkien would have been a black person writing these books in Africa the orcs would be white devils and the elves would be tall black men. Even if you say you're not a racist you're lying to yourself, because you are. Just like we got different tastes in music we got different tastes when it comes to appearances. Of course one can get over these differences if one gets to know that person, but on a very primal level we are all racists even Tolkien which is apparent reading his books.

I would certainly take issue personally with the suggestion that I am "hostile" toward anybody who looks different.

As for Tolkien, his lack of racial prejudice seems apparent in his rejection of it regarding Jews. In Letters # 29.

I do not regard the (probable) absence of all Jewish blood (in himself) as necessarily honourable; and I have many Jewish friends, and should regret giving any colour to the notion that I subscribed to the wholly pernicious and unscientific race-doctrine.

[Ulvenok]

I think the lecture lasted for two something hours. I wish I would be able to sum it all up in one post but I can't. We are all to some extent prejudicial towards people. We can hide it, we can try to block it but at the end of the day we are prejudicial. It's the same with racism, the only reason you're "not" a racist is because you are too politically correct to admit it. Nature is racist and it's in your nature to be racist too, we shouldn't deny what we are, it's not healthy for our species or for you as an individual. Racism exists in order for us to find a partner, carry on our genes and sort out bad genes in our species gene pool by not having sex with them or approve of their culture or behaviour, whatever it is that we don't like about the "race".

I think race and being racist is a bad word, because it's easily mixed up with hitlerism and has all sort of bad connotations. It's not always appearance or skin colour, it could be language, culture all sort of different things. Today we are all suffering because our society is one crazy place, we supress so much of what we are because society won't accept it. People with little to no education have tons of children and it's allowed. In places like China and India they have implemented one child policies, even as far back as the 19th century people in India castrated criminals. People are so afraid to look at themself in the mirror that on many sites I would be banned for saying this.

Anyway nature is racist and so is Tolkien, he is just too smart to admit it. ;)

[William Cloud Hicklin]

....are described as swarthy or squint-eyed.

One of the travellers from the south in the Prancing Pony, for example, is described as a "squint-eyed ill-favoured fellow".

Errrr, in British English, a "squint" means cross-eyed, or one or both eyes having a sideways aspect; sometimes the connotation is "sidelong" or "shifty." The American usage meaning "partially closed" or even "slanted" was completely alien to JRRT-- even Christopher Tolkien, just a few years ago, was quite surprised and nonplussed to learn that to Americans the word means something so different.

[Nerwen]

Ulvenok, just because a scientist presents a theory does not mean that theory is a proven, incontrovertible truth. I fear you are succumbing to "studies-have-shown" syndrome. For my part, I will continue to believe that racism is purely culturally acquired and to maintain that I myself am not racist. You can believe whatever you like. However, it is, I think, better if you don't couch your opinions- because that's all this is, an opinion- in the terms of "if you don't agree with me, you're lying to yourself". It's no kind of argument, and just tends to get up people's noses, quite frankly.
Besides, aesthetic preference is *not* racism. I get the impression you're confusing the two, and that's where the problem lies.

Anyway, didn't I just see you arguing that the inhabitants of Valinor were meant to represent native Americans, thus (in your opinion) showing Tolkien was *not* racist?:confused:

[Zigûr]

I think it's worth remembering that Professor Tolkien's work tends to portray racial prejudice as a source of wasteful conflict and a symptom of evil: Elves vs Dwarves (especially in the case of the Petty-Dwarves), Númenóreans vs "Lesser Men", Castamir vs Eldacar etc. While I agree that the portrayal of the Easterlings and the Haradrim for example may not necessarily be sensitive by today's standards I believe they are intentionally meant to convey a sense of Otherness in which we are encouraged to perceive how Sauron (and ultimately Morgoth) exploits superficial differences of nation and race to exacerbate conflict. Racial prejudice was a weapon of the Enemy in the same way that he was the Enemy of reason and clear thinking, denying his slaves the opportunity to think past fear and hate. Many people may have prejudices, but they also have minds with which they can think past them and perceive them as irrational; it's when they fail to do so (or are inhibited from doing so by some other power) that problems arise. I would also argue on a semantic level that having irrational prejudices does not necessarily make one "racist"; that would involve accepting that irrationality as somehow valid as opposed to rejecting it and reasoning past it. Personally I find Professor Tolkien's work to be very profound in its condemnation of racial prejudice.

[Inziladun]

I think it's worth remembering that Professor Tolkien's work tends to portray racial prejudice as a source of wasteful conflict and a symptom of evil: Elves vs Dwarves (especially in the case of the Petty-Dwarves), Númenóreans vs "Lesser Men", Castamir vs Eldacar etc.

Also, King Helm "Hammerhand" of Rohan, first insulting and then murdering one of "mixed" blood named Freca. That cost Helm's people dearly, with Freca's son allying himself with enemies of Rohan.

[Galadriel55]

On the topic of racism, of course Tolkien was a racist and so are you. I saw a lecture about predjudices held by some neuro scientist. Anyway racism is in all of us, we are all hostile towards people who are different than ourself, and that for a good reason. If Tolkien would have been a black person writing these books in Africa the orcs would be white devils and the elves would be tall black men. Even if you say you're not a racist you're lying to yourself, because you are. Just like we got different tastes in music we got different tastes when it comes to appearances. Of course one can get over these differences if one gets to know that person, but on a very primal level we are all racists even Tolkien which is apparent reading his books.

There's racism and there's racial differences. Please don't confuse the two. Saying that black people are black is like saying that the BD webite is black-and-green themed. Saying that they aren't black is like saying that our site is pink with purple polkadots. There's a difference between saying a fact and insulting people because of their skin colour or origin.

In the same way that a Chinese man will remain Chinese no matter how many times you'll say that he's Ukrainian, an Easterling or a Southron would remain just as Tolkien described them.

If you think that Tolkien was racist because his antagonists resembled Eastern/African people, read The Silmarillion. You hate some Elves more than you hate orcs. And there's the story of Bor - a rare thing indeed, but still.

And what do you think of the Druedain then? They are the most ugly (and suffering from racism within the legendarium as well!) but the most bestest people from the free folk.

EDIT: xed with Zigur and Inzil

[alatar]

Forgot to mentions trolls before. How'd *that* happen? ;)

[Ulvenok]

There's racism and there's racial differences. Please don't confuse the two.
Please, get off your moral high horse. So many times I have argued with people who make up all sort of complicated linguistic stuff to supress or hide the fact that racism exists within ALL organisms. Evolution isn't pretty but it's for real, so is racism. One ought to accept it and deal with it accordingly.

As for Tolkien, I think the haradrim have a direct equivalent in real life. That Tolkien chose to portray black people and middle eastern looking people as "lesser men" is if not racist...would be interpreted as racist by middle eastern and black people today. Galadriel one has to try see Tolkien from other "races" point of view. I'm quite sure if some middle eastern man created a fiction where the white man was portrayed as "lesser men" you'd thnk that is racist too. That you don't see this or choose not to see this proves my point, everyone are at their core racist or to use a better term prejudicial. Accept it, deal with it, but don't deny it...:p

Oh btw...
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want." - Bill Watterson
I LOVE that quote....adds to list of favorite quotes xD

[radagastly]

So many times I have argued with people who make up all sort of complicated linguistic stuff to to supress or hide the fact that racism exists within ALL organisms.

1) To pre-judge someone is prejudice.
2) To express this prejudice is bigotry.
3) To act on this bigotry is discrimination.
4) Society's acceptance of discrimination is racism.

Predujice exists within all organisms, but never racism. Racism is a creation of civilisation. "All organisms" are bound by prejudice, but never "racism". That is a choice of individuals in concert with the society in which they live. It may be born of their own predujice, but it is not inherent until it deliberatly extends to that society and is no longer exclusive to that individual.

I wish I had a copy of "Letters" so I could quote Tolkien's response to the Nazi censors when they were checking on his racial "purity," in order to publish a translation of The Hobbit in Germany under Hitler. He was acerbic, clever, and still non-racist in his response. He also got The Hobbit published.

[Morsul the Dark]

ulvy by the logic of your first post

I find my hispanic wife prettier than most middle eastern girsl I must be racist?

I had an asian employee once, cried racism all the time I "singled her out" because she was asian had nothing to do with the fact she called out at least twice a week. It wasn't until she learned I had married a hispanic girl(I'm white) she realized I "wasn't racist"

Thinking one race is prettier than another isn't really racism it's just a preference liking apples more than opranges doesn't make me bigoted against oranges.


Tolkien never compares races like that anyway an Orc isn't a "different race from men" Their literally a different species. orcs are representative of evil NOT black people. You're searching for something that isn't there.

and to end on a fun note
Avenue Q- may be offensive to some people proceed with caution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbud8rLejLM

[Mithalwen]

[I]... The American usage meaning "partially closed" or even "slanted" was completely alien to JRRT-- even Christopher Tolkien... was quite surprised and nonplussed to learn that to Americans the word means something so different.

So was I. As a noun squint just means a strabismus. Very common and would have been more so in earlier times without access to corrective glasses and surgery. It does mean you re iable to look shifty since you literally can't look people in the eye.

Of course Morsul wouldn't be off the hook here as we dont make a distinction for hispanic...

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Ulvenok, calling *all* others racist is in itself prejudicial - and that without the benefit of knowing any of us personally! As a matter of fact, you are new on the Downs and probably haven't had time to read our posts or PM with others to find out what they're like. For that reason I ask you to refrain from calling everyone names - we take pride in being polite and friendly here, and the kind of discussion you are attempting to provoke does not comply with our policies.

I have been here for 11 years now (most of that time as a moderator) and have had the opportunity to converse with numerous members both virtually and personally. I have not met one person whom I would call racist. We also span a number of various religions and (usually! :eek: ) can carry on discussions without insulting each other.

I suggest you check out the sticky threads at the top of the Novices and Newcomers forum index as well as the index for the Barrow-Downs forum. Those guidelines are vital to our identity as an open, welcoming forum. Then post your opinions thoughtfully and politely. Thank you!

[HerenIstarion]

I think the lecture lasted for two something hours. I wish I would be able to sum it all up in one post but I can't. We are all to some extent prejudicial towards people. We can hide it, we can try to block it but at the end of the day we are prejudicial. It's the same with racism, the only reason you're "not" a racist is because you are too politically correct to admit it. Nature is racist and it's in your nature to be racist too, we shouldn't deny what we are, it's not healthy for our species or for you as an individual. Racism exists in order for us to find a partner, carry on our genes and sort out bad genes in our species gene pool by not having sex with them or approve of their culture or behaviour, whatever it is that we don't like about the "race".

I think race and being racist is a bad word, because it's easily mixed up with hitlerism and has all sort of bad connotations. It's not always appearance or skin colour, it could be language, culture all sort of different things. Today we are all suffering because our society is one crazy place, we supress so much of what we are because society won't accept it. People with little to no education have tons of children and it's allowed. In places like China and India they have implemented one child policies, even as far back as the 19th century people in India castrated criminals. People are so afraid to look at themself in the mirror that on many sites I would be banned for saying this.

Anyway nature is racist and so is Tolkien, he is just too smart to admit it. ;)

Whatever biology behind it, proven or just speculated, lectured about or hushed up, the thread, I believe, is rather about whether Tolkien was being 'deliberately racist' (which he was not in my opinion, especially given today's overly 'politically correct' approaches that seem to me rather to be overly extreme reaction to what was considered 'norm' by the end of 19th century and at that again quite far from what would be just sensible, but that's another story whatsoever) therefore it seems to me you're quite off the mark here.

[Inziladun]

As for Tolkien, I think the haradrim have a direct equivalent in real life. That Tolkien chose to portray black people and middle eastern looking people as "lesser men" is if not racist...would be interpreted as racist by middle eastern and black people today.

I don't recall the Haradrim being considered "lesser". In fact, their valor seems to be something Tolkien makes a point of noting. Though deluded by Sauron, they are not presented as either irredeemably evil or culturally inferior.

But the Men of Rhûn and of Harad, Easterling and Southron, saw the ruin of their war and the great majesty and glory of the Captains of the West. And those that were deepest and longest in evil servitude, hating the West, and yet were men proud and bold in their turn now gathered themselves for a last stand of desperate battle. ROTK The Field of Cormallen

King Elessar is said to have made peace with Rhûn and Harad after Sauron's fall. If the "racism" were as you perceive, wouldn't Gondor have subjugated those "lesser" peoples instead of treating with them as peers, and with mercy?

x/d with HI- how often do I get to say that?

[alatar]

Anyone know how to PCR troll DNA? :D

Anyway, let's stay on topic and observe standard decorum.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

This thread is temporarily closed for maintenance.

All flaming statements/posts will be deleted without notice.

Ulvenok, you are very close to having your posting privileges revoked - temporarily, I hope, as we like to give new members a second chance. However, we do not hesitate to ban members who continue to provoke. There are websites/forums that condone that kind of behaviour, but not here.

Nerwen, please learn to address issues like this with less venom. You've been around long enough to know better (unlike this newcomer) and it's really not considerate to leave me messes to clean up. If you really post too hastily, you can go back and edit your post so that it is polite and on topic.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Reopened.

[Ardent]

If anyone thinks I'm being too harsh on Ulvenok, or exaggerating, please look at his post at #53, where he argues that discrimination against "black or middle-eastern people" is "what will make our species hopefully evolve for the better".

I don't think there can be much doubt that this fellow is simply projecting his own values onto everybody else.
I do doubt that.
Ulvenok may be a fan of Babylon 5, where 'progress through conflict' is the prime philosophy of 'The Shadows of Z'Ha'Dum'. Isn't it possible that Ulvenok is playing the role of devil's (Sauron's) advocate here rather than actually believing in those values?

[Ardent]

...the Orc-Chieftain who leads the attack against the Fellowship in the Chamber of Mazarbul, is described as having a "swart" face, meaning dark-hued (though not necessarily black)...
... even if the Orcs are black-skinned, this does not (as Dr Shapiro attempts to argue) in any way suggest to me racism on JRRT's part.
The word 'swart' comes from the German word for black, and we still use the term 'swarthy' to denote dark skin, but it was not a racial reference. These days we think it attractive to have a tan, but it used to be the other way around. Having a tan marked you out as a person of low status because you worked out of doors, unlike the nobility, clan leaders and learned who spent more time indoors holding court or studying.

Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, because the sun hath scorched me. My mother’s sons were incensed against me, they made me keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. Song of Solomon 1:6

[Nerwen]

I do doubt that.
Ulvenok may be a fan of Babylon 5, where 'progress through conflict' is the prime philosophy of 'The Shadows of Z'Ha'Dum'. Isn't it possible that Ulvenok is playing the role of devil's (Sauron's) advocate here rather than actually believing in those values?
I think it much more possible he was playing the role of "Internet troll", Ardent.. You must understand that the worst of Ulvenok's comments were deleted or edited by the mods- you're seeing what was left.

[Ardent]

I think it much more possible he was playing the role of "Internet troll", Ardent.. You must understand that the worst of Ulvenok's comments were deleted or edited by the mods- you're seeing what was left.
I did read them before deletion. I think Ulv's posts show many signs of immaturity and poor self expression, perhaps even autism given the tendancy to leap huge conclusions in a single bound. A cause for pity?

Anyway, you may be right and I'm not the one who was on the receiving end of the accusations made, so my sympathies to you on that score.

[Bêthberry]

To get back to the topic of this thread . . . .

"Racism" is a very slippery word and quite possibly in any discussion it ought to be defined or explained clearly and precisely. It might be helpful as well if specific examples are referred.

I offer this one quotation for people to discuss.


And if the Rohirrim at their onset were thrice outnumbered by the Haradrim alone, soon their case became worse; for new strength came now streaming to the field out of Osgiliath. There they had been mustered for the sack of the City and the rape of Gondor, waiting on the call of their Captain. He now was destroyed; but Gothmog the lieutenant of Morgul had flung them into the fray; Easterlings with axes, and Variags of Khand, Southrons in scarlet, and out of Far Harad black men like half-trolls with white eyes and red tongues. Some now hastened up behind the Rohirrim, others held westward to hold off the forces of Gondor and prevent their joining with Rohan.

The bolding is of course mine. How do we read this quotation?

[Morsul the Dark]

I always read the Black part as nothing more than a racial description I always thought of Harad as Africa... The half troll as very muscular and powerful.

I mean the red tongue part is a bit odd. It's not like he said they had big red lips now That would be racist.

[Inziladun]

I always read the Black part as nothing more than a racial description I always thought of Harad as Africa... The half troll as very muscular and powerful.

I mean the red tongue part is a bit odd. It's not like he said they had big red lips now That would be racist.

Keep in mind that the events of LOTR are described from the point of view of rather insular Hobbits, so one might expect exaggeration of physical characteristics that appeared "alien" to them.

[Galadriel55]

I think that "racist" refers to using racial differences to assert that one race is worse than another. Tolkien does not do that. Saying that the Haradrim had black skin is like saying that I have brown hair. SO WHAT. Having them as the villains to me just means than in Middle Earth, the Haradrim, who happened to have dark skin, chose to (or were forced to) follow Sauron.

Eomer making fun of Dwarves' height is a bit racist, but he quickly learns to respect Gimli son of Gloin.

I would think that the Druedain were regarded as inferior by their neighbours, but that was fixed up rather nicely as well once the races came into closer contact with each other.

The Numenorians in their last years regarded themselves as superior to all nations, and look where that got them.

And, coming back to the Haradrim and the Easterlings, they are always portrayed as men, same as other men - mistaken, enemies, but still men. You get a sense of respect for them. Consider:

But the Men of Rhun and of Harad, Easterling and Southron, saw the ruin of their war and the great majesty and glory of the Captains of the West. And those that were deepest and longest in evil servitude, hating the West, and yet were men proud and bold, in their own turn now gathered themselves for a last stand of desperate battle. ~The Field of Cormallen

[Sam] wondered what his name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil of heart, or what lies or threats had led him on the long march from his home; and if he would not really rather have stayed there in peace... ~Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit

So, as I said before, I do not think that a mere physical description of a "so what?" nature merits an accusation of racism. Are there more specific instances of "racism" in the legendarium?

[Ardent]

...And, coming back to the Haradrim and the Easterlings, they are always portrayed as men, same as other men - mistaken, enemies, but still men. You get a sense of respect for them...
In a footnote of Appendice A of LotR there is reference to at least some of the Haradrim in Umbar being allied with Gondor, but that they swayed in their loyalty between Gondor and Harad:
"...Umbar had been Numenorean land since days of old; but it was a stronghold of the King's Men, who were afterwards called the Black Numenoreans, corrupted by Sauron..."

I'm not sure whether 'Black' here refers to black skinned or metaphorically black, given the reference to Sauron's influence, but they are aknowledged as Numenorien.

There are several parallels from the real world here. The people of Kush (aka Nubia) were known as the Black Pharoes, and they swayed between being independant from or paying tribute to Egypt. They also at times ruled Egypt, so in this sense the analogy breaks down.

Another analogy for Harad and Umbar would be Carthage and it's relationship with the Berber tribes. Some Berbers faught for Carthage but switched loyalty (to Rome). Furthermore Carthage is famous for its war elephants, which initially caught the Romans unprepared.

The Cartaginians, Berbers and Egyptians were Semitic, the Nubians black, and they all fought with Caucasian Greeks and Romans. However I do not believe that recounting this fact is sufficient to count myself as racist. In Tolkien's case I would say that Middle Earth's clear distinctions between high and low/good and evil mean that we are not siding with the Good guys because they are white (or non-white) but because they really are Good.

If only the real world were so clear cut...

[Lotrelf]

How did this "Tolkien is racist" start? I'm sure he was not racist. I don't have any written proof or something, but writing tells so.

[Inziladun]

How did this "Tolkien is racist" start? I'm sure he was not racist. I don't have any written proof or something, but writing tells so.

I would define "racism" as the belief that one race is inherently inferior to another. I see no evidence of that on Tolkien's part, and it would seem the allegation stems from the manner in which certain characters and beings in his books are described. The "wild" Easterlings and dark-skinned Haradrim come to mind.

Contrary to a "racist" bent, it looks to me as if racially discriminatory views of the characters are punished. We see Saeros of Doriath, holding Men in contempt, being bested by Túrin. Thingol's denigration of the "uncouth race" of the Dwarves gets him killed.
Men are not immune, either. The Númenórean Exiles of Gondor started a civil war over the reluctance of some to admit those of "alien" race from the Northmen to marry into their Line of Kings, and the realm was nearly destroyed because of it.
The shoddy treatment of the Rohirrim toward the "dark haired" Dunlendings came back to haunt them when the latter attacked them in their weakness, and later allied themselves with Saruman.

I think the whole thing is rubbish, but there are always people who find what they're looking for, whether it's actually present, or not.

[blantyr]

I think the whole thing is rubbish, but there are always people who find what they're looking for, whether it's actually present, or not.

It is common in the real world that one's enemies in war are demonized. Propaganda is created to make Others less than human so it's OK to kill them. A classic example is the portrayal of the Japanese during World War II as buck toothed and wearing thick round glasses.

In one sense, not showing that the people of Middle Earth did the same thing feels unrealistic.

Today, this is less politically correct than it once was. Still, there are less than flattering names and stereotypes associated with middle eastern terrorists.

Yes, Middle Earth supposedly reflects our own world in the distant past. Yes, people's skin colors and cultures shift as one goes away from the Shire in a way that vaguely echoes the real world. No, racism was not a major theme being pushed by the professor. He had a lot of other themes he was playing with in much more significant ways, and he tried to deny that these more blatant themes were being used in an allegorical way. Yet, if one is writing epic fiction centered around issues of good and evil, it's very hard to make one's tale uninterpretable as allegory.

Anyway, I haven't been inspired to go out and find a citizen of Far Harad to harass.

[Andsigil]

How did this "Tolkien is racist" start?

Because some people have nothing better to do than engage in sophistry?

[Lotrelf]

I would define "racism" as the belief that one race is inherently inferior to another. I see no evidence of that on Tolkien's part, and it would seem the allegation stems from the manner in which certain characters and beings in his books are described. The "wild" Easterlings and dark-skinned Haradrim come to mind.

Contrary to a "racist" bent, it looks to me as if racially discriminatory views of the characters are punished. We see Saeros of Doriath, holding Men in contempt, being bested by T¨²rin. Thingol's denigration of the "uncouth race" of the Dwarves gets him killed.
Men are not immune, either. The N¨²men¨®rean Exiles of Gondor started a civil war over the reluctance of some to admit those of "alien" race from the Northmen to marry into their Line of Kings, and the realm was nearly destroyed because of it.
The shoddy treatment of the Rohirrim toward the "dark haired" Dunlendings came back to haunt them when the latter attacked them in their weakness, and later allied themselves with Saruman.

I think the whole thing is rubbish, but there are always people who find what they're looking for, whether it's actually present, or not.

Indeed it all is Totally rubbish! A race being inferior to other is nowhere seen in the books. Tolkien being a War Veteran could never write such stuff. Also, his writing suggests he believes in Love, Compassion, and the positive things our society needs. Racism isn't there, and your post explains it wonderfully.

[blantyr]

Indeed it all is Totally rubbish! A race being inferior to other is nowhere seen in the books.

I wouldn't go that far. The elves and some men descended from Numenor knew something of 'The Art' while other races could only learn degraded forms of magic. Certain cultures had more attractive life styles and values than others.

I'd also note a great deal of segregation in Middle Earth. The men of Rohan and Gondor spoke ill of the Lady of the Golden Wood. Galadriel and Fangorn lived very near to one another's borders for Ages, yet never visited one another. King Aragorn forbade Big Folk from entering the Shire.

I believe one theme of LoTR is that the cultures were diverse enough that various free people might best live totally separated from one another, and yet each of these free people could recognize The Enemy when the time came. They didn't unite under a single government, but they contributed, each in their own way.

This trend for diverse cultures to live apart from one another, to recognize and honor borders while not encountering those living on the other side of the borders, is not the same as what we see in the real world. Still, it is worth noting.

[Inziladun]

Indeed it all is Totally rubbish! A race being inferior to other is nowhere seen in the books. Tolkien being a War Veteran could never write such stuff. Also, his writing suggests he believes in Love, Compassion, and the positive things our society needs. Racism isn't there, and your post explains it wonderfully.

Thank you for your kind words.

I wouldn't go that far. The elves and some men descended from Numenor knew something of 'The Art' while other races could only learn degraded forms of magic. Certain cultures had more attractive life styles and values than others.

That is true, but that disparity in cultural and technological "enlightenment" is not depicted as being the fault of those who lacked it.

I'd also note a great deal of segregation in Middle Earth. The men of Rohan and Gondor spoke ill of the Lady of the Golden Wood. Galadriel and Fangorn lived very near to one another's borders for Ages, yet never visited one another. King Aragorn forbade Big Folk from entering the Shire.

Segregation, yes, but it doesn't appear to be due to any deliberate decision to avoid other races because they were seen as inferior. The Elves in the Third Age were generally feared by Men such as the Rohirrim, who had simply grown estranged from them over time. And the ban on Men entering the Shire was an outgrowth, it seems, of the invasion of the land by Saruman's men. It may be notable the Aragorn's edict was that Men were to stay out of the Shire. Dwarves and Elves apparently were under no such law.

[Galadriel55]

Segregation, yes, but it doesn't appear to be due to any deliberate decision to avoid other races because they were seen as inferior.

That's true. I think the real "issue" some people have is that if a person has dark skin or squint eyes, he's automatically the enemy. It's unclear, though, if the "problem" lies in ME's culture or in Tolkien's decision to make it so which may (or may not :smokin:) reflect his own views. The problem with that, of course, is that I don't see much of a problem as ME geography and partially its history mirrors that of the real world, and the divide between good and bad on a global scale is more geographical. On an individual scale, the scale that really matters, nothing's black and white (no pun intended... or maybe it was). All the examples of "bad" Elves and "bad" Numenorians and lack of enimity because of race show the true reasons for everything, the individual scale. Why do people really do things. But the global scale divides "good" and "bad" geographically, so no wonder than on a global scale someone with squint eyes is going to be automatically thought an enemy. He may be good, but he's still an enemy.

[Mithalwen]

Can I point out that squint eyed is not a racial description but a medical one. It simply refers to someone who has a squint or is making a face to give a similar appearance. While derogatory to those those afflicted it is not racially so.

Edit.. noticed WCH made this point upthread but will let it stand as bears repeating and the phrase is still being mentioned.

[Alfirin]

An interesting example might be found in the Lossoth/Men of Forochel; the Wests most Nothernly men. They might be of a nordic/germanic stock, but with thier igloos (I think Tolkien said they make houses of snow) and use of bone runnered sleds, they sound an awful lot like Inuit/Eskimos (or whatever the Greenland/Iceland branch of the First Nations call themselves). If that is the case, they are presumably dark skinned and "squint eyed" by the racial standards of the West. And yet, they are very clearly "good guys" (they may not be very deeply involved in the affairs of thier Southern Neigbors, but when they do come into the tales of the west, it is very clearly on the side of the "good".
And I've always interpreted Aragorn's Edict as being to keep men from SETTLING in the shire (not a wholesale "no man can ever even enter the border), lest they take it over from the somewhat less warlike hobbits. Hobbits are largely peaceful (even if they can be roused to defend themsevles) so let them live where they live in peace. It's to keep the hobbits safe, not to keep them isolated (it's not like Aragorn banned hobbits from leaving the shire, or required that they all move there.) It's sort of similar to what he did for the Woses of the Drudan forests; He's trying to make sure that no one molests them, or can come in with great masses of men and arms and take the territory from them.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

I wouldn't go that far. The elves and some men descended from Numenor knew something of 'The Art' while other races could only learn degraded forms of magic. Certain cultures had more attractive life styles and values than others.

I'd also note a great deal of segregation in Middle Earth. The men of Rohan and Gondor spoke ill of the Lady of the Golden Wood. Galadriel and Fangorn lived very near to one another's borders for Ages, yet never visited one another. King Aragorn forbade Big Folk from entering the Shire.

I believe one theme of LoTR is that the cultures were diverse enough that various free people might best live totally separated from one another, and yet each of these free people could recognize The Enemy when the time came. They didn't unite under a single government, but they contributed, each in their own way.

This trend for diverse cultures to live apart from one another, to recognize and honor borders while not encountering those living on the other side of the borders, is not the same as what we see in the real world. Still, it is worth noting.

Tolkien believed strongly in true multiculturalism- as in, having a multiplicity of cultures in the world. He was strongly against 'multiculturalism' in its modern connotation, which to him meant mixing all the cultures together until everything was just the same flavorless blended monoculture the world over. "The bigger things get the smaller and duller or flatter the globe gets. It is getting to be all one blasted little provincial suburb. At any rate it ought to cut down travel. There will be nowhere to go."

[tom the eldest]

It is mentioned in the wikia that the upleasant appearance of the haradrim is based on european mongols.and also apparently the squint-eyed description of the evil men is an example of racism towards chines and japanese

[blantyr]

Tolkien believed strongly in true multiculturalism- as in, having a multiplicity of cultures in the world. He was strongly against 'multiculturalism' in its modern connotation, which to him meant mixing all the cultures together until everything was just the same flavorless blended monoculture the world over. "The bigger things get the smaller and duller or flatter the globe gets. It is getting to be all one blasted little provincial suburb. At any rate it ought to cut down travel. There will be nowhere to go."

I can sympathize with the 'duller or flatter' comment. I'm from the Boston area. Last year there was a large hurricane in the Southwest Pacific. I was mildly surprised by the number of people wearing Celtics T-shirts among the survivors.

But the lack of trade and travel in Middle Earth rubs my suspension of disbelief some. In The Hobbit, the elves of Mirkwood and men of the lake traded with one another, and this extended to dwarves as well when there are no dragons in residence in the Lonely Mountain. And yet, in LoTR, the area around Rauros Falls was portrayed as completely abandoned. In the real world, at the point where navigable rivers become unnavigable, where one encounters the first serious rapids or waterfall, one expects a trade town. The lack of a trade town at Rauros implies a serious lack of trade between the upper and lower Anduin. Of course, the presence of the Shadow in southern Mirkwood might have had a lot to do with this.

But if Tolkien thought the homogeneous blandness of modern cultures inhibits the tourist trade, why no tourists in Middle Earth? Why did Sauron and Radagast have so little knowledge of where to find that uncouth land called Shire? If the wise of Gondor don't have a clue how to find Rivendell, who does?

I'm not going to whine and cry about this, but it seems to me there is a lot of isolation and provincialism in LoTR.

[Inziladun]

And I've always interpreted Aragorn's Edict as being to keep men from SETTLING in the shire (not a wholesale "no man can ever even enter the border), lest they take it over from the somewhat less warlike hobbits. Hobbits are largely peaceful (even if they can be roused to defend themsevles) so let them live where they live in peace. It's to keep the hobbits safe, not to keep them isolated (it's not like Aragorn banned hobbits from leaving the shire, or required that they all move there.) It's sort of similar to what he did for the Woses of the Drudan forests; He's trying to make sure that no one molests them, or can come in with great masses of men and arms and take the territory from them.

Actually, the edict does indeed appear to totally bar Men from the Shire. From Appendix B The Tale of Years:

1427 ....King Elessar issues an edict that Men are not to enter the Shire.

And in Appendix A:

But [Aragorn II] does not enter [The Shire] and binds himself by the law that he has made, that none of the Big People shall pass its borders.

If Aragorn only meant a ban on settlers, surely he wouldn't have seen the harm in making a brief visit inside to give Sam his award.

It is mentioned in the wikia that the upleasant appearance of the haradrim is based on european mongols.and also apparently the squint-eyed description of the evil men is an example of racism towards chines and japanese

I wouldn't put a tremendous amount of stock in anything that starts with wiki, unless it's supported by other sources. Tolkien said in a Letter that Orcs were based on a very debased version of Mongols.

They are (or were) squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, with wide mouths and slant eyes: in fact degraded and repulsive versions of the (to Europeans) least lovely Mongol-types. Letters # 210

Orcs were the spiritual and physical product of long corruption by Morgoth and Sauron, and their appearance has no real-world equivalent. That Tolkien there added the qualifier "to Europeans" to me indicates that he did not think such a perception valid, but instead a regrettable consequence of unfamiliarity.

[Mithalwen]

It is mentioned in the wikia that the upleasant appearance of the haradrim is based on european mongols.and also apparently the squint-eyed description of the evil men is an example of racism towards chines and japanese

Well that is a misreading. I have never heard it used that way and the oxford and websters dictionaries do not include it as a definition. Squint-eyed denotes having a squint or generally looking suspicious NOT having almond shaped eyes. There is, alas, a derogatory term for this (slitty eyed). Ignorance of language by third parties does not make Tolkien a rascist. I wonder if the Wikia author has read the letters where he says how sorry he is he cannot claim any Jewish origins or warns his son that he will be shocked by South Africa's divisions...

[demnation]

Actually, the edict does indeed appear to totally bar Men from the Shire. From Appendix B The Tale of Years:



And in Appendix A:



If Aragorn only meant a ban on settlers, surely he wouldn't have seen the harm in making a brief visit inside to give Sam his award.



I wouldn't put a tremendous amount of stock in anything that starts with wiki, unless it's supported by other sources. Tolkien said in a Letter that Orcs were based on a very debased version of Mongols.

Letters # 210

Orcs were the spiritual and physical product of long corruption by Morgoth and Sauron, and their appearance has no real-world equivalent. That Tolkien there added the qualifier "to Europeans" to me indicates that he did not think such a perception valid, but instead a regrettable consequence of unfamiliarity.

A knee jerk reaction to the "Orcs are debased Mongols" quote would lead one to cry "racism!" racism!" But a closer look reveals something a bit more ambiguous. Because he is not saying that Orcs are Mongols, or that Mongols are repulsive, but that the (fictional) Orcs are repulsive versions of Mogols. Still, it is about the closest Tolkien gets to saying anything that could be interpreted as blatantly racist. And the funny thing about his Letters is that they contain more evidence that he actually wasn't racist than they contain evidence that he was.

[Belegorn]

I could care less if Tolkien was racist. I do not think he was anyway, at least openly. If you're anti-racist to the point you want a racist to conform to your non-racist ways then don't support his work. I do think in LotR there are some Men who're obviously better than others. I do not believe everyone has to except what is the flavor of the century. My morals are more in line with the Hellenes before the Platonists turned the world upside down.

"it has always been the law that the weaker should be subject to the stronger." [Thucydides; History of the Peloponnesian War, ch. 3, p. 44]

What's next, the term "black Númenórean" is a racist title because it has black in it and they are opponents of Gondor and the good Dúnedain? They're both Dúnedain in any case, but since Tolkien decided to append "black" to a certain segment of them in a negative light, that's kind of racist right? So Tolkien is a racist and anti-feminist, what else, wrote some good books. Cool.

[tom the eldest]

Well that is a misreading. I have never heard it used that way and the oxford and websters dictionaries do not include it as a definition. Squint-eyed denotes having a squint or generally looking suspicious NOT having almond shaped eyes. There is, alas, a derogatory term for this (slitty eyed). Ignorance of language by third parties does not make Tolkien a rascist. I wonder if the Wikia author has read the letters where he says how sorry he is he cannot claim any Jewish origins or warns his son that he will be shocked by South Africa's divisions...

Yeah,the wikia is edited by lots of people right?so maybe yeah,they were written by people who havent read the letter

[Zigûr]

Yeah,the wikia is edited by lots of people right?so maybe yeah,they were written by people who havent read the letter
Is this the "Lord of the Rings Wiki"? In my view it's very untrustworthy, and mixes material from the books with ideas from the films, merchandise and a slew of other things that did not come from the mind of Professor Tolkien himself, along with a lot of fans making assumptions and reading into things and presenting them as fact. Tolkien Gateway is a lot more reliable in my opinion. As I said in another thread, the fact that "Lord of the Rings Wiki" forgets the "The" from the beginning of "The Lord of the Rings" says it all about how rigorous its approach is to information.

I could care less if Tolkien was racist.
So you do care to a certain extent? :p

[Ivriniel]

This essay is in response to some quotes about how Tolkien was racist. I hope to prove otherwise. In my first one, I will be discussing the races of M-E, whilst in the second I will be looking at the attitudes towards other races in Tolkien’s time, as well as in M-E.


Lord of the rings is one of the greatest novels ever. Yet it is also fraught with controversy. One of the biggest ‘gripes’ that people have with it, are the perceived racist overtones that exist in Tolkien’s works . Supposedly, all dark skinned peoples are evil worshipers of Sauron. Yep, so I suppose that Sam, Tom Bombadil and the Breemen are secretly worshipping Sauron sacrificing goats testicles and rebelling against authority, spraying ‘Eru sucks’ on the classroom walls? So do we automatically assume that every dark skinned person in Middle-Earth is evil, since Tolkien was racist? I don’t think so.

Firstly, let’s start with those little fellas the Hobbits. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. If you’re a grumpy old wizard that is. Many people think that all Hobbits have pale skin, yet this is not true.

In their origin, when Strider was a Hobbit named Trotter and Treebeard was a malevolent megalomaniac Bond villain, Hobbits were said to have be like Aborigines. Of course this was changed, but the diversity of skin colour exists in Hobbits as much as it does in Humans.

The Harfoots, were said to have ‘nut-brown’ skin, and it is probable the Gamgee’s were of the Harfoot clan, as there is a brief reference to Sam’s ‘brown-hand’ in Book Six, though I cannot remember where it was exactly.

And now we come to Mr Unknown identity himself-Tom Bombadil. Tom, the enigmatic jackass also had brown skin, which is shown by the following passage, in the chapter, ‘In the House of tom Bombadil’, in which he asks Frodo to give him the ring.

“ It seemed to grow larger as it lay for a moment in his on his big brown skinned hand”

So these examples show that there were some good dark skinned people in Middle-Earth. “ But hang on!” you say, surely all dark skinned men are evil? Look at the Easterlings, the Haradrim and the Variags of Khand (Such nice names.)

Well, let’s delve into the history of men. In their origin, men were corrupted by Melkor not long after they first arose, and so all men fell into the shadow, and were forsaken for a while by Eru, and their life expectancies were cut dramatically short.

Well, Melkor left them to their own devices as he went off to the war in Beleriand. Many men then revolted, against the ‘men of darkness’. Now, just because they are called the ‘men of darkness’ doesn’t mean they are actually ‘dark-skinned’. Dark is often associated with evil, and so I think that by saying ‘men of darkness’, Tolkien is just saying that they were evil men, and it I probable that they were of mixed races.

O.K, to continue. It is probable that the first main migrating camp for men, was on the Sea of Rhun. The Beorians (House of Beor) were the first to reach the Sea, followed by the Marachians. (House of Hador), whilst it seems that the Haladin (House of Haleth) had passed on to lands further east, with the Druedain, another good dark-skinned people, though I will be picking up on that later on.

Now, the Beorians, were described as having dark hair, and were most like to the Noldor. But a lot of them were also said to have a swarthy complexion, due to interbreeding with other Easterling tribes, such as the Borrim. (House of Bor.)
So we see that there is a race of good dark-skinned men.

We can stretch this further, by looking at the Dunedain of Middle-Earth. Now, it is probable that most of the survivors of the Downfall of Numenor were of Beorian descent, as their descriptions match the descriptions of the house of Beor. (Dark hair, grey eyes etc.) Now, several times, the Rangers are described as having a rather dark complexion, and the cartoon version of Aragorn certainly seems to have a light brownish skin colour.

Now assuming that Minas Tirith is in the region of Florence, Italy. Then couldn’t
They represent the roman empire? Albeit, this conception may be far fetched, due to Tolkien’s dislike of allergy, yet it is still a possibility.

Let’s look at the Borrim. Now, a lot of you who have read The Silmarillion, and thus you will know of the two swarthy tribes, the evil followers of Ulfang and the good ones of Bor. Now, before they excavated into Beleriand, the Borrim resided in Eriador, with other mannish tribes, and probably the followers of Bereg, of the House of Beor.

So, we can see that the majority of the indigenous mannish population of Eriador, were dark-skinned, though most of the Borrim of Beleriand were slain in Unnumbered Tears or it’s aftermath. (A few of Turin’s ‘wolf-group’ may have been followers of Bor or Ulfang. This is a possibility, as one of the men was named Ulrad. Which is similar to Ulfang.)

So the men of Eriador, who were in the majority good natured, set another example of a good dark-skinned people. Though it was a hugely mixed population of many tribes of men, that unfortunately suffered greatly due to the war with Sauron and later with The Witch-King, and so they were pretty much wiped out, as many probably marched with Elendil in the last alliance.

Now, let’s look at the Druedain, the ancestor’s of the Pukel men. The Druedain, and their descendants were another good dark-skinned peoples, who were the first men to ever cross the Anduin (So the Gondorian loremasters say) and they went into the white mountains, though many went with the Haladin into Beleriand, and so got involved in the war with Morgoth. Some survived, and went to Numenor, though when Tar-Aldarion began his journeys to Middle-Earth, claiming evil would come out of his voyages, and by the time that Sauron came to Numenor, they had all gone to Middle-Earth. It was these peoples who later helped Theoden in the War of the ring.


The Dunlendings were another group of good dark-skinned peoples. In the beginning, they had come to the lands the were later known as Gondor, and resided their, but they were pushed out by the Dunedain of Isildur and Anarion. Later on, they went to Rohan, but the Rohirrim pushed them out.

So who can blame the Dunlendings for their misgivings against the Rohirrim? Even then, most of the Dunlendings remained a ‘good peoples’. Some fell into evil, whilst some excavated north and some interacted with the Rohirrim and some even had interracial marriages. Wulf, the leader of the dissension in the time of helm was of mixed Rohhirm-Dunlending race. Another possible ‘mixed-race’ person was Erkenbard, the mighty warrior in LOTR. He was unusually friendly with the Dunlendings when they were defeated and he also knew their language, and so couldn’t he have some kind of Dunlandish ascendancy?

It seems that the Dunlendings were simply misguided by Saruman, who merely inflamed their grievances against the Rohirrim, and later on the lived peacefully in Dunland.

Meanwhile, their northern Arnorian relations settled in Bree, were also living ‘good’ lives (with a few exceptions, such as Bill Ferny, whose evil behaviour was unusual since he was the talk of the village). But Bree was probably not fully mad up of Dunlendings and Hobbits, and it was originally founded by some Haladin, and the Butterbur’s were probably descendants of the Haladin, hence Buttebur’s red cheeks.

The Haradrim, certainly have a Arabic or Indian feel, and as for the Easterlings and the Variags of Khand, Tolkien never gave us any information on their skin colour, which left many to assume they were had a Chinese/East European look. Well, for one, the Wainriders, the most evil of all the Easterling groups were white, and though doubtless some may have been Chinese-esque, we don’t know for sure.

Yet, we still see that even the good ‘white’ tribes of men can be bad. The Numenoreans had the greatest fall of man since their first fall, and Boromir tried take the one ring, whilst Isildur failed his people by not throwing the ring in Mount Doom when he had the chance.

Yet Tolkien held that all men were ‘fallen’, due to the ignorance of their forefathers. (Except perhaps for a few exceptions, such as Hurin, Huor, Beren, Tuor, Amandil, Elendil and Aragorn) So one can see that man is a very complicated race in M-E, and as we see in Tolkien’s last book, which he abandoned (The new Shadow?) men were destined to fall again, and again and again, no matter what race they were.

Well, that is it for Part 1, and Part 2 will be completed in two weeks time. I apologise for the absurd length of this essay.

It's a great topic.

I don't think 'racist' is quite the right word, though he did have some fractures in his mind that are very apparent to me.

Tolkien tends to 'essentialise' (i.e. make literal) a demarcation of good and evil across racial divides--excepting men--who he casts as on a spectrum. Therefore, it's no so much a racism cast over skin tones, but across racial divides.

Elves versus Orcs, case in point. There was no configuration in the dialogue of any attempt to reconcile the divide. Orcs, fundamentally 'evil', or just having more of the 'reptilian mind' and more of the baser impulses?

His entire notion of 'evil' was quite revealing of his own mind. I have pointed out, for example, that Turgon tossed Eol off a cliff. The Noldor were a deeply imperialistic peoples.

These are just some examples of the 'double speak' that was part of the Tolkienian universe of unresolvables.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

They essay is infected by Martinez-ism. By "brown" and "swarthy" Tolkien was only referring to the more suntanned end of European coloration. ("Swarthy," for example, was often used to describe the pirate Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts - who was a Welshman).

It also contains some straight up mis-statements of fact, such as "hobbits as aborigines:" 1) Tolkien never said it, indeed it contradicts his explicit history, and 2) Tolkien of course would have been using the word literally, as he did (in draft) of Bombadil, not in reference to Australia's pre-European population.

[Faramir Jones]

Tolkien, a few years after LotR appeared, made a public denunciation of apartheid in South Africa on 5th June 1959, during his Valedictory Address to the University of Oxford.

He spoke of his South African birth, and that he did 'not claim to be the most learned of those', who have come from South Africa.

But I have the hatred of apartheid in my bones; and most of all I detest the segregation or separation of Language and Literature. I do not care which of them you think White. (J. R. R. Tolkien, The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays, (London: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997), p. 238)