Veering slightly off the theme of the past few posters, yet still highly relevant, I found to my slight surprise and great interest whilst looking through a book about the Saxons (it may have contained information on the Angles also) that The Angerthas and Tengwar alphabets are slightly modified versions of Saxon runic and scriptic alphabets. The two were on first glance identical. Tolkien was inspired to write his mythology after reading Scandinavian mythology, Finnish in particular, when reading examples of Finnish mythology, it is plain to see the similarities. Such things as Dwarves, Ring giving, elves (in something closer to their semblance in ME), dragons etc.
A great program was aired here in Australia about 18 months to 2 years ago, of British or Australian production about Tolkien's inspirations from Finnish mythology, it went into comprehensive detail and even went to Finland to speak to an aged lore master. Tolkien had travelled to Finland and got much of his knowledge of its mythology by word of mouth, from the same lore master. After passing his knowledge to only his son, and partially to a few others including Tolkien, the old man died.
I do not claim to be an expert historian, but it is one of my passions and i am very happy to hear everyone's opinions on the resemblance between Finnish, Danish and Swedish mythology and Tolkien's.
Osse
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[ September 19, 2003: Message edited by: Osse ]
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'A thinking tyrant, it seemed to Vetinari, had a much harder job than a ruler raised to power by some idiot system like democracy. At least HE could tell the people he was THEIR fault.'
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