Another Greek word for love occurrs to me: agape ~ which is a selfless and pure love (as I recall).
I still see the hobbit culture as one that is more innocent of homoerotic subtexts to various situations than one that is tolerant of what everyone knows is going on. Did anyone mention Tom Bombadil telling the hobbits to run around naked in the sunshine? I think this, and the previously mentioned situation with Frodo and Sam is more the "boys in the locker room" kind of acceptance of same-gender nakedness than anything (especially in those life and death situations) that could properly be viewed as homoerotic. I guess everyone is agreed that obviously Tolkien didn't intend the hobbit relationships to be viewed in that light.
But so much is in the eye of the beholder...
(And not in MY homophobic eye either! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] )
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