[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by davem

Quote:
I see. And so this is another example of a localised social and historical trait that is extrapolated into a Universal value applicable to every history and society?



Yes.

davem, I bet your map of the world is still covered with pink.

Estelyn and everyone here: intriguing ideas! Just for the sake of exploring the idea of wandering more, and who wanders, I'd like to point out that this list of wanderers includes only one female, Eowyn, who wanders only to end up in 'a cage of her own choosing.'

Does Arwen 'wander'? She does of course make the most significant spiritual choice in LotR, after, perhaps Frodo. And Tolkien has her leaving Gondor after Aragorn's death, to wander back to Cerin Amroth.

Of course, Rosie Cotton doesn't wander. Nor does Sam, does he, after he returns to the Shire (except for going West ultimately). Yet his children do: one daughter in particular is important for her 'moving on'.

On the other hand, when the Ring quest is complete, Gandalf does say he has finished his wandering and makes an important comment about the hobbits:

Originally Posted by Tolkien in Homeward Bound

"I am not coming to the Shire. You must settle its affairs yourselves; that is what you have been trained for. Do you not yet understand? My time is over: it is no longer my task to set things to rights, nor to help folk to do so. And as for you, my dear friends, you will need no help. You are grown up now. Grown indeed very high; among the great you are, and I have no longer any fear at all for any of you."

"But if you would know, I am turning aside soon. I am going to have a long talk with Bombadil: such a talk as I have not had in all my time. He is a moss-gatherer, and I have been a stone doomed to rolling. But my rolling days are ending, and now we shall have much to say to one another."

I think there is indeed a very close relationship between the need for stimulation--'agency' it has been called by some--and exploration, spiritual as well as other forms--but I wonder (no homophohic pun intended) if there isn't also a flip side here, that ultimately there is also the expectation that the benefits acquired from 'wandering' should somehow be returned. One journies in order to bring back the wealth of the experience, to expand those who have not?

I fear I'm being rather foggy this morning. My coffee must not have been strong enough. I do hope I'm not 'rambling' too much here. (sowwy, cannot resist.)

EDIT: Just so you all know, I have copied some of my and davem's posts from here to Sauce's thread, Does LotR have cross-cultural appeal?, so I wouldn't take the discussion here off topic.