[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by the guy who be short

But if we are to accept this as true, then who is the Policy Decision-maker? I hold that the Shire has none, not having a central government or any real governmental structure. So that the Mayor does indeed become the Decision-maker as well as the Figurehead. Except he has no real decisions to make, unless there are two conflicting banquets...

In the Shire, it was tradition. .... "the way things were done". We may not like it, but it was - er - the way things were done.

Hmm. You have a point there - they had respect. But I wouldn't muddle that with authority. Save for being the head of a rather large household, neither of them could really be comparable to a governmental position such as Prime Minister, could they? To be succinct, they didn't do anything.

But respect turns into authority when there are crises. Tolkien outlines one such in Appendix B:

2747 Bandobras Took defeats an Orc-band in the North-farthing

All by himself?!? Of course not. We are menat to understand that he led the Tooks and others willing to follow; but Tolkien names BT alone; why? ... because he's their leader.

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

But how are these paid for?

Free room and board?

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

how does Aragorn become a divine right king--if he does?

You know, I think "divine right" is too strong for LotR and Third Age Middle Earth. He had right of ancient lineage. Did that Kingship in Numenor not come from the Valar? Is that divine enough? Yes, but.... does that apply to Gondor come the beginning of the Fourth Age?

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

lmp, I think it is possible to consider politics and power in myth.

Indubitably! But to attempt to say what Tolkien's and Lewis's politics were by reading LotR and the Narnia Chronicles is not the same thing.

Originally Posted by Bb

Tolkien, with his profound Catholic faith, producing a world full of change and even insisting upon the recognition of that change. Flux rather than finality. How does he do that?

By mirroring reality well, as opposed to writing more of a fairy tale (LWW)? I'm brought back to the 'truism' that Tolkien is writing about death whereas Lewis is writing about a chosen nation, as it were.