The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Silmarillion

Bêthberry · 09-29-2006, 12:30 PM

Another good opening gambit for discussion, Aiwendil.

I write in haste to mention just one possibility about why we have two versions of the creation. This possibility does not negate the idea that it is told from two different perspectives.

Genesis in The Bible actually has two versions of creation, Genesis 1.1 - 2.4 and Genesis 2.5 - 3.24. In the first version, male and female are created co-equally in time, while it is in in the second version only that the female is made from the male's rib. Man is also created before the trees in the garden in the second version.

Whether Tolkien thought of this and emulated the biblical repetition I cannot say.

Fascinating that Christopher moved those words to the end of his Silm. If this is fairy story, those words do not suggest to me any eucatastrophe (thinking in relation to Tolkien's OFS only).

more later....

09-29-2006, 12:30 PM	#2
Bêthberry Cryptic Aura Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 6,003	Another good opening gambit for discussion, Aiwendil. I write in haste to mention just one possibility about why we have two versions of the creation. This possibility does not negate the idea that it is told from two different perspectives. Genesis in The Bible actually has two versions of creation, Genesis 1.1 - 2.4 and Genesis 2.5 - 3.24. In the first version, male and female are created co-equally in time, while it is in in the second version only that the female is made from the male's rib. Man is also created before the trees in the garden in the second version. Whether Tolkien thought of this and emulated the biblical repetition I cannot say. Fascinating that Christopher moved those words to the end of his Silm. If this is fairy story, those words do not suggest to me any eucatastrophe (thinking in relation to Tolkien's OFS only). more later.... __________________ I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.