|
Except….we're dealing here with an invented world. For all Tolkien presented it as being 'our world in the ancient past' it is nothing of the sort. M-e & all its inhabitants & the rules/conditions by which they live are his invention. Anything he hasn't put in there doesn't actually exist – whether its logically possible or not.
Extending this to questions of sexuality – the Dwarf question is not so simple. First, Dwarves are not human. They are mortal, but they are not of the Children. Hence, we can't assume that they would feel sexual desire in the same way – or even at all. Or it may be that they have ways of sublimating their sexual desires & channelling their libidinous tendencies into their work. Elves are virtually asexual once they have had children according to Tolkien.
Now, one assumes that in a world created by a conservative Catholic born in the Edwardian period certain things wouldn't exist – not simply wouldn't be mentioned, but would not be put into the world at all. And this is not a question of morality or organised religion, but simply of what a man like Tolkien would choose to include, to give existence to.
The point is that M-e was the product of a particular man's mind. Thus, while 'X' may exist 'Y' may not – even though 'Y' is not logically impossible: it may not exist because the creator of the world created said world without it. Homosexuality in M-e is not an option because in M-e (as opposed to the Primary World) sexuality does not operate in that way. Maybe the inhabitants brains worked differently, maybe they didn't have the 'gay' gene, maybe they were brought up differently – its not really relevant. What is relevant is that Tolkien created a world in which Homosexuality did not exist. It isn't 'covered up', or blotted out of the records, or the result of pogroms against the gay community – it simply never existed in Tolkien's created world. Its not logically impossible for it to exist – it just didn't exist. Its not logically impossible for Dwarves to ride Llamas, Hobbits to ride bicycles, or Elves to bounce around on Space-hoppers made from Oliphaunt bladders – they just didn't . Tolkien, in short, would not have introduced same sex relationships, let alone marriages, into his invented world, not because he didn't approve of such things, but simply because a man of his time & background wouldn't think of including them. Hence they aren't there.
Now, of course, it’s a game, & if some things are introduced which 'purists' don't want to see, the purists can leave – or those things could be left outside the game & the ones who want them could leave. But the point, it seems to me, is that whatever one does to any manifestation of M-e reflects back in some way on Tolkien himself. Tolkien created a world where certain things did not exist, & we have no evidence that he wished them to exist – hence I see no reason why they should – anyone who wants to read about, or play in, a world where such things do exist can easily do so. To demand that a world in which they don't exist should be forced to include them seems just plain wrong. I can't help thinking that if Tolkien's works themselves were out of copyright they'd be demanding a re-write.
|