Quote:
Originally Posted by Fordim Hedgethistle
I've always felt as though Tolkien's greatest 'debt' to the Sagas was more their "feel" than any specific event or reference. Time and again in the Sagas you have somebody who does something that sets off a feud and no matter how hard everyone tries to avert disaster and tragedy it's hopeless and everyone involved suffers mightily. The Sagas do not participate in the Modernist idea of history as advance/improvement...quite the reverse. And that's pretty much the story of Middle Earth in a nutshell. Things generally go from light to dark, from high to low, vengeance and blood feuds wipe out whole peoples and cause misery without justice... Which is not to say that the Sagas or Middle-earth are depressing places--there is fellowship, honour, heroism but mostly there is convivialty, hospitality and, most importantly, gatherings of friends and family. The world is dark, but life need not be so.
There may be elements of particular reference between the Sagas and Middle-earth (the portrayal of the trolls in TH is clearly inspired by Icelandic trolls; the 'governmental' structure of the Shire is pretty much precisely the kind of loose 'democracy' practised in Old Iceland) but on the whole I think the real comparison is to be made betwen the views of heroism--what Tolkien called "naked will and courage in the face of inevitable defeat". That's what got Frodo and Sam to Mount Doom, and that's what inspired Aragorn to lead his armies to the Black Gate.
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Nice one Fordim. That's the greatest similarity of all - the style. A lot of people struggle with the Sil as the style is so at odds with the usual style you expect of a novel, yes even of Rings, but once you pick up an Icelandic Saga you have a moment of revelation and realise just what Tolkien was attempting to do in terms of style. Have to admit I was dumbfounded to realise this at long last! Far from being 'biblical', the Sil is just like one of the Sagas! Long lists of people, stark language and imagery, thinly but effectively drawn scenes of slaughter and of horror.
One of my mates once said he found The Sil 'glacial', and I told him that Tolkien was trying to achieve a 'cool Northern air' - and this is where, I think, he found it. I was rambling on not so long ago about how the Kinslaying made me feel odd, took me back to my ancestors almost - and then again when I picked up a Saga for the first time this feeling completely grabbed me by the guts.
It's a rich mine I think.
And that's what this thread is about - looking at Icelandic Sagas, Iceland and Tolkien's work.
