[Child of the 7th Age]

Nar --

This is a very intesting idea.

I believe that what you are describing is very close to the ideas of Mirciea Eliade (sp?), whom I haven't read in a number of years, but which was the basis for a course which I took on comparative religions.

And, yes, I understand the concept of the re-enacted ritual very clearly. Every year, we have two elaborate Pesach (Passover) seders in our house. We are told to retell the story in such a way that each individual feels that he or she personally escaped slavery from Egypt and went with Moshe (Moses) on his journey of discovery. (We are also told to do this at Shavuot when we must feel as if we are standing at the base of the Mountain to receive the Torah when Moses returns.)

I can see how the sailing to Elvenhome would serve to pull Frodo out of this cycle of re-enactment, to pull him out of secular and mundane time and place him in a different relationship. Tolkien was indeed very explicit that the passage of time, even in Elven lands like Lorien on Middle-earth, was quite different.

I know there is a book by Verlynn Flieger which deals with the whole concept of time in Middle-earth. It's supposed to be quite good. I've never read it, but will try to get hold of it this summer from the university library. I wonder if she deals with any of this that you raise?

Thanks for this idea.

sharon, the 7th age hobbit

[ June 02, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]