Does LotR have cross-cultural appeal?

[The Saucepan Man]

This is an issue which has featured obliquely in many discussions on this forum, most particularly those relating to religion, “canonicity” (whatever that is ) and Tolkien’s literary, historical and mythological influences. It has, however, never formed a topic in its own right as far as I am aware and it is one which I have been musing upon for some time.

It seems to me that LoTR has a particular cultural appeal, which is based very much on the religious, historical and mythological traditions that Tolkien drew upon in writing the book. I have no hard and fast data concerning the book’s world-wide appeal but, based upon the membership of the Downs (which at least is indicative of those for whom the book has particular appeal), its greatest appeal would appear to lie among those of European (Anglo-Saxon/Germanic/Scandinavian) and/or the Judaeo-Christian heritage.

Of course, this should come as no surprise. The book was written by an Englishman and first published in the UK. As a philologist, he was greatly influenced by some of the older languages of Europe (Anglo-Saxon, Welsh and Finnish in particular). The book itself is based in a “Western European” setting and Tolkien drew heavily on European traditions and mythology. And, by his own admission, he was also influenced heavily by his own Catholic faith “consciously so in the revision”. So it is hardly surprising that his book should appeal most to readers who share the faith (in broad terms) and/or the cultural traditions on which it is primarily based.

Interestingly, as I have noted above, LotR’s appeal within Europe seems to be particularly focussed within those countries which might broadly be described as having Anglo-Saxon, Germanic and Scandinavian (and possibly Celtic) heritages. Clearly, many Downers hail from the UK, and there are quite a few from Germany, the Netherlands and (in particular) the Scandinavian countries. On the other hand, I have seen few, if any, members from France, Italy or Spain (although I know that there are a few very popular Spanish LotR fansites). Yet these are the countries of Europe in which Tolkien’s own faith, Catholicism, is strongest. I wonder why this is? Is it simply because, while the book may be popular in these countries, readers prefer forums based upon their own language (as seems to be the case in Spain)?

In any event, my question is: Does LotR have any cultural appeal beyond the traditions that I have identified above? Of course, the Downs membership (and thus the appeal of LotR) extends beyond Europe (the majority of course hailing from North America, including the site's founder), but it seems to me that this is primarily the result of such traditions having been exported through migration, imperialism and the spread of Christianity, with the result that they are no longer solely Europe-based. As far as I am aware, there are no Downers in China or in any strongly Islamic countries. Is this because the book has little appeal in these cultural traditions, or is this largely a function of language barriers? Does the book have any appeal to Hindus, Buddhists (and I know that there are a few Downers who at least have an interest in Buddhism) or among the indigenous people of the Americas and Australasia? Or does its really only appeal to those of the European and/or Judaeo-Christian tradition?

It seems to me that this question is important because I do believe that, in writing LotR, Tolkien was attempting to set out what he saw as “universal truths” on matters such as morality and the human condition. If, however, the book only has a relatively limited cultural appeal, might it not be argued that he failed in this? If the book appeals only to those who can identify with the traditions and imagery upon which Tolkien drew, can the “truths” which he sought to get across really said to be universal? Or is it that the “European trappings” of LotR (ie the geography, imagery and cultures of Middle-earth) put off those who cannot identify with them, thereby obscuring such underlying messages or cross-cultural archetypal imagery as might be present?

I would be interested to hear other perspectives on this issue. Are you aware of LotR having cross-cultural appeal? Are there any Downers who do not hail from the European/Judaeo-Christian traditions that I mention above? If so, do you find that there are elements that the book has in common with your own traditions (whether cultural or faith-based)? Have I simply under-estimated the broad appeal of the book based upon a relatively narrow cross-section of the Tolkien-reading world (ie Barrow-Downs membership)? Also, does ethnic origin come into it at all? I would say that the majority of Downers are Caucasian, but there are a good few members of Oriental and Asian ethnic descent. But what about those of African and Afro-Caribbean descent? Does LotR have particular appeal only among certain ethnic groups? Please share your thoughts.

Disclaimer 1: I realise that I have somewhat mixed up culture, ethnicity and religion in this post. While I accept that these concepts are not identical, it seems to me that they are intrinsically linked.

Disclaimer 2: I have tried to choose my words very carefully in this post in order to avoid giving any offence to any particular religion, cultural tradition or ethnic group. If I have inadvertently done so, I apologise.

Disclaimer 3: It is not my intention to start another “canonicity” type discussion. While any discussion of LotR will involve consideration of whether there are “universally accepted truths” in the book (and I have raised this point myself above), that is not intended to be the central focus of this thread. Rather, I am interested in whether LotR does have cross-cultural appeal, if so why, and if not why not.