The 2 Great Mythologies of the 20th century

[lindil]

...it amounts to the creation of a whole new mythos, a feat only possible through an intelligence beyond this earth.


-Prof. Denis Saurat to JG Bennett.

the above is a reference to Gurdjieff's All and Everything, but also calls to mind JRRT's legendarium.

Generally as far as I know there has been no serious comparitive or exploratory look at the 2 great literary creations of the 20th century.

Tolkiens 'Legendarium' being composed of canonical and posthumou8s works and All and Everything by GI Gurdjieff.

The 2 works have vastly different aims but remarkable similarities.

*Both center around a trilogy but go much farther ( Gurdjieff's is provactively titled Beelzebub's Tales to his Grandson).

*Both cover vast sweeps of history from the creation forward.

*Both works put a large focus on the higher capabilities of man and immortality.

There are of course radical differences and by and large I side with Tolkien over theological matters than with Gurdjieff, but whereas Tolkien was a master of myth and story, Gurdjieff was a master of psychological understanding. Tolkien was no slouch in this regard,

but Beelzebub's tales muxt be read [or at least the lesser work presenting Gurdjieff's earlier teaching period in pre-revolutionary Russia -
In Search of the Miraculous]

Anyway, I would be interested in hearing anyone who has read both, their thoughts on the 2 great Legendarium's of the 20th Century.

[ August 29, 2003: Message edited by: lindil ]