Tuvo the wizard king

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Eäralda Halatiriva

Bêthberry! that was a lovely segue into my exact Thoughts concerning the notion of sub-creation and the Children of the One...the Valaquenta and Ainulindalë does state that each Age contains Chords that spontaneous arise, having no specifically conscious placement there by the Ainur: a type of Age-specific "Emergence" or "Auto-poeisis"(to use a more literary term for it)

Explaining inspiration does seem to be a bit problematic for both religion and literary studies. And for a minute there, I almost thought that would lead you to a mention of Tolkien's Mr. Bliss.

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

Oh now I will really have to read it.... ok. I'll give it a go.. but maybe it would be easier if I sent you the book and you explained it to me?

I am, alas, a lazy soul and would far rather benefit from the sweat of someone else's brow than work up some on my own.

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

The only Tolkien papers at Marquette are those related to The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Farmer Giles and Mr Bliss. All the rest (including Beowulf) are in the Bodleian.

Although I can't get into the specific reasons the publication of Beowulf was called off, I can assure you it wasn't out of any desire to 'suppress' it; and, indeed, it's available for scholars on the same terms as the rest of the Bodleian's manuscripts. Sooner or later the obstacles to publication will be worked out, I'm sure.

Ah, well then I must remember that when I am able to attend an Oxenmoot with the Tolkien Society and drag along some OE enthusiasts I know this side of the pond. Or perhaps we could persuade an eminent Downer who has some credentials in OE to attempt an assault on the Bodleian such as he attempted on Tolkien's grave.

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

To liken it to NT scholarship is not quite on point: after all, the NT material from the crucial period simply doesn't exist!!

But I was under the impression that there are sizable gaps in the historical records of Tolkien's work, particularly for his early years as an academic. And of course his epistles are not complete by any means.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Good luck! But I recommend you arrange reader's privileges ahead of time, or you may be disappointed.


Although I really have no idea how much Tolkien academic stuff is there, or in France, on the whole the old boy never threw *anything* away: the preface and commentary to Sigrid and Gudrun come from his lecture-notes on Old Norse poetry fom the 20's; and Drout's Beowulf book was drawn from the various drafts of the famous lecture. I would expect that virtually all his lecture notes survive; they just haven't seen publication (yet).

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

I am, alas, a lazy soul and would far rather benefit from the sweat of someone else's brow than work up some on my own.

So am I, as you may have gathered by my offer ...but since a coating of snow scarce enough to cover a hobbit's toes has brought my land to a standstill... I may get down to some "bread and butter" reading.

If you do obtain admission as a reader http://www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/bodley/serv...ions/procedure

and I did so they can't be too demanding let me know if you are still required to make a solemn declaration in your mother tongue that you will not set fire to the library or take kindling therein.. the idea really hadn't occured until they suggested it ...

[Bêthberry]

That's so sweet of you, Mithalwen, to find that link, and thank you Mr. Hicklin for the advice.

This is what makes the Downs such an exceptional community, from one side of the pond to the other.

Perhaps I can reciprocate and offer suggestions on how to handle your 30 cm of snow, seeing as we regularly have three to four feet and I live in a mild winter area. Makeshift toboggans for use at Hampstead Heath can be made from laundry hampers (plastic ones of course) and even garbage bins, although rubber tire tubing (inflated) is a scream. A snowball fight in Trafalgar Square would be a blast, too, with Nelson looking on.

Tolkien however seemed to think snow a malevolent thing, given Caradhras and Helcaraxë, much like Tuvo the wizard king. Pity.