"for it was always there."

[SlverGlass]

Originally Posted by radagastly

I guess I'm wondering, is Tolkien's work a true mythology for you? (True as opposed to Fact!). Is it a "rock' that informs your life, relationships, creativity? Is it "always there" for you, in a mythic, perhaps subconscience sense? Does it teach you how to be whatever it is you hope to be? or think you are? Is it more for you than just a great work of fiction? If it is, why and how?

To answers your questions; both yes and no. Tolkien's works have meant a greater part of the world for me since I was fortunate enough to be acquainted with it. For me it is certainly more than any piece of fiction, that I might read and then store it in more obscure pat of my brain. Tolkien's world and his characters have taught me a lot and have contributed a lot to what I am today. When in despair, it acts as a constant in my life. While reading the Silmarillion or Lotr, I get transferred to a different world where I know that things, be it the worse of worst, would resolve themselves at the end. I believe that good will triumph over evil, though marks of evil will remain. I believe that there remains a peaceful place akin to Valinor where we will travel after the end of our days. I believe in the agelessness of elves, admire the sturdiness of the dwarfs, and crave for the 'freedom' that defines the hobbits. To say that Professor J R R Tolkien has influenced my life, would be, but, an understatement.

All these being said, however, the fact remains that Lotr and all other works, does not define my life or even define me. I has shaped me up; yes, but that's that. According to me, the human mind always seeks and craves for newer pastures. Only a very few would be satisfied with familiar fields, and I envy them this. But, it is not me. I do seek more and I always will. Today Tolkien's works form a large part of my life but tomorrow it might be something else.

The Lotr, Silmarillion etc, will always remain a part of my life but I cannot vouch for the extent of it. The stories certainly helps me in my life but it does not hold all answers for me. It is just a part of it; a very huge part, yes, but just a part.

i don't know if I have managed to explain myself at all. If not, please do not take any offense.

[Shelob]

I take what I can from the stories I hear

That's basically where I stand on this discussion.

I've never held a particularly strong belief in any "real" mythology, instead turning to whichever set of stories best helps me deal with the situations I'm facing.

In my bookshelf-mythology, then, Tolkien and his works do play a big part. Not so much because he's built them as an elaborate mythology, but because they're well told stories with situations and lessons applicable to the world I live in.

I don't know if I'd class it as a "rock" of my life though. Certainly it's something that's been with me for longer than I can remember and the works which are my favorites are high (very high) on the list of ones I turn to first on my bookshelf, so maybe that's just a matter of terminology. "Rock" suggests some stable landmark to me, something that can be used to guide decisions and find your way, but which is unchanging in its nature. I see Tolkien's works (and the work of others) maybe more like stars, they help me in navigating but with constellations changing based on time/season/location/etc, and some are fairly regular while others wander in-and-out of influencing me.

"True as opposed to Fact", there's a devil of a question. For this though, not so much confusing as it could be. Do I think they're "Fact", with a capital-F, no (ignoring the issue of the Fact of their existence), I will never find the events they contain in a history book, and I don't expect to. "True", with a captial-T, that's a yes. But True in the sense fairy tales are True, not True in the sense that "the Earth is the center of the universe" was once True. Earth as the center of the universe was dependent upon Facts, new Facts new Truth. Without a foot in the realm of Facts, Tolkien's mythology (any mythology), once deemed True, is always True. I have no doubts, however, that the stories are "true" and "fact" in that they are full of useful lessons, believable characters, and reflect a world which holds up to scrutiny as a world and which can be useful for interpreting our own.


This might be related tangentially to the issue of whether it's "true" or "real". But in the sense of "does it exist outside the world it, itself, creates", I recently read the Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis and the third book (That Hideous Strength) has at least a couple of references to Numenor. They're quick references, but they're worked into the mythology of Arthur and Merlin and treated as a forgotten part of those stories and history. Even if no one accepts Tolkien's mythology as a part of the Arthur mythos, it is at least "real" enough to someone to have been incorporated into a novel work, something that happens to Greek/etc myths all the time.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by SlverGlass

i don't know if I have managed to explain myself at all. If not, please do not take any offense.

You explained yourself beautifully, more than I think I did in my last post. Some of the points you made are also appicable to me,

All these being said, however, the fact remains that Lotr and all other works, does not define my life or even define me. I has shaped me up; yes, but that's that.

Yes, very true. I do sometimes turn to the legendarium in tough situations, but that could be said about many other books as well. I don't know why Tolkien's works are so much more meaningful and so much closer to me. They just are.

They don't "define" my life, but they guide it. And there is always a bit of everything there.

[Inziladun]

Personally, I don't feel the works influence my outlook, or my daily activities that much. I have used them as a means of escape in times of stress or turmoil before, but I certainly don't see them as any sort of "true mythology" that I look to for guidance.

I am attracted to Tolkien's works because of something innate in my personality. I enjoy archaic language, and I like the way Tolkien writes. It probably doesn't hurt either that I remember The Hobbit and LOTR from very early childhood, so it's something that's just always been there for me.

I am not who I am because I read the books; rather I read the books because of who I am.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I am not who I am because I read the books; rather I read the books because of who I am.

Well said!


As I said before, all - any - mythology is a true one for me, and all are not true. If that makes any sense. I never tried to really bring Tolkien and RL together, but I believe in one as much as I do in the other. It's just who I am.