Ancient British cultures reflected in ME - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Gwaihir the Windlord · 09-26-2003, 01:38 AM

Well pointed out. Tolkien was familiar with the Old English, and with the legend of Hengest and Horsa; Lost Tales in fact tie in with it, with Eriol Aelfwine who is mentioned to actually be the father of these two leaders. That doesn't echo in the later mythology, but the ancient Anglo-Saxons do in the Rohirrim. Perhaps Tolkien wanted to include the Old English, letting somewhat of the his earliest setting of his old (and very beautiful) stories survive into the independant version?

Horses are a Rohirric specialty more that anything, of course. Horses can be related to the Anglo-Saxons of old, though. They simply appear to agree somewhat with the old stories, culture and setting of the whole thing, even if the pre-Conquested Anglo-Saxons didn't really have quite the same association with horses as the Rohirrim (especially in fighting. The similarity there appears to be the spirit more than the method employed; but fighting on horseback, and with spears, belongs to Rohan of Middle-Earth.).

09-26-2003, 01:38 AM	#38
Gwaihir the Windlord Essence of Darkness Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Evermore Posts: 1,420	Well pointed out. Tolkien was familiar with the Old English, and with the legend of Hengest and Horsa; Lost Tales in fact tie in with it, with Eriol Aelfwine who is mentioned to actually be the father of these two leaders. That doesn't echo in the later mythology, but the ancient Anglo-Saxons do in the Rohirrim. Perhaps Tolkien wanted to include the Old English, letting somewhat of the his earliest setting of his old (and very beautiful) stories survive into the independant version? Horses are a Rohirric specialty more that anything, of course. Horses can be related to the Anglo-Saxons of old, though. They simply appear to agree somewhat with the old stories, culture and setting of the whole thing, even if the pre-Conquested Anglo-Saxons didn't really have quite the same association with horses as the Rohirrim (especially in fighting. The similarity there appears to be the spirit more than the method employed; but fighting on horseback, and with spears, belongs to Rohan of Middle-Earth.).