LOTR vs Harry Potter - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Craban · 09-20-2002, 11:53 PM

Yo, Tolkien and Rowling are both drawing on a lot of the same primary sources: Norse mythology, Greek and Roman mythology, Old English epics, Latin, etcetera, etcetera, ad infinitum. Neither of them invented: Little People, wizards, witches, magic wands, invisibility spells, undead demonic figures, dragons, etcetera: all those ideas are thousands of years old. Other than that, I'd say there's really no similarities at all. Only if those are the only two fantasy series you've ever read (and you've never read the primary sources) would you think so.Harry Potter: Enid Blyton boarding school stories + Bewitched. + modern, conversational style + JK Rowling's imagination.LOTR: Ring of the Niebelung + Poetic Edda + Irish Sagas + Brothers Grimm + 19th century idea of high epic style + JRR Tolkien's imagination.Don't see the point of getting so uptight about some dumbarse rivalry, really. It's not like you have to choose between them.

09-20-2002, 11:53 PM	#11
Craban Pile O'Bones Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Dunland, USA Posts: 13	Yo, Tolkien and Rowling are both drawing on a lot of the same <I>primary sources</I>: Norse mythology, Greek and Roman mythology, Old English epics, Latin, etcetera, etcetera, ad infinitum. Neither of them invented: Little People, wizards, witches, magic wands, invisibility spells, undead demonic figures, dragons, etcetera: all those ideas are thousands of years old. Other than that, I'd say there's really no similarities at all. <P>Only if those are the only two fantasy series you've ever read (and you've never read the primary sources) would you think so.<P>Harry Potter: Enid Blyton boarding school stories + <I>Bewitched.</I> + modern, conversational style + JK Rowling's imagination.<P>LOTR: <I>Ring of the Niebelung</I> + Poetic Edda + Irish Sagas + Brothers Grimm + 19th century idea of high epic style + JRR Tolkien's imagination.<P>Don't see the point of getting so uptight about some dumbarse rivalry, really. It's not like you have to choose between them.