The Great Orc Debate

[Kransha]

To support my point, here is another excerpt from that letter which I doctored.

To reprise the point of my recent dispatch, I have come to conclusion that all of my wry knitting metaphors in these volumes have been wasted. Is it not obvious that both orcs and their kin are born to knit? Let me explain, in the fervent hope that society may grasp the fact. Orcs may not knit openly in my work, but there is an obvious subconscious presence within them, showing how much they and the Dark Lord himself are dedicated to that pursuit. Note, colleagues, the original transcripts. First, may I bookmark Mordor architecture to drive this idea home. Marannon, the Black Gate itself, is a herald of knitting. Not only are the spires reminiscent of great ebony thimbles, but the watchtowers guarding Cirith Gorgor, the Towers of Teeth, were originally intended to be The Towers of Needles. Now look at the Nazgul, each baring a ferocious Morgul Needle. One could say that I had originally been taking hints from older faerie works of aged days. I used the ever-present needle pricking metaphor for my Ringwraiths. In the first transcript, the Witch-King of Angmar himself was to merely prick the finger of Frodo (the finger that bore the One Ring upon it) and wound him so dearly. I hope that some of these presentations can impress upon you the importance of knitting to the dark powers of Arda. In my next letter, I will make clearer the dark-kintting origins with Morgoth the Enemy, and knitting references in the Silmarillion.

Letters of Tolkein, Forgotten #224, 1953 (NOT! NOPE! NOTTA!)

Hope that clears things up. Let me see if I can *find* that other letter.