'high', purged of the gross: culture - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

mark12_30 · 06-19-2004, 12:09 PM

I think you started the translation nicely. Yes, that is the sort of thing I think Tolkien was driving at; but I think it goes higher and deeper than politeness (although courtesy is certainly a part of it.)

So what else is involved? In a sense that's what I'm asking, and I put this in this particular forum because I wanted the perspective of people who are newer to the legendarium than all those "grizzled old veterans" who hang out in the Books forum.

What do you see that Tolkien *did* get across with his mythology? How did he succeed? Did he change us in any way? Did he influence us? Did he make us think?

Are we missing anything? Do we see that some seem to have somehow absorbed Middle-Earth in a way that others haven't? How **DO** people absorb Middle-Earth and what effect does it have?

And once we get those answers, does it look like Tolkien succeeded in making his dream come true?

He jokingly said "my crest is long since fallen", but was he judging the effects too early?

06-19-2004, 12:09 PM	#6
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	I think you started the translation nicely. Yes, that is the sort of thing I think Tolkien was driving at; but I think it goes higher and deeper than politeness (although courtesy is certainly a part of it.) So what else is involved? In a sense that's what I'm asking, and I put this in this particular forum because I wanted the perspective of people who are newer to the legendarium than all those "grizzled old veterans" who hang out in the Books forum. What do you see that Tolkien did get across with his mythology? How did he succeed? Did he change us in any way? Did he influence us? Did he make us think? Are we missing anything? Do we see that some seem to have somehow absorbed Middle-Earth in a way that others haven't? How DO people absorb Middle-Earth and what effect does it have? And once we get those answers, does it look like Tolkien succeeded in making his dream come true? He jokingly said "my crest is long since fallen", but was he judging the effects too early? __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.