Tolkien and Norse Mythology

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

I don't know. I think that almost all of the characters we see are anything but perfect. Of course we all know they are on the 'good' side from our advantage as readers, but it doesn't seem that way from the point of view of someone in Middle-earth. Would you for example, as an ordinary person in Rohan really know Eomer was innocent after your King had condemned him? Would you as an ordinary Dunlending know that Saruman was using you? If you were Sam, would you trust Frodo on Gollum? If you were one of Denethor's loyal Men would you trust Gandalf?

Exactly. This is one thing we still seem to forget, or to lose (like when you look and something and then, you move your sight elsewhere and you no longer remember exactly what it looked like): the Secondary world of Middle-Earth has its own reality. And this reality is very much real, because the characters are real. Yes, they are mythical, but they could live next door and they'd seem "normal" to you (well, except these strange outfits or liliputan sizes). They are all complex. So that's not what would bother me, Rune.

Back to the original topic. One more thing I now remembered about that ring of Odin. I am not sure, but wasn't it also... well... used to control the Valkyries? Which brings me to... Is there known the number of the Valkyries? But there were surely more than just nine, were they...
You know, also, the Valkyries riding wolves and flying in the skies over the battlefield , make a very good image of the Nazgul. Being Sauron/Odin's followers, I find this resemblance pretty close.