Tolkien Fandom - How much is too much?

[Beregond]

I didn't expect so many replies so soon!

I find myself agreeing with all of you. In my first post I wasn't for my part seriously suggesting our hobby could be bad, just putting the discussion out there. I'm sure you're all well-balanced people, and it's great to hear your stories! Especially Ibrin. Of all the hobbies out there, Tolkien-lore is surely one of the best to be involved in. The protagonists in Lord of the Rings are great role models. Aragorn, in particular, is principled and oh so very cool.

For me, The Lord of the Rings is the reason I have an interest in languages, in English, in maps, in art, in medieval history and culture, in archery, and in other things that do not spring to mind. I met on Tolkien forums all but one of my best real life friends, and my first girlfriend. The other friend has been converted. Yes, I've spent much of my money on books (never a bad thing), movie action figures (probably ill-advised), a ream of miscellaneous movie merchandise (at the time, it was so exciting seeing Lord of the Rings stuff at stores everywhere!), web hosting for forums, etc. But like Lal said, it's a hobby, and most hobbies take time and money. I cannot say with any honestly that I regret the use of either.

By the way, Morthoron, I'm one of those odd sports freaks and I'm going to wear my jersey to the hockey game tonight.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Beregond

By the way, Morthoron, I'm one of those odd sports freaks and I'm going to wear my jersey to the hockey game tonight.

Well, I should have added a caveat for Canadians and hockey jerseys.

We in Detroit merely win Stanley Cups, and don't require such tawdry displays of fandom.

[Beregond]

Hehe well, as a Sens fan it's hard to argue with you these days.

[Andsigil]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

We in Detroit merely win Stanley Cups, and don't require such tawdry displays of fandom.

You and I are from the same neck of the woods??

[Ghazi]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

We in Detroit merely win Stanley Cups, and don't require such tawdry displays of fandom.

I think I am too obsessed with Middle Earth but it simply doesn't approach the mostly negative effect that my beloved Browns have on me. Even the Lions could beat those sorry clowns.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Ghazi

Even the Lions could beat those sorry clowns.

We do not refer to that team, which shall not be named. Needless to say it is the team we wish would move to Cleveland in the middle of the night, along with its owner, a certain William Clay Ford.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Well, I should have added a caveat for Canadians and hockey jerseys.

We in Detroit merely win Stanley Cups, and don't require such tawdry displays of fandom.

Well, one does not win several Cups, as there is just one Stanley Cup (with a second string copy on display in the Hall of Fame), although many players and fans are often in their cups after winning.

And you've a bit to go yet before you best the string of wins of the Oilers of recent yore. Legend has it that Toronto once knew such heights, but the living memory of it is lean, lean and not even the return of the King (as in Clancy) did much to fatten those faded glories or bring a ring back to the hands of the Blue.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Well, one does not win several Cups, as there is just one Stanley Cup (with a second string copy on display in the Hall of Fame), although many players and fans are often in their cups after winning.

And you've a bit to go yet before you best the string of wins of the Oilers of recent yore. Legend has it that Toronto once knew such heights, but the living memory of it is lean, lean and not even the return of the King (as in Clancy) did much to fatten those faded glories or bring a ring back to the hands of the Blue.

Great! Isn't it always like this? Have a nice Tolkien discussion, and a hockey game breaks out.

[Lindale]

Originally Posted by Beregond

For me, The Lord of the Rings is the reason I have an interest in languages, in English, in maps, in art, in medieval history and culture, in archery, and in other things that do not spring to mind.

Same here. Back when I took my archery class, I always fancied myself as an Elf, and because our archery professor was never strict with uniforms, I came to class with my hair loose and in a Harry Potter-ish knitted dark green hooded coat, the nearest thing I can get to any Elvish thing I imagined. And I can say I learned my English from JRRT and JKR--they being the two authors I have read during my elementary and high school days. In history and the social sciences, however I found parallels and similarities, I never quite forgot the line between reality and his fantasy.

Oh and I took German as my foreign language because... I thought it resembles a bit the Rohirric, the harshness my Filipino ear perceives whenever I read out loud their names. I don't quite know how wrong I am on that one, but I chose it over Spanish, the easiest European language next to English for a Filipino to learn.

I may be a closet Don Quixote lost in Tolkien's legendarium in my daydreams, but I have my rather successful attempts to repress it.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Great! Isn't it always like this? Have a nice Tolkien discussion, and a hockey game breaks out.

It's not surprising. There is so much fighting in Tolkien, see, that one in search of reprieve turns to other winter time quests featuring legendary fellowships.

[LadyBrooke]

I owe a great deal to Tolkien as well. My belief in the world of the fantastical - yes, I am one of those crazy people who actually believes in elves, faeries, ghosts, ect. - was reawakened by reading his books.

More than that however I owe my love of languages. As a High School student with two years to go, I will already have three years of French and a year of Spanish when I finish this year. In addition I was in German Club at my old school - we don't have one here or I'd still be in it. And I know ASL to a certain degree - enough to have a short conversation. In college I want to major in languages and then get a law degree. After that I want a job working with immigrants or as a college proffesor. As a partially deaf person I doubt I would ever have been inspired to work beyond English into the study of foreign languages if it hadn't of been for his languages. However now I want to do it all - especially translate old stories and such into English so that more people can be exposed to some of them.

[Formendacil]

"How much is too much?" That is a VERY loaded question to ask a philosophy student in the middle of revisiting the "Aristotelian mean." I must answer though that "just enough is enough and an excess is bad and too little is bad." Situation-appropriate, of course. On the Downs, someone who isn't a Tolkien fan is deficient, and I think it takes an absurd extreme we've not seen to be excessive... but in day to day life... well... walking around in mail and using the second person familiar might be a bit extreme.

As to myself, I am most definitely known as a Tolkien fan, but as it is merely one among many oddities about me, I don't think it's excessive. Granted, I managed to write a paper for a Romantic Period (literature) course that was 50% Tolkien... and yes, I suppose there was that one day at school where I had the most spectacular discussion about the lack of pointy Elven ears. And yes, okay... so I wrote the "thesis paper" of my undergraduate degree about the metaphysical differences between Elves and Men and started out with a direct quote from the '77 Silmarillion.

But that's not excessive, right?

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Originally Posted by Beregond

Especially Ibrîniðilpathânezel (sorry, if you have a nickname I don't know it).

It's in my signature, Ibrin or Ibri.

I agree that the lore of Arda is fun to play around with, and if one can take inspiration from it and build upon it, it's very much what Tolkien would have wanted. He did say, in one of his letters as I recall, that he hoped that what he created would inspire others to build upon it, with pen and brush and song, which so many fans of his work have done. And as a spiritual man, I don't believe he would've objected to persons, especially young persons, seeing admirable role-model qualities in his characters (well, maybe if someone wanted to be like Sauron, or really wanted to be a "magic wizard" or some such ).