Tolkien Fandom - How much is too much? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Bêthberry · 12-21-2008, 07:28 AM

Quote:

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 · 02-04-2009, 03:45 PM

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 · 02-04-2009, 08:03 PM

"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?

Ghazi · 02-05-2009, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Formendacil

But that's not excessive, right?

Yes it is. Where do you find all of that energy and can you send me some in a bottle? Thanks.

02-04-2009, 03:45 PM	#2
LadyBrooke Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: The modern day version of Edoras: horses, wind, rolling plains =) Posts: 507	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. __________________ Busy, Busy, Busy...hoping for more free time soon.

02-04-2009, 08:03 PM	#3
Formendacil Dead Serious Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Perched on Thangorodrim's towers. Posts: 3,328	"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? __________________ I prefer history, true or feigned.