Middle Earth: The Inside Story... Or is it more? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Legate of Amon Lanc · 01-22-2009, 06:03 PM

Okay, it's evening, I am tired, so I apologise, I won't post anything long

But a nice thread, Hookbill. I will just throw in a few titles.

The Smith of Wootton Major. On Fairy-Tales. Leaf by Niggle. The three of those (and mainly the first two, the one by narrative and the other by discoursi... I wanted to say, as an essay) present, in my opinion, also Tolkien's own view of the world of fantasy, of which M-E was a part. There are some quotes in both of them about the dangerous lands to tread, but which are appealing for one enough so that he wants to tread them - he wants to see what is beyond the mountains etc., and wants to meet the Elves and whatever. I believe that the Smith is a kind of self-reflection, even. And as for the Leaf, that catches the aspect of being dragged into the process of making the story: now I am referring to Niggle's obsession with just one leaf, where in the end it makes a big tree - that's this whole mythology of Tolkien's. In some way, these tales were each for itself, but they became connected - or were connected (even without the author noticing that at some points) - to the rest of the tree, so to speak.

As for the question you posed, for me: if I understand it correctly, then at least I think I was - at some times at least - as much drawn in as him. Not sure if you can formulate it the other way around. (And not sure if I am correct about what he thought anyway.)

Hookbill the Goomba · 01-22-2009, 06:19 PM

Yes, I was going to mention Smith. That was probably what triggered the thought (I'd been listening to a bit of the audio dramatization earlier). It's one of those stories that give us a good insight into how Tolkien felt about writing Fantasy. On Fairy Stories I agree is full of hints about the worlds of Faerie having that magical 'pull' to them. (I'll gather quotes in the morning

).

I was almost going to say something about Leaf by Niggle, actually. As it is the closest to a 'personal allegory' as Tolkien gets, one could see a lot in the fact that, at the end, his life is given to finding deeper and deeper parts of the thing he created.

01-22-2009, 06:03 PM	#1
Legate of Amon Lanc A Voice That Gainsayeth Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: In that far land beyond the Sea Posts: 7,431	Okay, it's evening, I am tired, so I apologise, I won't post anything long But a nice thread, Hookbill. I will just throw in a few titles. The Smith of Wootton Major. On Fairy-Tales. Leaf by Niggle. The three of those (and mainly the first two, the one by narrative and the other by discoursi... I wanted to say, as an essay) present, in my opinion, also Tolkien's own view of the world of fantasy, of which M-E was a part. There are some quotes in both of them about the dangerous lands to tread, but which are appealing for one enough so that he wants to tread them - he wants to see what is beyond the mountains etc., and wants to meet the Elves and whatever. I believe that the Smith is a kind of self-reflection, even. And as for the Leaf, that catches the aspect of being dragged into the process of making the story: now I am referring to Niggle's obsession with just one leaf, where in the end it makes a big tree - that's this whole mythology of Tolkien's. In some way, these tales were each for itself, but they became connected - or were connected (even without the author noticing that at some points) - to the rest of the tree, so to speak. As for the question you posed, for me: if I understand it correctly, then at least I think I was - at some times at least - as much drawn in as him. Not sure if you can formulate it the other way around. (And not sure if I am correct about what he thought anyway.) __________________ "Should the story say 'he ate bread,' the dramatic producer can only show 'a piece of bread' according to his taste or fancy, but the hearer of the story will think of bread in general and picture it in some form of his own." -On Fairy-Stories

01-22-2009, 06:19 PM	#2
Hookbill the Goomba Alive without breath Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: On A Cold Wind To Valhalla Posts: 5,912	Yes, I was going to mention Smith. That was probably what triggered the thought (I'd been listening to a bit of the audio dramatization earlier). It's one of those stories that give us a good insight into how Tolkien felt about writing Fantasy. On Fairy Stories I agree is full of hints about the worlds of Faerie having that magical 'pull' to them. (I'll gather quotes in the morning ). I was almost going to say something about Leaf by Niggle, actually. As it is the closest to a 'personal allegory' as Tolkien gets, one could see a lot in the fact that, at the end, his life is given to finding deeper and deeper parts of the thing he created. __________________ I think that if you want facts, then The Downer Newspaper is probably the place to go. I know! I read it once. THE PHANTOM AND ALIEN: The Legend of the Golden Bus Ticket...