The relationship betwen Music/Singing and Magic - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Mugwump · 11-22-2009, 08:44 AM

Throughout human folklore and myth, music has always been seen as magical because it quite obviously has power to influence other people. Physiologically and from an evolutionary standpoint, this is probably because we, like other species, use music as part of the courtship ritual. Men and women both react instinctively on a primal level to music, probably for that reason.

Incidentally, the primal connection between music and courtship would explain why Gandalf and other wizards (who appear as old men) would not use music in that way.

In any case, it's no wonder Tolkien used the music/magic motif since it is well founded in the mythology of many cultures, and Tolkien was fashioning his own mythology for England, which had largely lost its own following the Norman conquest.

11-22-2009, 08:44 AM	#2
Mugwump Wight Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Taconic Mountains Posts: 111	Throughout human folklore and myth, music has always been seen as magical because it quite obviously has power to influence other people. Physiologically and from an evolutionary standpoint, this is probably because we, like other species, use music as part of the courtship ritual. Men and women both react instinctively on a primal level to music, probably for that reason. Incidentally, the primal connection between music and courtship would explain why Gandalf and other wizards (who appear as old men) would not use music in that way. In any case, it's no wonder Tolkien used the music/magic motif since it is well founded in the mythology of many cultures, and Tolkien was fashioning his own mythology for England, which had largely lost its own following the Norman conquest.