"They Began to Hum Softly", Murray Smith

[Estelyn Telcontar]

This chapter examines an unexpected, perhaps even unlikely seeming connection between Tolkien's songs and soldiers' songs of the two world wars. Knowing as we do of the influence that Tolkien's war experiences had on his writing, it is interesting to read Murray Smith's comparisons of the topics of lyrics in the books and in our world's (i.e. England's) military history. The result of his research shows more contrast than similarity.

The various categories of soldiers' songs are only partially reflected in LotR. The Hobbits' songs do echo the walking motif and the praise of food and drink, naturally. However, since they are generally peaceful, the more specifically military themes are missing from their repertoire.

The Gondorians, though strongly involved in battle against Mordor, are not portrayed as having a culture of military music. Smith considers several reasons for this seeming omission. He also reflects on the type of patriotism that is displayed by Tolkien's characters.

Though the influence of military songs on Tolkien's lyrics is more inferred than directly proven, Murray Smith brings an interesting facet to the examination of music in Middle-earth. I enjoyed reading this chapter!

[shadowfax]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

The result of his research shows more contrast than similarity.

Yes, and this makes the author's efforts all the more commendable. Normally we consider an article good if it reveals hitherto unknow compelling similarities, direct inspirations and put everything into a clear context as has never been seen before. An author who looks at such a topic only to find that there are only few compelling parallels but lots of major differences deserves all the more praise for not giving up on the project.

If I may criticse nevertheless, I personally find the authors working definition of nationalism - and by extension nationalist music - to be very 19th and first half of 20th Century. The Anglo Saxons didn't have an equivalent of the Rule Britannia and nationalism as a whole was very different then and should be looked at more in terms of tribalism rather than identification with songs and flags. Hence the lack of such songs among most Middle-earth nations thus isn't really surprising. By having some sort of a national anthem, as Smith suggests, Gondor was thus very much ahead of its time, but having a national anthem is not in itself a qualifier for being a post enlightenment state built on nationalist principles. The national anthem of Gondor, if indeed it exists, is thus an anachronist element. Looking into this topic from that angle might have led to some interesting conclusions.

[Faramir Jones]

Thanks for the compliments, Esty and shadowfax! I was particularly interested in what the latter said here:

Originally Posted by shadowfax

If I may criticse nevertheless, I personally find the authors working definition of nationalism - and by extension nationalist music - to be very 19th and first half of 20th Century. The Anglo Saxons didn't have an equivalent of the Rule Britannia and nationalism as a whole was very different then and should be looked at more in terms of tribalism rather than identification with songs and flags. Hence the lack of such songs among most Middle-earth nations thus isn't really surprising. By having some sort of a national anthem, as Smith suggests, Gondor was thus very much ahead of its time, but having a national anthem is not in itself a qualifier for being a post enlightenment state built on nationalist principles. The national anthem of Gondor, if indeed it exists, is thus an anachronist element. Looking into this topic from that angle might have led to some interesting conclusions.

You're right that my definition of such music was of that period; because it was the period in which Tolkien was born, grew up, and fought, as did two of his three sons.

I suggested that the song sung by Aragorn sounded like a national anthem; because the indications were that Gondorians were conscious of being part of a state, although not 'a post enlightenment state built on nationalist principles'. The main reason for this consciousness amongst Gondorians appeared to be the result of having fought wars against many enemies, in particular Sauron.

The 'problem', if one likes, is that Gondor is medieval in appearance; so the idea of a 'national anthem' is anachronistic. However, no medieval European state had to cope with the fact that not only was Satan real; he also lived in a fortress not very far away, and was planning to conquer that state and make its people worship him. Despite this, the Gondorians are lacking in xenophobia towards Sauron, his followers and allies. There is no Gondorian military music shown. By contrast, there is a large amount of military music shown from their allies in Rohan. Gondorians are shown as being, or trying to be, more 'civilized'.

Tolkien can be said to be guilty of a similar, though different anachronism, in his portrayal of the Hobbits of the Shire. He admitted as much in a letter of 25th September 1954 to Naomi Mitchison, that his deliberate attempt to make the Shire resemble an English village in 1897 led him into inconcistencies in portraying the hobbits, in particular ‘Some of the modernities found among them (I think especially of umbrellas)’. They are ‘probably, I think certainly, a mistake, of the same order as their silly names'; both are tolerable only as ‘a deliberate ‘anglicization’ to point the contrast between them and other peoples in the most familiar terms’. He did not think people ‘of that sort and stage of life and development’ could be both ‘very peaceable and very brave and tough ‘at a pinch’'. Experience in two wars ‘has confirmed me in that view’ (Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter 154, p. 196).

[shadowfax]

Hi Faramir,

Thanks for responding... and also well met and thanks for the excellent article.

This topic is extremely fascinating and I don't really know where to start.

The anachronism aspect is interesting. Tolkien was writing about an imaginary world in a long gone era, but doing so through he eyes of a modern man living in an age defined by totally different values and attitudes. I was aware of the Shire anachronisms, ranging from Bilbo's manner of dressing to umbrellas and even touching on the post renaissance instruments of the dwarves (which are strangely not re-mentioned once outside the Shire and can so be considered part of the Shire anachronism as much as they are part of the dwarves' identity). But besides artefacts, I hadn't considered that there might also be anachronisms in terms of attitudes and values. This is definitely a topic deserving further study.

Much of Middle-earth was a feudal society. Men were not free in the manner that we consider freedom today but served their masters, to the point of following them into war and dying on the battlefield - without questioning the necessity of their sacrifice. The Shire may have been a little freer but basically anywhere else we so no evidence of any common man having had any choice in the matter. They were thus fighting for their lord and master before they were fighting for Gondor or for the West. In my opinion it was the beakdown of the feudal system that led to some vacuum and caused nationalism. People no longer had a compelling reason to obey their masters and nationalism with all its symbols and flags and music was a necessity to fill in this gap and continue to make war possible in a society that was otherwise elightened and free.

Concerning the enemy being Satan in person, I don't know how any state of this world would react to that situation. But presumably it would lead to totally different attitudes. However, that is a question of theology. If you're fighting somebody, you're first of all fighting an enemy, and that this enemy is Satan is only a second argument after that. If somebody is out to kill you, you fight for your life, no matter whether that enemy is Satan himself or a mouse on steroids or a bearded guy in a cave in Afghanistan. Besides which, propganda machines always try to paint the enemy as Satan incarnate. Look at what the media made of Bin Laden or Saddam Hussein to cite just some recent examples. So where this argument is leading me is the question, does it make a difference if for once the propganda machine is right and the enemy really is Satan. Does the common man or the collective psyche see through the propaganda and still make the difference? An interesting question.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Originally Posted by shadowfax

...the post renaissance instruments of the dwarves (which are strangely not re-mentioned once outside the Shire and can so be considered part of the Shire anachronism as much as they are part of the dwarves' identity).

The chapter on instruments in Middle-earth touches upon this subject, discussing the kinds of instruments used by the Dwarves and even suggesting just when they disappeared from the story - an interesting detail!

[shadowfax]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

The chapter on instruments in Middle-earth touches upon this subject, discussing the kinds of instruments used by the Dwarves and even suggesting just when they disappeared from the story - an interesting detail!

yes, I know. I was actually thinking of your chapter and also your talk in Jena when I wrote that.