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Tolkien - the name rings a bell?

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Lidless
Post subject: Tolkien - the name rings a bell?
Posted: Sat 01 Oct , 2005 6:31 pm
Als u het leven te ernstig neemt, mist u de betekenis.
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I came across a very interesting thesis by Robert Rorabeck from Florida State University the other day.

"Tolkien's Heroic Criticism: A Developing Application Of Anglo-Saxon Ofermod To The Monsters Of Modernity"

(Ofermod means "overmastering pride")

In summary, it posits that Tolkien was primarily concerned with the elevation of man-made social systems over a divine and moral law, and he worked to deconstruct such systems as dangerous and flawed ideology that would inevitably lead to the downfall of man.

In its 100 pages it touches on many things we have discussed before - including his morality code, social commentary and allegories, heroism, homosociality.

I can't remember the last time I read a Tolkien thesis that is so well written, researched and encompassing.

Enjoy.

Last edited by Lidless on Sat 01 Oct , 2005 9:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Lidless
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Posted: Sat 01 Oct , 2005 9:00 pm
Als u het leven te ernstig neemt, mist u de betekenis.
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I've read this twice now, spelling mistakes not withstanding, and it has led me down an interesting path.

Tolkien the philologist knew that the origin of his name was Germanic "Tol-khun", or "rush-bold" in English. In fact this is evidenced in the self-indulgent character "Professor Rushbold, of Pembroke College, Cambridge" that Tolkien devised in an abandoned novel called The Notion Club Papers in 1945.

Now "rush-bold" can be translated as "foolhardy", or "the errors of pride". It is interesting to note that much of the Silmarillion is based on characters either having this (Feanor) or not (Beren), and that LOTR is almost completely concerned with heroic characters that negate "rush-bold".

One wonders, then, whether the original mental spark for the stories of ME and LOTR comes from the derivation of Tolkien's own name. For me, the coincidence is too attractive to ignore.

I've yet to see anyone else come up with this theory.

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Athrabeth
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Posted: Sat 01 Oct , 2005 10:13 pm
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I've bookmarked the thesis. The first few pages that I have perused are indeed very "reader friendly". Methinks I might sneak into work and use the school printer to get me a hard copy........reading that much text off a computer screen makes my brain hurt! Thanks for the link, Lidless! :)

And your theory of Tolkien's "root" name inspiring some of his most pivotal characters/themes is WONDERFUL! I love this kind of surprising illumination! I have no doubt that the master philologist himself would have been most impressed with the connection. :bow:

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Voronwë_the_Faithful
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Posted: Sat 01 Oct , 2005 10:19 pm
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Interesting thoughts, Liddy. I haven't had a chance to do more then skim the article, but it does look interesting as well.


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Jnyusa
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Posted: Tue 25 Oct , 2005 8:37 am
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I've yet to see anyone else come up with this theory.

Excellent, Liddy!

I think that LotR at its heart is about Pride, which is for Catholics the original sin of Adam and Eve. If his own name literally means 'original sin' that must have amused him, sobered him, touched him deeply.

Actually ... we're discussing in the Bombadil thread this business of naming, and what you've said here puts quite a twist on it. I'm going to link to your post if you don't mind.

Jn

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