Quote:
|
It is also a popular misconception that generals/Kings rode at the front. What would be the use of riding out, when you then couldn't see the battlefield and give orders.
|
this may have been true in the dark-ages of our world, however in midle earth (specificaly the battles at isengard and Gondor) where last desperit atempts at deffens against all ods. there fore stradegy was no longer the key. the lords/King riding in front of there armies was a noble romantic desplay of courage, primarily for the binnefit of there subjects showing them by example that it was better to go out in a blaze of glory than to statagise while sitting on a hill top untill all of their toops where defeated. the result being everyone in the armies fought with a renewd vigor.
I do agree with everything you guys have said but I dont see any relevance to LOTR in any post yet writen. of corse J.R.R.T. didnt think war was honourabl(no one who has seen two world wars would), but he did know that it was nesecary in some instances and more importantly he knew that it was an essental part of any fantasy storie.
Tolkien was a self proclamed non-alagorical writor. so find it very unlikely that he meant for his war to be compaired to any war we have ever had.
<font size=1 color=339966>[ 5:28 PM January 28, 2004: Message edited by: camomile ]