Fordim wrote:
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Ah yes, but then again, none of them is really "evil" -- it was Medieval and Renaissance commentators who couched the "witches" as being wicked women trying to defeat the noble men. In the original context (and in our own modern readings, I would suggest) these women come across far more as alternatives to the hero's quest.
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Oh, I agree. They are not quite "evil". But they are not "good" either. Galadriel is. I don't think this invalidates your comparison, but it is an important and fundamental difference.
Bethberry wrote:
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The significance, it seems to me, of all these literary allusions lies in the cauldron of story which was Tolkien's imagination. No one in particular will account for Tolkien's specific forest realm yet all suggest the material he was working with. Even if he did dislike the French and object to the Arthurian legends as being in err for their explicit Christian references.
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He did dislike the Arthurian stuff and seems never to have forgiven the Norman invasion, it's true - but interestingly, "Broceliand" was an early form of what became "Beleriand". Christopher comments on the connection with Arthurian legend in HoMe III, but comes up with no explanation.