[davem]

Originally Posted by Bb

If is Tolkien exploring his own fostered childhood, does he come to any conclusions? What sort of self-understanding might be at work here? Is he suggestsing something about the human mind and its capacity to function? Does he suggest a long-suppressed longing for an absent mother? What, if any, emotional pain is there in these stories? Is there any angst in these examples which suggest Tolkien was writing out his pain or anger? Is there anything sublimated that the writing covers over, in denial?

There may have been some autobiographical element in Tolkien's repeated use of fostering but it was a common theme in Celtic tradition, both in legend & in fact, as it was found to be an effective way to ensure peace & unity between families. Tolkien certainly drew on Welsh myth & legend & the Mabinogion was a major influence. Possibly this theme in the myths touched him more deeply because of his personal circumstances, but it wasn't his invention. Caitlin Matthews' 2 volume study of the Mabinogion, Mabon & the Mysteries of Britain & Arthur & the Sovereignty of Britain are a good place to start on the relevance of Fostering in Celtic society.

One of the things which intrigues me about Tolkien's interest in early myth and heroic narrative is how he turned to Norse mythology for his mythology for the English nation. He 'sided' with what were the interlopers, the invaders, the Anglo Saxons and not with the native Celts and Britons and Welsh.

'Britain' in the modern sense, is a political invention. Tolkien was not 'British' but English, & it was the English, alone, who he felt lacked a mythology. He clearly felt his ancestry to be English, so he would not have seen the Anglo-Saxons as 'interlopers' or 'invaders'. It wasn't a matter of 'siding' with anyone - he clearly felt in his heart & his bones that he was English - he states as much in his letters. Over here very few of us will refer to ourselves as 'British' if we're asked about our nationality - in fact, generally speaking, the Scots & Welsh (& Cornish, etc), would be quite offended to be called 'British', identifying themselves with their own country rather than with the political entity of 'Britain'. The English are increasingly taking the same approach. I tend to think of myself as English, not 'British' (though if you were to ask me I might even put being a Yorkshireman (or a 'Tyke') before being English.

Long way of saying its perfectly understandable that he wrote a mythology for England - though as one speaker (Ronald Hutton??) pointed out at Birmingham what he actually seems to have produced was a mythology for America.