The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post

tom bombariffic · 05-09-2006, 04:18 AM

One of Tolkien's aims in writing LOTR was to create a folklore for Britain, similar to those of early Norse and Germanic European lands. That some of his languages were based on Old Norse is evident from the similarity of his languages to Old Norse; I can not read elvish but various place and character names are clearly adapted from Norse words (eg the suffix "holt" in place names, the norse word for 'wood') and some names are lifted straight out (eg the dwarf "mim", from the dwarf "mimir" in thiedrik's saga).

Most Old Norse and Old English literature was written about either royalty or gods (whether Heathen or Christian). Aside from in Iceland, very few Old Norse or Old English speakers were literate, and so those that were could gain positions of prestige by writing praise poetry for kings, or for a king's ancestors. Secondly, parchment was extremely hard to come by and very expensive, so there had to be a wealthy patron behind a poet. And thirdly, these were cultures obsessed with lineage and reputation because heroism was the greatest thing a man could be seen to have, and would be richly rewarded by a king, so the "son of- son of -" chain after names is a common feature of such literature, where people wanted their lineage to seem prestigious.

Ring-giving, drinking in the King's hall, dieing heroically - all of these are frequently recurring themes in literature of the period, to name but a few that Tolkien has adapted in his work. Given that almost all the sources he is borrowing from are written about nobility, and that writing about nobility is a tradition on Norse and Germanic folklore, it is unsurprising that he continues this tradition here.

bombariffic

(sorry if this was really incoherent and incomplete, I'm in a hurry and couldn't be bothered to start writing this again later.)

05-09-2006, 04:18 AM	#15
tom bombariffic Wight Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: In the house of Tom Bombariffic Posts: 196	One of Tolkien's aims in writing LOTR was to create a folklore for Britain, similar to those of early Norse and Germanic European lands. That some of his languages were based on Old Norse is evident from the similarity of his languages to Old Norse; I can not read elvish but various place and character names are clearly adapted from Norse words (eg the suffix "holt" in place names, the norse word for 'wood') and some names are lifted straight out (eg the dwarf "mim", from the dwarf "mimir" in thiedrik's saga). Most Old Norse and Old English literature was written about either royalty or gods (whether Heathen or Christian). Aside from in Iceland, very few Old Norse or Old English speakers were literate, and so those that were could gain positions of prestige by writing praise poetry for kings, or for a king's ancestors. Secondly, parchment was extremely hard to come by and very expensive, so there had to be a wealthy patron behind a poet. And thirdly, these were cultures obsessed with lineage and reputation because heroism was the greatest thing a man could be seen to have, and would be richly rewarded by a king, so the "son of- son of -" chain after names is a common feature of such literature, where people wanted their lineage to seem prestigious. Ring-giving, drinking in the King's hall, dieing heroically - all of these are frequently recurring themes in literature of the period, to name but a few that Tolkien has adapted in his work. Given that almost all the sources he is borrowing from are written about nobility, and that writing about nobility is a tradition on Norse and Germanic folklore, it is unsurprising that he continues this tradition here. bombariffic (sorry if this was really incoherent and incomplete, I'm in a hurry and couldn't be bothered to start writing this again later.) __________________ The 'hum' generated by an electric car is not in fact the noise of the engine, but that of the driver's self-righteousness oscillating at a high frequency.