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tom bombariffic · 05-09-2006, 06:45 AM

Rhod,

Tolkien's wish to create a mythology for England is asserted in Michael White's biography of him - I believe it is in a direct quote from Tolkien but I honestly can't remember, it's a while since I read it, so to be fair it could be the biographer's interpretation.

Frankly I hadn't really doubted the truth of it, to me it seems fairly clear that he is writing in the style of folklore, and Lord of the Rings is in an undeniably British setting.

I suppose "one of his aims" was a fairly flippant comment to make; like I said, I was in a hurry. But I think it's clear that he wrote deliberately in the style of folklore, and so much of the language and content mirrors the Norse mythology that he taught at Oxford, that he's obviously creating a parallel to a certain extent.

bombariffic

05-09-2006, 06:45 AM	#16
tom bombariffic Wight Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: In the house of Tom Bombariffic Posts: 196	Rhod, Tolkien's wish to create a mythology for England is asserted in Michael White's biography of him - I believe it is in a direct quote from Tolkien but I honestly can't remember, it's a while since I read it, so to be fair it could be the biographer's interpretation. Frankly I hadn't really doubted the truth of it, to me it seems fairly clear that he is writing in the style of folklore, and Lord of the Rings is in an undeniably British setting. I suppose "one of his aims" was a fairly flippant comment to make; like I said, I was in a hurry. But I think it's clear that he wrote deliberately in the style of folklore, and so much of the language and content mirrors the Norse mythology that he taught at Oxford, that he's obviously creating a parallel to a certain extent. bombariffic __________________ 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.