Thanks for bringing
ofermod up
Bethberry; I would never have thought about that if it wasn't for you.
To give a little background to the word
ofermod here, it's like an excessive pride (to the point of arrogance or foolhardiness). Several of Tolkien's characters demonstrate ofermod (Denethor, Boromir, Sauron to name some off the top of my head). Pride, spirit, and confidence are good things to have, but too much could be your own downfall.
Our very own
Lalwende brought this up to my attention (thanks
Lal)
:
Quote:
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The word ofermod which appears in "Maldon" (describing Beortnoth’s state of mind when allowing the Vikings free passage) has, since Tolkien, become open to interpretation. The Old English noun ’mod’ is usually translated ’spirit’ and, when unqualified, is usually read as a positive trait. Tolkien’s interpretation of the qualifying ’ofer-’ is central, however. He argues that the word in fact suggests excess, and thus presents a serious indictment of Beortnoth’s character. Apparently, Tolkien was preoccupied also with defining the limitations of heroism. His translation of ofermod clearly implies a distinction between the bold and the foolhardy, high spirit and excessive spirit.
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The full essay (if you think it may be of some help) can be found
here. (Again thanks
Lal, great stuff).
And thanks
Bethberry, I think you're definitely on to something with the word ofermod. Though, as far as I know, that word never appears in Middle-earth related texts...it's still quite clear that Tolkien uses heroism, chivalry, excessive pride, throughout the Lord of the Rings. And we can see it in his characters like Sauron, Denethor, Boromir, Saruman (and probably more that aren't coming to my mind right now).