Thread: Christianity
View Single Post
Old 01-13-2004, 04:58 AM   #18
Lalaith
Blithe Spirit
 
Lalaith's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,779
Lalaith is a guest at the Prancing Pony.Lalaith is a guest at the Prancing Pony.
Sting

I think Anglo Saxon mythology was quite similar to Viking/Norse, all being Germanic.
However, Fosco is quite right that Tolkien did want to create a mythology for England. It strikes me that there are two seperate discussions going on here: on the one hand, can Christians read and love Tolkien with a good conscience, and on the other, can/should direct Christian analogies and metaphors be extrapolated from the text.
I think Fosco's original point relates more to the latter than the former point, but I'm sure he can answer that better than I can.
Oh and with regard to the virtues being discussed, I would put things like fealty and friendship as pagan/Germanic virtues. Oathbreaking, and failure to honour the laws of hospitality and friendship were two of the greatest sins of old Germanic society.
(Obviously that is NOT to say that these virtues are not also important to Christians, Hindus, Muslims and all good people in general)
__________________
Out went the candle, and we were left darkling
Lalaith is offline   Reply With Quote