[Rimbaud]

Good post, Sharkey. You're right, the question should be expanded beyond gender. Why do people think Tolkien treated the Sun and Moon so differently in his mythology as compared to 'traditional' norms?

Is it simply to reinforce his belief in a 'dislocated' version of Earth, a continuation of Melkor's marring of Arda during its creation? Yet even the lights of this 'imperfect vision' are enough to scare Melkor for many years. Are the gender roles important in the way the Sun and the Moon are considered in ME?

Very interesting about Germanic folklore, I never knew that. Do you know why and when this change occurred? I feel research coming upon me...