But without Hobbitish Canon how else can we spend hours and days and even years debating whether or not Balrogs have wings based on a few words?
Oddly I May Say while I won’t go so far as to say I’m Hobbitish now I will say I’ve grown more strict. Not to the point of “this is how it is and nothing else” but I understood Lord of the Rings needed to be adapted for screen, some things that worked on the page simply don’t on screen. However The Hobbit trilogy just made up so much to fill three movies it soured the films. I could have accepted two two hour films MAYBE three two hour films, however there simply isn’t enough lore in the Hobbit to warrant a trilogy as long as LoTR.
Perhaps my more strict interpretation of the books is just a rebellion against the films. It could also be the fact I haven’t had time to sit down and watch the films whereas I can listen to the books in my car so the books have become my main intake of the material.
I dare say, though, Tolkien was human and has left plenty of room for interpretation and debate and head canon. I think the recent thread
Letter of the Law is a prime example of this. Indeed, forums like this sort of prove the inconsistent lore is not only present but important to the survival of a story.
Someone recently mentioned Tolkien wrote the books as translated Historical Documents. True enough but using this as a base we have certain agreed to facts as well as “new translations”, unreliable narrators, and one author who wrote millions of words on this world from Silmarilion to LoTR to UT and even his letters that expand it all even further, of course there’s contradictions and ways to enjoy it and discuss. Now contrast this with a far older historical text, Encyclopedia Britannica, I could be wrong but there’s no forums dedicated to debating its contents because it’s just a recitation of facts that no one really disputes. I’m sure scholars have updated it as facts arise, but the changes are not from people’s interpretation or Head Canon.
So at the end of the day like Gandalf choosing Bilbo for being both Tookish and Baggins...ish?*(Thanks
Inzil we need a mix of the two to maintain the magic. Too strict there’s no discussion, too loose and you get Radagast covered in Bird Poo and an albino orc just popping into existence.