One of these things is not like the others... - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

***Mithadan*** · 11-20-2006, 03:07 PM

Let's see. He didn't have the time to fix his little "inconsistencies"? I don't buy that. He rewrote the entire Silmarillion in various different formats at least seven or eight times, not including the "Lost Tales" and the multiple variant versions that Christopher Tolkien is so fond of addressing in his introductions and notes in HoME. He created multiple rough drafts of virtually every chapter of LoTR, then did two cover to cover rewrites (if I recall). He reworked portions of the Hobbit so that it was somewhat more consistent with LoTR. He created a "base" language then evolved it into two or more variants taking into account cultural differences and geographic and temporal separation. He wrote personal, not for publication, commentaries and linguistic and philosphical treatises as well as the Appendices.
I simply find it completely unlikely that JRRT would simply not find the time to "make everything fit" in his mythos.

The misfits are in there on purpose. Some would have been altogether too simply to address. He created Ents for LoTR then incorporated a creation story for them in the Silmarillion and even gave them a tiny role in the story of Beren and Luthien. How hard would it have been to drop a line or two into the Valaquenta addressing the strange Maia who "went native" with his wife and chose to live an odd and whimsical life in one of the last remnants of the "Old Forest". He chose not to do so (and this is not an invitation to debate the nature of Bombadil; I'm merely saying it would have been easy for him to address the issue).

He wanted there to be mysteries -- things unexplained? Maybe. But I have my doubts. To me, this issue is like an onion to be peeled. In my view, JRRT intended that the Hobbit be written by Bilbo, a rustic and relatively unsophisticated Hobbit. Bilbo made mistakes or misinterpretations of what he saw and experienced. A lightning storm becomes Stone Giants. Howling wargs seem to be speaking. Gandalf (perhaps) paralyzes Trolls and Bilbo attributes this to the effect of the sun.

Or not. Maybe it's as simple as this. The Hobbit is a childrens tale. JRRT did not want to change its character or make it inaccessible to children. Or maybe it's a little of both.

LoTR? Written by Frodo. More wordly and better educated. But still a Hobbit and subject to the flaws of a Hobbit's interpetation of matters beyond his experience. Silmarillion? Not written by Elves, but rather by scholars in Gondor ages after the events occured, or alternatively a Gondorian editing of Bilbo's Books of Lore. There may have been varying versions of the tales and the distinction between history and legend may have blurred. Information may have been lost or garbled resulting in the literary equivalent of "here there be dragons".

Thoughts? Debate?

11-20-2006, 03:07 PM	#3
*Mithadan* Spirit of Mist Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Tol Eressea Posts: 3,394	Let's see. He didn't have the time to fix his little "inconsistencies"? I don't buy that. He rewrote the entire Silmarillion in various different formats at least seven or eight times, not including the "Lost Tales" and the multiple variant versions that Christopher Tolkien is so fond of addressing in his introductions and notes in HoME. He created multiple rough drafts of virtually every chapter of LoTR, then did two cover to cover rewrites (if I recall). He reworked portions of the Hobbit so that it was somewhat more consistent with LoTR. He created a "base" language then evolved it into two or more variants taking into account cultural differences and geographic and temporal separation. He wrote personal, not for publication, commentaries and linguistic and philosphical treatises as well as the Appendices. I simply find it completely unlikely that JRRT would simply not find the time to "make everything fit" in his mythos. The misfits are in there on purpose. Some would have been altogether too simply to address. He created Ents for LoTR then incorporated a creation story for them in the Silmarillion and even gave them a tiny role in the story of Beren and Luthien. How hard would it have been to drop a line or two into the Valaquenta addressing the strange Maia who "went native" with his wife and chose to live an odd and whimsical life in one of the last remnants of the "Old Forest". He chose not to do so (and this is not an invitation to debate the nature of Bombadil; I'm merely saying it would have been easy for him to address the issue). He wanted there to be mysteries -- things unexplained? Maybe. But I have my doubts. To me, this issue is like an onion to be peeled. In my view, JRRT intended that the Hobbit be written by Bilbo, a rustic and relatively unsophisticated Hobbit. Bilbo made mistakes or misinterpretations of what he saw and experienced. A lightning storm becomes Stone Giants. Howling wargs seem to be speaking. Gandalf (perhaps) paralyzes Trolls and Bilbo attributes this to the effect of the sun. Or not. Maybe it's as simple as this. The Hobbit is a childrens tale. JRRT did not want to change its character or make it inaccessible to children. Or maybe it's a little of both. LoTR? Written by Frodo. More wordly and better educated. But still a Hobbit and subject to the flaws of a Hobbit's interpetation of matters beyond his experience. Silmarillion? Not written by Elves, but rather by scholars in Gondor ages after the events occured, or alternatively a Gondorian editing of Bilbo's Books of Lore. There may have been varying versions of the tales and the distinction between history and legend may have blurred. Information may have been lost or garbled resulting in the literary equivalent of "here there be dragons". Thoughts? Debate? __________________ Beleriand, Beleriand, the borders of the Elven-land.