Awaken or born by Cuiviénen? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

William Cloud Hicklin · 12-01-2007, 01:00 PM

Yes, but.

For Tolkien as a philologist and medievalist, the 'consistency of reality' *included* uncertainties, confusions, garbled traditions, mysteries, enigmas, and a general observation that reality is messy. He was very aware that real history has, and thus feigned history should have, a lot of 'maybes.' Hence for example The Downfall of Anadune, as a garbled and inaccurate tradition; and his deliberate refusal to 'explain' Bombadil or reconcile him with the rest of the legendarium.

12-01-2007, 01:00 PM	#7
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	Yes, but. For Tolkien as a philologist and medievalist, the 'consistency of reality' included uncertainties, confusions, garbled traditions, mysteries, enigmas, and a general observation that reality is messy. He was very aware that real history has, and thus feigned history should have, a lot of 'maybes.' Hence for example The Downfall of Anadune, as a garbled and inaccurate tradition; and his deliberate refusal to 'explain' Bombadil or reconcile him with the rest of the legendarium. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.