Animated Nature in Middle-Earth - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Gwaihir the Windlord · 11-22-2001, 10:38 PM

Tolkien loved what he did. He had to explain every detail, and I think I can imagine the incredibly annoying niggle that he would have had if he didn't. He created Arda, and so he knew everything about it and had to tell us. It's as if God wrote a history of the Universe. Every loose end would be tied up, and we wouldn't have much use for the scientists anymore.
Try to imagine you have created a world with a species in it for which you can't trace it's origins. Impossible. That's a rather loose analogy, but I think you can get the picture. You would know how the creature got there because you made it. Tolkien wrote down all his thoughts. It really was like a History of the Universe, by God.

Sharku mentioned, I think, that Tolkien's world was not wholly Medieaval; that's what makes it so attractive. It's really believable, and can be traced back to this world just about seamlessly. The spirits, Maiar, are still there, but have subsided a little, not showing themselves so much as they did.

(Sorry if all that was a little bewildering...)

11-22-2001, 10:38 PM	#3
Gwaihir the Windlord Essence of Darkness Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Evermore Posts: 1,420	Tolkien loved what he did. He had to explain every detail, and I think I can imagine the incredibly annoying niggle that he would have had if he didn't. He created Arda, and so he knew everything about it and had to tell us. It's as if God wrote a history of the Universe. Every loose end would be tied up, and we wouldn't have much use for the scientists anymore. Try to imagine you have created a world with a species in it for which you can't trace it's origins. Impossible. That's a rather loose analogy, but I think you can get the picture. You would know how the creature got there because you made it. Tolkien wrote down all his thoughts. It really was like a History of the Universe, by God. Sharku mentioned, I think, that Tolkien's world was not wholly Medieaval; that's what makes it so attractive. It's really believable, and can be traced back to this world just about seamlessly. The spirits, Maiar, are still there, but have subsided a little, not showing themselves so much as they did. (Sorry if all that was a little bewildering...)