Gathering of the White Council - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

doug*platypus · 01-29-2003, 05:54 AM

In Letters of Tolkien, JRRT speaks unfavourably of democracy (though not at length, at least not yet - I'm only halfway through). He even goes to the trouble of pointing out that the actual Greek translation is "mob rule", and that the system was not preferred by Greece's philosophers, who were of course her greatest legacy.

I don't find it odd at all that the fate of Middle-Earth was being decided by a select few individuals, or that politics didn't come into it. The White Council was looking after all that was good in Middle-Earth, and didn't need to be concerned with borders or realms as the states of, for example, Gondor, Rohan or Dale did.

I agree that the strain of prolonged Osanwë was the main reason that the Council needed to physically gather, and so yes it was necessary for them to do so.

01-29-2003, 05:54 AM	#9
doug*platypus Delver in the Deep Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Aotearoa Posts: 960	In Letters of Tolkien, JRRT speaks unfavourably of democracy (though not at length, at least not yet - I'm only halfway through). He even goes to the trouble of pointing out that the actual Greek translation is "mob rule", and that the system was not preferred by Greece's philosophers, who were of course her greatest legacy. I don't find it odd at all that the fate of Middle-Earth was being decided by a select few individuals, or that politics didn't come into it. The White Council was looking after all that was good in Middle-Earth, and didn't need to be concerned with borders or realms as the states of, for example, Gondor, Rohan or Dale did. I agree that the strain of prolonged Osanwë was the main reason that the Council needed to physically gather, and so yes it was necessary for them to do so. __________________ But Gwindor answered: 'The doom lies in yourself, not in your name'.