Fiction in Middle Earth

[Annunfuiniel]

Greetings once more, davem! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
Ok, I've gone quite far from Tolkien and his writings in my previous posts so now I try to cover that "flaw". The next quote is from The Lost Tales (1): The Cottage of Lost Play

Of the misty aftermemories of these[the experiences of the children of Men in Eldamar], of their broken tales and snatches of song, came many strange legends that delighted Men for long, and still do, it may be; for of such were the poets of the Great Lands[Middle-Earth]

Yes, I know Tolkien changed his views on these occasions many times and eventually disowned Eriol as the intermediary of the elvish knowledge back to M-E or moreover he abandoned the idea that there was a straight pass for the Children of Men to Eldamar. But that quote shows at least in my opinion that Tolkien did consider sub-creation in the scope of M-E and he beheld men capable of that act.

Now, it has been pointed out many times that:
First of all sub-creation did exist in M-E; in various forms (in poetry and tales as well as in "non-literary" connections).
Secondly: Tolkien didn't give us any example of "great" sub-creations ie. whole mythologies and such but it seems quite safe to assume that the peoples of M-E were indeed quite capable to create such works of art as well.

Now I will come to your question, davem, that is "why no sub creation in his[Tolkien's] world?" Referring to the previous statements I assume you mean to ask why there existed or more accurately why there is no examples of "great" works of sub-creation - created mythologies - in M-E. Now that I've thought about this a while I would put it this way: in the LoTR as well as in Tolkien's other writings the existent sub created works didn't just come to the fore.

The stories recited in the LoTR are usually organically related to the plot; their main function was to give the reader (and some ignorant hobbits?) a deeper insight to the events, give him some glimpses to the history. Tolkien had difficulties with the length of his epic without any fictional tales (recited by say good ol' Sam) which wouldn't have taken the story forward. Where as in the Silmarillion the confusion created by such sub created stories in the middle of (a sub created) mythology would have been great not to mention they wouldn't have served any purpose in a book which recounts "historical" events. If Tolkien had written an independent story portraying the culture and social life of e.g. Gondolin or Rohan I bet he would have painted a colorful picture of poets singing purely fictional stories to their enchanted listeners in the courts as well as on the streets.