Wouldn't a LOTR Series Been Nice?

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Uruk's Bane

Wait, I thought you were the one advocating adding sex and messing with relationships?

All in sarcasm and good humour.

[Forlong the Fat]

OK. Here's a serious question that probably doesn't deserve it's own thread. What if the movies or some other adaptation portrayed or implied that Aragorn and Arwen had sex? I would say that the books are totally agnostic on this question, and deliberately so as Tolkein worked hard to achieve a romantic/mythological tone that did not delve into the nitty gritty details of characters' personal lives. So it wouldn't necessarily be contrary to the text, but inconsistent with the tone (I had a similar reaction to Branagh's portrayal of Hamet and Ophelia having sex in his movie adaptation of Hamlet).

But the reason I think this an interesting question is because I have no idea what people in ME would think about the issue. There certainly is no indication I know of that they would recognize any proscription against sex outside marriage. Is there any indication as to what sexual mores prevailed in ME?

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Forlong the Fat

OK. Here's a serious question that probably doesn't deserve it's own thread. What if the movies or some other adaptation portrayed or implied that Aragorn and Arwen had sex? I would say that the books are totally agnostic on this question, and deliberately so as Tolkein worked hard to achieve a romantic/mythological tone that did not delve into the nitty gritty details of characters' personal lives. So it wouldn't necessarily be contrary to the text, but inconsistent with the tone (I had a similar reaction to Branagh's portrayal of Hamet and Ophelia having sex in his movie adaptation of Hamlet).

But the reason I think this an interesting question is because I have no idea what people in ME would think about the issue. There certainly is no indication I know of that they would recognize any proscription against sex outside marriage. Is there any indication as to what sexual mores prevailed in ME?

There's a thread that discusses this issue. See here: http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthr...hlight=luthien

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Forlong the Fat

OK. Here's a serious question that probably doesn't deserve it's own thread. What if the movies or some other adaptation portrayed or implied that Aragorn and Arwen had sex? I would say that the books are totally agnostic on this question, and deliberately so as Tolkein worked hard to achieve a romantic/mythological tone that did not delve into the nitty gritty details of characters' personal lives. So it wouldn't necessarily be contrary to the text, but inconsistent with the tone (I had a similar reaction to Branagh's portrayal of Hamet and Ophelia having sex in his movie adaptation of Hamlet).

But the reason I think this an interesting question is because I have no idea what people in ME would think about the issue. There certainly is no indication I know of that they would recognize any proscription against sex outside marriage. Is there any indication as to what sexual mores prevailed in ME?

I trot this site out when I'm too lazy to type:

What Tolkien officially said about sex

Sex=Marriage for elves. No marriage, no sex.

[Forlong the Fat]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

I trot this site out when I'm too lazy to type:

What Tolkien officially said about sex

Sex=Marriage for elves. No marriage, no sex.

Very interesting. But I have to say that it raises more questions than it answers in terms of the compatibility of a man and an elf-woman. It seems that elves were tremendously different in their sexuality.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Forlong the Fat

Very interesting. But I have to say that it raises more questions than it answers in terms of the compatibility of a man and an elf-woman. It seems that elves were tremendously different in their sexuality.

Well, considering that Aragorn was 87 years-old by the time he married Arwen, and that pharmaceutical enhancements like Viagra had not yet been invented, I would consider it less a matter of "compatibility" and more one of "inflatability".

[Uruk's Bane]

Originally Posted by Forlong the Fat

OK. Here's a serious question that probably doesn't deserve it's own thread. What if the movies or some other adaptation portrayed or implied that Aragorn and Arwen had sex? I would say that the books are totally agnostic on this question, and deliberately so as Tolkein worked hard to achieve a romantic/mythological tone that did not delve into the nitty gritty details of characters' personal lives. So it wouldn't necessarily be contrary to the text, but inconsistent with the tone (I had a similar reaction to Branagh's portrayal of Hamet and Ophelia having sex in his movie adaptation of Hamlet).

But the reason I think this an interesting question is because I have no idea what people in ME would think about the issue. There certainly is no indication I know of that they would recognize any proscription against sex outside marriage. Is there any indication as to what sexual mores prevailed in ME?

I've always felt like Aragorn (and Arwen) was just honorable and wise enough to recognize the folly of having a sexual relationship too early.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Uruk's Bane

I've always felt like Aragorn (and Arwen) was just honorable and wise enough to recognize the folly of having a sexual relationship too early.

In the case of Aragorn, the chastity was self-imposed as a result of the love and respect he held toward Elrond as a foster-parent. Elrond had made perfectly clear the standards he required of Aragorn before he would give approval of their marriage. I would say Aragorn agreed with Elrond too, that someone with Arwen's great lineage deserved to be a queen, not merely the consort of a wandering Ranger.

[Uruk's Bane]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

In the case of Aragorn, the chastity was self-imposed as a result of the love and respect he held toward Elrond as a foster-parent. Elrond had made perfectly clear the standards he required of Aragorn before he would give approval of their marriage. I would say Aragorn agreed with Elrond too, that someone with Arwen's great lineage deserved to be a queen, not merely the consort of a wandering Ranger.

Right, and I think he knew what he was going to have to do and how dangerous it was. He didn't want to hurt Arwen by getting too deeply involved in a relationship and then getting killed. Your reasons were probably stronger, though.

[Lalwendë]

Sorry to spoil what's a very funny thread but there's not just HBO.

I always wanted the BBC to adapt Lord of the Rings as a series. It'd be a wholly different beast to the film, and utterly different to A Game Of Thrones too. Of course the lack of a massive budget would be the first difference. This wouldn't be a Middle-earth with the Cook Mountains standing in for the Misty Mountains, they'd be found somewhere in the Lakes, and Lothlorien would be the New Forest. They'd perhaps skip over things like Wargs (too costly) but they'd definitely go for the more quirky elements of the book such as Tom and Goldberry. And the Wights. Those are the kinds of things that British TV does enjoy portraying on screen.

I'd love it.

But it will never happen. The budget will have been blown for the next decade on the O'lympics