Subject: Really? I never knew that.
Author:
Posted on: 2014-07-23 10:29:00 UTC
I always figured the Crackpot Theories were just silly theories that came up on the newsgroup it mentions - rec.arts.books.tolkien. I never knew they were (even in part) a parody of someone specific.
hS
I've just run into this, an article about the nature of the Ring, focussing on the final confrontation of Frodo and Gollum:
‘Down, down!’ [Frodo] gasped, clutching his hand to his breast, so that beneath the cover of his leather shirt he clasped the Ring. ‘Down you creeping thing, and out of my path! Your time is at an end. You cannot betray me or slay me now.’
Then suddenly, as before under the eaves of the Emyn Muil, Sam saw these two rivals with other vision. A crouching shape, scarcely more than the shadow of a living thing, a creature now wholly ruined and defeated, yet filled with a hideous lust and rage; and before it stood stern, untouchable now by pity, a figure robed in white, but at its breast it held a wheel of fire. Out of the fire there spoke a commanding voice.
‘Begone, and trouble me no more! If you touch me ever again, you shall be cast yourself into the Fire of Doom.’
The crouching shape backed away, terror in its blinking eyes, and yet at the same time insatiable desire.
Then the vision passed and Sam saw Frodo standing, hand on breast, his breath coming in great gasps, and Gollum at his feet, resting on his knees with his wide-splayed hands upon the ground.
Do you know, in all my readings of the book, I'd never registered that that's the Ring talking. As the article points out, it's not the first time - 'Verily I come, I come to you', anyone?
I was also intrigued by this one, which proposes that the rhyme of the Rings of Power - 'Three Rings for the Elven-kings' etc - wasn't written until the Last Alliance was formed, and further, that the poet (whoever that was) apparently thought the Three were given to Gil-Galad (correct), Oropher of Eryn Galen, and Amdir of Lorien. (Note that the couplet in the Black Speech - 'One Ring to rule them all' - was penned by Sauron, and spoken by him when he first donned the One, but there's no reason to think the rest of the rhyme was his, too)
Fandom is fun, in't it? Particularly when you have a body of work as information-rich as the Legendarium, where you pretty much can accurately deduce 'the truth' about, well, anything.
(Oh yeah, I have a website about that. And my old offer still stands - if you have a character, place, or event, and want me to write a Deep Places about them, I'll always take a stab at it)
hS
;)
Prince of the White Swan
Summary: his father and grandfather were really glad when he was born, and he may well have known Aragorn. He also probably thought Denethor was a bit skeevy.
hS
We say there's always enough, but I didn't recall much actually being written about Dol Amroth and the people there (clearly it's been too long since I've had a good read-through!) so while I was interested in Imrahil and the like I didn't know if much would be able to be found. I'll try to make my next one harder. :P
I could do one of these about 'Fox, thinking' if I wanted. There is always enough.
(It would be a discussion of fox populations in the Shire, based on the twin facts that a) hobbits are farmers, and b) hobbits don't use weapons, so wouldn't go fox-hunting. The thinking fox certainly isn't scared of Frodo and company. I might throw in some speculation about them hiring dwarves to do the 'dirty work' - or maybe they just have really good chicken runs!)
hS
On that particular topic, I'd always imagined that Frodo, under the influence of the Ring that was more prominent at that moment, was doing the talking. This seems like a much more likely theory.
Butterbur's Beard kept me laughing for hours. Thanks for sharing these, they were fascinating and quite funny.
'The Lord of the Rings may be Tolkien’s attempt define the modern English heroic romance as it might have evolved from an uninterrupted Anglo-Saxon literary tradition.'
I have to admit, I just really like this idea. :D
hS
Given his academic background and focus of scholarly purview it's certainly not far-fetched in the least.
(That doesn't flow as easily... :( It's hard when the best exclamation of disbelief is the utmost in unthinking blasphemy...)
'Does Barliman Have a Beard? And Other Important Fannish Issues
Yeah, that... that sounds like the Tolkien fandom to me. ^-^
hS
The author of those articles was actually the original "crackpot" being parodied on the Crackpot Theories page of the Tolkien Sarcasm Site. And of course, this ties in neatly with your own site,
I always figured the Crackpot Theories were just silly theories that came up on the newsgroup it mentions - rec.arts.books.tolkien. I never knew they were (even in part) a parody of someone specific.
hS