tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746173806126403959.post2769359408878047193..comments2023-11-07T06:20:12.181-08:00Comments on Tolkien: Medieval and Modern: The History Within Myths"Tolkien: Medieval and Modern"http://www.blogger.com/profile/04348913969813157482noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746173806126403959.post-31861567803717155552014-05-02T19:27:55.705-07:002014-05-02T19:27:55.705-07:00I like the perspective that both history and myths...I like the perspective that both history and myths are products of what actually happened and also the things people currently believe about them. However, the process Tolkien is involved in is really subcreation, which means the secondary world he's fashioning didn't completely exist before he penned it (at least parts of it). This is the crux of the important question you pose - I think the answer stems in part from some of the later readings we've been doing about Tolkien's belief that the world (as created primarily) deserves respect, even reverence. The role of the subcreator isn't to create something that he endeavours will surpass the greatness of the original thing but illuminate one aspect of it. This is why I believe Tolkien focused his subcreation on a semi-historical but wholly anachronistic history in which the blunderbuss and gunpowder exist alongside dragons and kinghts. It is the place of the subcreator to carve out his piece of the world, whether its in time or place. Tolkien, seeking to illuminate the rich past of England is forced to situate his narratives in that environment, so it is natural that he carve out his canvas for subcreation in time instead.Prasan Srinivasanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02307573357426271718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746173806126403959.post-87734247047722069202014-04-24T17:59:01.448-07:002014-04-24T17:59:01.448-07:00The points you make here are quite good, and as I ...The points you make here are quite good, and as I muse on them more, I find myself more and more convinced that you're on to something. I especially like how you connect Tolkien's use of anachronism, myth, and history intertwined to say something profound disguised in a manner that at first seems like a simple joke. It's also interesting how what you take Tolkien to be doing in Farmer Giles is made manifest both within the story itself and on the meta-level of Tolkien's works as a whole. It would be very interesting to connect this back to LotR and Middle Earth. Does Tolkien play with our expectations regarding myth and history in a similar way here? Not in as much of an explicitly humorous manner surely, but I have a strong suspicion that we can find similar tactics throughout Tolkien's writings. An in depth examination of these might make for a fascinating final project, or, at the very least, the grounds for a deeper appreciation of his work. dyingsthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02087241514388178221noreply@blogger.com