In my first post of this year’s September Series, I described Tolkien’s Shire as being a land of people in need of ‘faeriefication.’ The hobbits of the Shire are deliberately blinded to the delights of their Faerie world, and they themselves suffer a deficiency of otherworldly wonder and joy as a consequence of their small-mindedness. This may all seem like rather an unkind take, and though I do stand by it, it is also well worth considering that the Shire is only an unFaerie realm on one level – the level of the Shire itself. For, while the Shire and…
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A safe fairy-land is untrue to all worlds. J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 17 to Stanley Unwin The concept of ‘Faerie’ in Tolkien’s writings and philosophy is as important as it is nebulous. It is a state of enchantment, of belief in some secondary reality as guided by a sub-creator – yet it is also that Secondary World itself, and the things that dwell therein. Yet if On Fairy Stories is to be believed, these Faerie tales of Faerie are themselves concerned chiefly with the adventures of men in Faerie – ie, these mortals are themselves less of Faerie than Faerie itself…
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This is a relatively short postscript to my recent post on Aragorn and the self-distance he consistently displays in his identifying with his “Strider” identity. In researching and preparing that post, I noticed a really small detail that’s previously escaped me. Right near the beginning of their conversation in the Prancing Pony, Strider offers to the hobbits that he may be able to tell them something to their advantage, and the following exchange takes place: ‘Several things,’ answered Strider. ‘But, of course, I have my price.’ ‘What do you mean?’ asked Frodo sharply. ‘Don’t be alarmed! I mean just this:…
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This is a relatively minor observation, but I’ve been fascinated for some time by Aragorn’s surprisingly clear self-delineation between “himself” and “Strider”. It is a relatively simple thing to see “Strider” as being but another alias for the Ranger, and it’s often treated as such by commenters on the story. Yet a close reading of how Aragorn himself speaks of Strider creates a strong impression (to me, at least) that Aragorn sees Strider as being a character…at least initially. Arguably, the most memorable indication of this separation comes during Aragorn’s rebuke to Boromir at the Council of Elrond, in which…
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There has never been a better time to be a fan. Games, shows, films, books, covering every conceivable property and continuing the story of every beloved character imaginable inundate us daily. And to ensure that your fandom is never bereft of content, podcasts and YouTube videos and listicles cover every facet of every fandom constantly. Extraordinarily comprehensive wikis exist for every imaginable topic – you wanna get the deep dive on Batman? I’ve got you covered. Oh, I’m sorry, you meant Batman specifically? No problem. Wait, you meant Batman specifically as in Batman portrayed by Christian Bale in Nolan’s trilogy? …
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