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| Witchvox Chapter: Wren's Nest News | Chapter Page Views: 56,550,759 |
 The 'Ring' And The Remnants Of The West Author: Spengler Source: The Asia Times Title: THE 'RING' AND THE REMNANTS OF THE WEST The most important cultural event of the past decade is the ongoing release of the film version of J R R Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. No better guide exists to the mood and morals of the United States. The rapturous response among popular audiences to the first two installments of the trilogy should alert us that something important is at work. Richard Wagner's 19th-century tetralogy of music dramas, The Ring of the Nibelungs, gave resonance to National Socialism during the inter-war years of the last century. Tolkien does the same for Anglo-Saxon democracy. Tolkien well may have written his epic as an "anti-Ring" to repair the damage that Wagner had inflicted upon Western culture. Consciously or not, the Oxford philologist who invented Hobbits has ruined Wagner before the popular audience. Tolkien has taken back Wagner's Ring. That may be his greatest accomplishment, and a literary accomplishment without clear precedent. To be sure, The Lord of the Rings is not a great work of literature to be compared to Cervantes or Dostoyevsky. But it is a great landmark of culture nonetheless. Its revival in a reasonably faithful cinematic version has far-reaching effects on the popular mind. | |
| Community Thoughts: There are 15 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Re: Lokij | Jan 12th. at 9:22:36 am EST |
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by Raven (New Jersey) THANK YOU!! I was, I was - I had a brainfart, which is even more embarrassing given that I was listening to a recording of the Kalevala at the time! :) DUH! |
| Hmm, A Teacher Would Disagree | Jan 11th. at 12:12:41 pm EST |
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by Lianer (Virginia) If a teacher were to grade this as an essay, it wouldn't get above D+. Too many unsupported declarations and assumptions. It would appear to be meant to sway opinion, but that's just a scholastic analysis. Tolstoy and etc. were great for their time, but few remain "classics," the writer of "War and Peace" himself later remarked "That was the biggest waste of time I have spent in my life" (Humourous Adam and Eve, n.d. n.p. n.e.t.). Samuel Clemens, Tolkien, Sir Thomas Mallory of L'Morte D'Arthur (King Arthur), all of these are the true great works, because they CONTINUE to shape culture, and daily lives. A single mark upon the past which is nearly forgotten, sadly, is only as great as the impression of its possessors (the impressions of those who still know of it). "Long Live the King" (heehee, just seems appropriate to say) BB The Comentator |
| Re: Incorrect | Jan 11th. at 4:24:22 am EST |
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by Lokij (Nashville) The Havamal wasn't written in a "Finnish" dialect, it was recorded in Iceland and written in Old Norse from which modern Icelandic is derived. You may be thinking of the Kalevala which is the Finnish National Epic. Tolkien was heavily influenced by both the Kalevala as well as the norse Eddas and Sagas. I am unfamiliar with any theory that all magic in the norse/germanic world was learned from the Finns. |
| Re: Incorrect | Jan 10th. at 5:35:32 pm EST |
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by Raven (New Jersey) Should have made it clear that I know the Finns don't fall into the category of Teutons; the particular Finnish dialect is that of the Havamal, which entranced Tokien, and which he felt to be both so fundamental to Scandinavian culture (as the Norse claimed that all magic was learned from the Finns) and so seperate from it in its language that it seemed perfect as the basis for Elven. If there are any further inaccuracies, please let me know - I'm always keen to pick up the correct info instead of spouting off and looking like an idiot (too much) :) |
| Re: Incorrect | Jan 10th. at 5:31:57 pm EST |
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by Raven (New Jersey) Sorry - I was only going off what he said he was basing it on. Tolkien said he waned to create "a mythology for England", using British, and especially Saxon myths (Saxon studies and linguistics being his passion, and Saxons being Teutons). He based the Elven language on a Finnish dialect, even though it sounds Welsh. My understanding is that the Germanic-speaking peoples of northwestern Europe are generally considered to be Teutonic, and that the Saxons were his PRIMARY (not only) source. Sorry for any inaccuracies there. |
| Great Literature? Certainly! | Jan 10th. at 2:10:47 pm EST |
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by Ursus Uriel (Oakland, California, USA (Mars)) I love all of the snobbery this article has brought up even here on the list. Is Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" great literature? Will it stand the test of time? Well, that remains to be seen. So far this story works on many levels. It has caused many people to think about the world, spirituality, their place in the world, and about personal identity. This work is rich in linguistic beauty and reads like an Anglo-Saxon epic like Beowulf. I think that was what Tolkein was going for. The man was a linguist. He revelled in the beauty of language, ideas, and the way sounds resonate when spoken. If you read these books aloud you will be quite enraptured with the beauty of the way the story just drips off of your tongue. The story itself is very architypal just like all of the ancient epics. One author here claimed that this story contains no allegory? Hello? Well, gee, my father is a reading specialist. I grew up with books and "Great Literature." And let me tell you, my sense is that this work will prove to be quite resilient. I believe that it will stand the test of time. The detail and the invention displayed in this work far outstrips most "Great Literature." The man created languages, cultures, peoples, myths, and much lore in just three (four 'The Hobbit' or even five if you read the Silmarillion) books. I think that thes works are very interesting theologically. In the Trilogy we don't hear anything about G-ds and G-ddesses. The Elves themselves are the immortals but even they are not G-ds and G-ddesses. The men and dwarves do not seem to have any great rituals or temple cults mentioning any Deities. You have to read the "Silmarillion" in order to learn about the very Pagan creation story that Tolkein invents. It is simply beautiful. Iluvatar (the head G-d) brings the world into being with sound, music actually. It reveals Tolkein's love of sound and language. A linguist would fancy a world created by sound and its richness. Tolkein was also a man of his Age. If you read the books you will see themes coming from our modern times. Orcs and goblins use technology and destroy environments. Saruman's uruk hai are created beings (like genetic engineering) and are a perversion of humans and elves. The "fairer" folk who are elves live in symbiosis with nature. The dwarves live below the Earth's surface revealing the beauty of the underworld. Men and hobbits fashion communities that live with the environments they inhabit. The Elves make their fatal mistake by trusting Sauron to fashion metallic devices for controlling the world (rings). The Dwarves delve too deeply in their greed and release a Balrog (an ancient deamon of pure evil). The Hobbits are so comfortable that they submit to Saruman and Wormtongue and allow their land to become polluted with nasty political servitude and pollution. The men have their weakness in being easily corrupted by evil. Their lives are the shortest and their marks in the world are most temporary. Theirs is a "throw away" society. In modern times we see the weakness of the "Hobbits" who are so comfortable that they do not want to "rock the boat" when tyrants want to control their lives. In Tolkein's day, the West was appeasing Hitler. They did not want another European war. They did this to their detriment. In modern times we see the Dwarves who mine the cavities of the earth looking for coal, oil, natural gas, and gems destroying and raping the earth. Even in Tolkein's day one could see that the English mines were in trouble and would eventually run dry of resources. The elves deem themselves to be above all others. Even they have a weakness. They collude with the enemy for domination. They pay the price by fading away. Europe's elite tried to appease Hitler and even colluded with him for a bit. They faded once the WWII was over. The modern humans are easily decieved by fascism, communism, religion, and other utopian ideologies. They go for the ideals rather blindly and they fade away. The resiliency of the humans is that as their lifespans are so short they reproduce so quickly repopulating and redifining themselves. Well, this was a long rant. These books have been with me since I was eight. I'm thirty three now. I grew up Catholic, even though I was born a Jew. Now I'm a Hebrew Witch. These books have given me so much in my life. I'm not entirely certain that they will be seen as "Great Literature" in posterity. Today they seem to influence and live on in hearts and minds all over the World.... Blessings, Ursus Uriel |
| Incorrect | Jan 10th. at 1:18:04 pm EST |
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by Karen (ohio) Actually Tolkein used Teutonic mythology! |
| Wagner And Hitler And Tolkien | Jan 10th. at 12:57:55 pm EST |
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by Raven (New Jersey) Apart from anything else, The Ring of the Niebelungs is unbelievably boring for most of the time, with only patches of scarily superb pieces to relieve the monotony! That said, of COURSE there are parallels between the two - Tolkien was using British mythology (especially Saxon) as his base. DUH. And of course it's great art - it appeals because, as Chris said, it is about fundamentals of the human condition, and can be used as a lens through which to view all times and peoples. Which makes it good mythology, if not (to some folks) good lit. And Hitler was not a vegetarian. Because of gout and stomach problems, he went on bi-annual detox diets (no animal products); Goebbels being the revolting little PR genius he was realised that most people associated vegetarianism with self-discipline and asceticism (being a vegan, I wholeheartedly reject the idea ), and that it would be good for Hitler's PR for him to be seen as an ascetic man devoted only to the good of his people. Just my little rant there. Thanks for listening ;) |
| If You Read Joseph Campbell | Jan 10th. at 11:56:35 am EST |
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by Tamo (CA) If you read Joseph Campbell's work on mythology and the telling of human stories, any political analogies are always coincidental. Stories that last for ages are about the human spirit. The only connection to politics is the fact that political strife often challenges the human spirit. |
| Post Modern Tripe | Jan 10th. at 11:54:39 am EST |
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by Beowulf (Sturbridge, MA) - wc_xemail I too was an English major and am currently a high school English teacher. While I would not put Tolkien in the same category as Shakespeare or Chaucer, Lord of the Rings IS literature. Many of those who deny it as such base their reasons on the literary tastes of the mid to late 20th century as if that is completely objective. True,it does not conform to modern critical views of "great" literature, but then Tolkien did not intend that. Personally, I dislike most literature written in the 20th century. While I can appreciate the artistry of Faulkner, James, and Joyce, their works do not resonate with me as writers of earlier times. Far too much is made in literature today of character and less of story and language. Tolkien's contribution to literature (in my opinion) far eclipses writers such as Irving and Wolfe. Literary critics hate Tolkien because his work rejects the post modern thought which has domintated the field since the mid 20th century. His writing may not appeal to all and his work certainly has it flaws, but to dismiss it entirely is an arrogance based on the supposed "timeless" criticisms pof post modern critics. |
| Oh, Please! | Jan 10th. at 10:20:56 am EST |
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by Chris (Seattle, WA) I know it's been said, but it bears repeating...get a freaking grip! Once again, the work is not alegorical (and for that, among other primarily snoby reasons the work isn't 'great literature' and I say this as a man with an English degree, so I know literature snob when I smell it) and any meaning found comes from the fact that the themes and ideas explored are universal facets of the 'human conduition'; it speaks to people in all places and times. That's actually one of the better definations of Art, but I'm not getting into that here. What torks me is the idea that 'Tolkien has reclaimed Wagner's Ring.' Who lost it? What Wagner an anti-semite? Sure. Was 'The Ring' anti-semetical, national socialist, racist, militarist? No. Listen to it, read the libereto, go back and read the stories it's based on. Those ideas are NOT what it's about. What we have here is a double case of 'reading in' to art. Hitler loved 'The Ring', so it must be racist and supportive of national socialism. He was also a vegetarian and professed Roman Catholic. Does that mean that vegetarians and Roman Catholics are Nazis? No. A great many people advocating aggressive, hostile foregin policy for the U.S. like 'The Two Towers.' Does that mean Tolkien wanted us to invade Iraq? Of course not. Both works speak to similar sides of the human psyche (ironically, Wagner uses Teutonic mythology to present more Christian influenced views than Tolkien did with purely fictional ones) and tap our inner connections to the divine. That's why you can pull so much out of it that isn't necessarily there. I'm ranting. Sorry. But I detest twisting words like this, mostly because there are perfectly innocent people out there, including well-meaning artistic people, who will believe it without investigating it. (sigh) We'll survive, I suppose. Blessed Be. |
| I'll Go Have Some Coffee Now | Jan 10th. at 10:10:41 am EST |
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by Ashe Winterwolf (Irving, TX) D'oh! It's bad when you don't recognize the post you just typed. No I'm not on drugs, I just need some coffee. |
| Something Is Very Amiss Here | Jan 10th. at 10:08:36 am EST |
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by Ashe Winterwolf (Irving, TX) The comment with my name is not the comment I posted, but the subject line is. The comment I made was basically, why can't this just be considered a really great film that was well made and received with excitement by the public. And to call Tolkien not as great as Cervantes or the other author is absured. The man invented a language that can be spoken and written if one takes the time to learn how. To person who's comment I received credit for (hee hee) you make very good points. |
| Why Can't It Just Be A Great Film? | Jan 10th. at 10:04:08 am EST |
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by Ashe Winterolf (Irving, TX) Tolkien has taken back Wagner's Ring. That may be his greatest accomplishment, and a literary accomplishment without clear precedent. To be sure, The Lord of the Rings is not a great work of literature to be compared to Cervantes or Dostoyevsky. But it is a great landmark of culture nonetheless. Its revival in a reasonably faithful cinematic version has far-reaching effects on the popular mind. We should have all seen it coming, a film that has been magnificently done and well received by the public, as social commentary. I know this isn't the first time Tolkien and social commentary has come up in the media, and to now have the media call Tolkien's work "not a great work of literature to be compared to Cervantes or Dostoyevsky.." For godsake, the man invented a language which can be spoken and written if one takes the time to learn how. |
| Good Grief Charlie Brown! | Jan 10th. at 9:57:34 am EST |
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by Phoebe (USA) "The most important cultural event of the past decade is the ongoing release of the film version of J R R Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings." WHAT? OK, first up it's THIS decade, the first film came out 2001! Second, get a grip, it's not likly to end up even being the most important event of GEEK cultural of the OOs, and I say that as geekgirl myself. |
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