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Re: OT: Two Towers movie

From:Joe <joe@...>
Date:Monday, September 1, 2003, 9:37
----- Original Message -----
From: "JS Bangs" <jaspax@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Monday, September 01, 2003 4:53 AM
Subject: Re: OT: Two Towers movie


> Isidora Zamora sikyal: > > > impression.) Threre seem to be two characterizations of the Rohirrim > > going on simultaneously and fighting with each other. One is the > > correct characterization of them as heroic warriors. The other is the > > impression you get when you see the young boys and the old men arming > > for the coming battle with fear or despair in their faces; the > > impression you get when either Legolas or Aragorn characterizes them as > > farmers. My impression of the Rohirrim was that every man and boy knew > > how to ride and fight as well as to farm. I don't mind the shots of > > 12-15 year old boys being armed for battle, because that is probably > > truthful. In such an emergency, they would have fought to the best of > > their ability. But I am not convinced that there would have been fear > > in their faces. > > Only a madman *wouldn't* be afraid going into a battle like that! For > those men and boys to be afraid says nothing about their bravery, only > their realism. (And in response to Padraic's comments, we should remember > that the Rohirrim are neither religious fanatics nor orphans in a war > zone, but people in more ordinary circumstances.) As has been said by > others, bravery is not lack of fear, but fighting despite fear, and by > that measure, the Rohirrim prove their bravery by their ability to win the > battle of Helm's Deep despite the incredible odds. > > > When you see Gandalf lying on the mountain peak and sort of travel in > > through his eyes and see the stars...there are gas clouds, nebulae, and > > other extraneous materials floating in space. Those shouldn't be there
if
> > this is Arda. Varda made the stars, and they are lights in the sky, not > > other suns far away. (My husband noticed this.) > > Feh. The creation of Arda is an elvish *myth*, which does not necessarily > align with astronomical observation. Even Tolkein, in his later writings, > explores the fact that the history described in the Silmarillion might not > reflect natural history. > > > Gandalf comforts Theoden on the death of his son saying that his spirit
was
> > strong in life and will make its way to the halls of his fathers, or > > something like that. Not in Arda it won't. The souls of Men do not go
to
> > the Halls of Mandos, but pass westward and depart from Arda. What
happens
> > then is anybody's guess as far as I have been able to gather from
anything
> > that I have read. (I noticed this one myself quite recently.) > > Again, the elves don't know what happens to men, which means that it > doesn't get into our official sources. The men, presumably, have their own > ideas, and Gandalf appears to be simply repeating one of these. > > Besides, this is in the book. >
I forget - do the Maiar know where men go? I seem to remember that they don't, but if they do, then Gandalf would know..

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John Cowan <cowan@...>