Tolkien and Myth

[GracieRuth]

I am still reflecting on a post I wrote for Leo on the truth of myth, and the influence of Tolkien's writings on my thinking and spirituality. I read his essay "On Fairy Stories" when I was 16, and it was a difficult read that I have mulled over much of my life. I wrote that I consider the LOTR to be my "Other Bible." I'm really quite serious about that. The LOTR doesn't replace things like the Torah, because Tolkien BUILT upon these earlier works. But I can say that I think that the LOTR is the most powerful single story ever written, and that I unabashedly proclaim Tolkien to be one of the greatest spiritual minds ever known -- his thinking is the next step in our spiritual consciousness.

So I was thinking it would be nice to have a thread where us assundry Tolkien nuts could share some of the quotes we have found most meaningful in our lives. I'll begin with this one:

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

 

[Rasmus]

What a coincidence, I just started The Silmarillion:

“Then the voices of the Ainur, like unto harps and lutes, and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs singing with words, began to fashipn the theme of Iluvatar to a great music; and a sound arose of endless interchanging melodies woven in harmony that passed beyond hearing into the depths and into the heights, and the places of the dwelling of Iluvatar were filled to overflowing, and the music and the echo of the music went out into the Void, and it was not void.”

 

[Sloe Djinn]

"Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow,
Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.
None have ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is the master:
His songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster."

 

[GracieRuth]

Go not to the elves for advice, for they will say both yes and no.

 

[just me]

“War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.”

 

[Gaze]

*envies those who've read Tolkien's books*

 

[just me]

*envies those who've read Tolkien's books*

My sixth grade teacher read "The Hobbit" to us with different voices for each character. I was hooked. That was too many years ago to tell.

 

[GracieRuth]

When I first read The Hobbit, I just didn't understand it. It was part of an agreement, my friend would read the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and I in return would read the Hobbit. I was so used to allegory, and I had been raised a literalist and fundamentalist, so I didn't have a mind for myth yet.

A half year later, I was simply walking down the hall of my high school, and saw someone sitting with an open copy of Fellowship of the Ring. Now what happened next, I don't know, but in Whoville they say that my mythic brain grew three sizes that day. It came like a wash over me. One minute, the Hobbit was strange and indecipherable. Then next moment, the true meaning of Middle Earth broke through.

I spent the next three days absolutely devouring the books, not sleeping, even doing the classic hiding of the novel behind my German text so I could read through class. I have never been the same since.

Here's my quote for this week:

“If more of us valued food and cheer above hoarded gold, it would be a much merrier world.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

He's so dang catholic that he's charming. This saying reminds me of the old rhyme:

Where'er the Catholic sun doth shine
There's always laughter, and good red wine
At least, I've always found it so
Benedicamus Domino!

 

[NiennaLadyOfTears]

What a coincidence, I just started The Silmarillion:

“Then the voices of the Ainur, like unto harps and lutes, and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs singing with words, began to fashipn the theme of Iluvatar to a great music; and a sound arose of endless interchanging melodies woven in harmony that passed beyond hearing into the depths and into the heights, and the places of the dwelling of Iluvatar were filled to overflowing, and the music and the echo of the music went out into the Void, and it was not void.”

This is SO my favorite section of the Silmarillion, and possibly in all of the Middle Earth lore.

This coming from someone who has read The Silmarillion some 25 times, and LOtR 97 times.