LOTR and The Hobbit are known to have a lot of songs. This is a common criticism of the books – that there are just too many songs in Lord of the Rings. While it is certainly left up to the viewer whether that is true or not, the songs happen to hold a significanceRead More
Who created the Hobbits?
It is commonly stated that Tolkien made hobbits a reflection of himself, which could be evident whether intentional or not. “On a blank leaf I scrawled: ‘In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.’ I did not and do not know why.” (Letters) Tolkien’s (generation of) idea of hobbits The first edition ofRead More
Was it fair for the Elves to leave Middle-earth before LOTR?
The Elves leave Middle-earth at different points in time, with the last ship sailing sometime in the Fourth Age. It is commonly asked whether it was really fair for the Elves that leave Middle-earth when the time of war was looming. The most obvious answer was that the Elves ability to leave Middle-earth was knownRead More
Did Tolkien really hate modern technology?
Tolkien is commonly known to have a negative view on technology, claiming that “labor-saving machinery only creates endless and worse labour.” (L # 88) While the actual extent to this view may be oftentimes exaggerated – this is also to be expected since he fought in the First World War, had two sons fighting inRead More
Why didn’t Arwen go to the Undying Lands after Aragorn’s death?
Arwen didn’t go to the Undying Lands because she renounced this ability and chose not to go. However, she would use this decision as an argument for something else at the end of Lord of the Rings. It is commonly noted that as part of the half elven family line, she had the choice toRead More