Comments for Periannath.com

Comment on Roto-Orcs & Invincible Doors: Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 ‘JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings’ Reviewed by Sean

Sean — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:36:53 +0000

I must strongly disagree with you that the traditional animation in the film is sub-par. On the contrary, I think it’s lovely and well executed. Also, did you consider the 1978 context of this film when bitching about the character design? Fantasy art was not as varied in ’78 as it is now, encompassing so many cultures and ideals. Frank Frazetta’s work was no doubt inspiration for at least some of the designs in the film. YES Aragorn looks like a native American!!! Who cares, it’s actually kind of cool…and Galadriel is a FOX in Bakshi’s version!!!

Comment on Tolkien 101: Tom Bombadil by Erik

Erik — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:14:21 +0000

Actually, I found it enlightening and probably the best placement for Bombadil in the universe that I’ve read.

Comment on The Hobbit Report: Casting Ramps Up by Grim

Grim — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:38:06 +0000

How is Elijah Wood playing Frodo? Frodo isn’t even in the story. Is Jackson messing with the storyline again?

Comment on Tolkien 101: Tom Bombadil by Sme0149

Sme0149 — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:10:30 +0000

wow. I’m sorry, guys: I talk way too much.

Comment on Tolkien 101: Tom Bombadil by Sme0149

Sme0149 — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:09:05 +0000

Erestor, I think (my copies of the LOTR are downstairs someplace, lost in the endless confusion of my library), points out that the power to defy Sauron is not in Bombadil, since Sauron has tormented and twisted even the hills themselves. It seems to be accepted lore that Bombadil is some kind of Earth Spirit, as is Goldberry, his wife. Tolkien describes them as creating a joy that is closer to the mortal heart than the high glory of the Elves. Be that as it may be, however, remember that the War of the Ring is entirely hopeless unless the Ring be destroyed: something no one seems able to do, as the Ring becomes so powerful within the Sammath Naur that no one in its thrall (any Ringbearer … or Gollum) can possibly bear to so much as consider harming the filthy thing. And all of Aragorn’s armies would have been blown away by Sauron’s endless hordes of orcs, trolls, wargs, gore-crows, the occasional watcher-in-the-water, and the odd balrog. Sauron was set to win (and very nearly impossible to stop) without the Ring. Hence, Gandalf’s premise that the rediscovery of the Ring is both their greatest hope (they can destroy it and completely cripple Sauron) and their greatest fear (Sauron might recover it and become utterly invincible—the most powerful Maiar left in Middle-Earth, restored to his full power, as he was in the Beginning). Giving the Ring to Bombadil would thus accomplish nothing at all, except to keep Sauron from obtaining his former power until after everyone else had been destroyed or enslaved. Someone at Elrond’s council (I think it might be Gandalf himself) even says so: Bombadil would fall, last as he was first, and then the night would come. You could say the same thing about Elrond keeping the Ring at Rivendell (and someone does, in fact, discuss returning to Imladris, where the Ring would have to stay, the Elven refuge then becoming an island in an inevitably darker world until the end. Frodo offers to leave the Ring with Galadriel, which she is able to refuse (although it takes everything she’s got to do so—the usual cost of refusal (cf. Bilbo)). The only difference between these people and Bombadil is that the Ring has no power over Tom (although it is an almost irresistible temptation to everyone else), nor, it is worth remarking, over Goldberry (who obviously knows about Frodo’s quest, but never sees Sauron’s Ring (she opts goes to bed, instead) and plainly does not care). Thus, the power of Sauron is insufficient to affect Bombadil or his wife; but, conversely, Bombadil’s power is insufficient to affect the Ring. Whatever Tom is, then, he is invulnerable to the wiles of Sauron’s “trinket.” Is he, perhaps, Sauron’s equal? (or equal to the power Sauron poured into the Ring?) If he were Sauron’s superior, then he probably could have simply marched to Mordor and overthrown him. That he does not suggests that Bombadil’s position in the Legendarium is equal to or less than that of Sauron, who began as one of the Maiar of Aule (hence his interest in the Earth and its riches: iron and gold, mithril and gems). Bombadil seems to have the same sort of connection to the Earth, but without any desire for control or dominion; he simply enjoys what there is: sunshine, autumn leaves, water lilies, and Goldberry.
Tolkien’s boxen (a CS Lewis coinage for what Tolkien called a “subcreational world”), however, does not allow for the existence of any beings aside from Iluvatar, the Ainu (comprising Valar and Maiar of whatever level), the Eldar, the Atani (that’s us humans, of various lineages and races), the Khazad, and the twisted ones: Orcs and Trolls. The various tribes of other races—ents and eagles, e.g.—are manifestations of the preexistent Ainur. Recall that most of the Ainur stayed with Iluvatar; only an adventurous few entered into EA (that’s our universe). Nor does Tolkien ever tell us that Iluvatar ran out of thought to make more Ainur from. Moreover, he calls both Elves and Men “the children of Iluvatar.” All life and all procreation are apparently emanations of the mind of Iluvatar, which is (or gives rise to) the “secret fire” of creation. So, of course the Valar, the Maiar, the Eldar, the Atani, the Ents (if they knew where the Entwives had gone (north of the Northfarthing in the Shire, if the gossip in the Green Dragon means anything)), the Dwarves, and even the orcs, could reproduce according the pattern created by Iluvatar (by which he has given a portion of the flame imperishable to all his Children, and to all of his creatures in the brute creation as well). It’s not like there is a shortage of spirits or Divine Thought to create them.
But I digress: Given our limited choices, Bombadil must be an Ainu, created by the mind of God. He says—and he has no reason to lie—that he remembers the first things, grass, raindrops, and the night being fearless, before the dark lord came from outside (that’s melkor, the slimy bastard). The only choice we have (aside from choosing not to choose … as Tolkien himself evidently did) is that Bombadil is an Ainu so excited by the little kingdom of Arda that he shot right down into it as soon as it was … um, open.

Oh, and I have to disagree (courteously) with those who think that Bombadil somehow detracts from Tolkien’s work. It most certainly does not reduce the book’s literary merit. To believe so intimates that all such asides are mortal wounds to any piece of literature. The entire episode of Bishop Myriel and the old Napoleonic fellow (“Conventionary G—-”) is irrelevant to the story Hugo tells in Les Miserables (well, it is … unless you really want to understand the Bishop’s character as those whom it was originally for did). And all that surplusage about Waterloo and the sunken road of Ohain is completely unnecessary to the same extent. Bombadil may not fit the niceties expected by the readers of the 21st century—and even Tolkien himself believed Bombadil an “enigma” which he had placed in the book on a whim—but, for me, it opens the mind of Tolkien like nothing else in the book (the rest being cut of the same cloth, so to speak). It has always been, again for me, “On Fairy Stories,” “Leaf by Niggle,” and _The Lord of the Rings_, especially Tom Bombadil, to see the world as Tokien saw it … (and probably still sees it beyond the grey rain curtain under the swift sunrise).

Comment on Glow-in-the-Dark Hobbits & Homophobic Frodos: Rankin Bass’ 1980 “The Return of the King” Reviewed by Eliina

Eliina — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 07:44:48 +0000

“Turning into men”?? Omg, I can’t stop laughing! I’m not kidding.

Comment on Roto-Orcs & Invincible Doors: Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 ‘JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings’ Reviewed by Daniel Harrington

Daniel Harrington — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:14:38 +0000

Look man, anyone can group a series of obvious criticisms of someone else’s interpretation of Tolkein’s work and call it a review. Anything but the original work of Tokein himself could be easily criticised.

I personally never liked any interpretation of this myth… I didn’t like the live action film that won 12 academy awards either. Does that mean I should write a 25 page review against something people believed in and worked hard on. NO, because any interpretation is a work of art… reguardless of its flaws. In the essence, it still captured the moral of Tokein’s fantasy. And the moral was: There is always hope… even in the most hopeless of circumstances.

Don’t bash what people work hard on… please. Tolkein would have appreciated their efforts. And reguardless, no one can interepret the Lord of the Rings and get it right. Even those who read the story may have their own mental interpretations that deviate from Tolkein’s. Its impossible, so don’t expect the film to be perfect. My advise, watch the film… then go read the book… but don’t be so cold and critical. This was a good cartoon.

Comment on Why doesn’t Frodo just ride an eagle to Mount Doom? by Ian

Ian — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:05:47 +0000

this issue always arises but i never chose to believe Tolkien would leave such a plothole. i just finished reading The Two Towers and although this never popped into my mind i saw it in the net after further reading. this post shines! I thank you so much. i wonder if Tolkien would ever have thought this way but this post is very hard not to believe. i am convinced the Eagles really wouldn’t have taken them to Mordor!

Comment on Glow-in-the-Dark Hobbits & Homophobic Frodos: Rankin Bass’ 1980 “The Return of the King” Reviewed by KP

KP — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:05:43 +0000

It would be interesting to read your review of Hobitit, the Finnish LOTR TV series from 1993. All nine episodes are available, subtitled, in Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/user/JouninEnsio#p/u

Comment on SauronFight #1: Sauron vs. Great Cthulhu by Fred

Fred — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 06:06:45 +0000

Are you kidding ? Sauron would worship C’thulhu. While C’thulhu’s forces may seem weak, Sauron and his army are medieval in technology while C’thulhu’s cultists are armed with firearms. In terms of magic, C’thulhu knows all spells, while Sauron is only a vastly powerful necromancer. Finally Sauron was defeated by hobbits…frikkin hobbits ! Even a minor outpost of C’thulhu, Innsmouth/Devil’s Reef was barely defeated by the combined arms of the US government, and Devil’s Reef is probably still operating. This analysis is simply wrong !