Why have neo-fascist and neo-Nazi organizations endorsed The Lord of the Rings?.Did the Germanic mythology that informs Tolkien’s mythopoeia lead to the portrayal of the heroic characters as white ‘Aryan’ types?.Why are the Orcs invariably described as slant-eyed, swarthy and sallow-skinned?.Why are the Men allied to the forces of good (Rohirrim, Gondorians, etc) generally fair-skinned, while the evil Men (Southrons, Easterlings, Haradrim, etc) are dark-skinned?.Why are there evaluative rankings in Middle-earth, like the Elves, who are ‘higher’ beings than Men, and the Númenóreans, who are more ‘noble’ than other Men?.Some of these questions include the following: Although these cultural groups are a fascinating aspect of Tolkien’s mythology, related to constructing a feigned historical background and to how good and evil are defined and treated in the entire legendarium, their very existence poses a series of thorny questions for Tolkien readers and scholars, which have become even more entangled and confused by the recent cinematic adaptation of The Lord of the Rings by Peter Jackson. At the same time, the ‘evil’ peoples of Middle-earth, the Orcs and the Men allied to Melkor or Sauron, are partly derived from these three main groups, and they are also divided into sub-groups and categories. The three main beings of Tolkien’s cosmology, Elves, Dwarves and Men, are further divided into sub-categories determined by linguistic, cultural and historical factors. One of the main attractions of the invented world of Middle-earth is that it is inhabited by a great variety of peoples, each one with their own history, language and culture. I am releasing this today to celebrate the 10th anniversary of my book and to offer readers the gist of my approach to Tolkien and race, a subject that keeps on appearing in the media. It revisits main ideas I explored in my 2008 book, Tolkien, Race, and Cultural History, and adds some new points. Through his various jobs, he has drawn the attention of British author Neil Gibson, and Hollywood actor Shawn Roberts.* This lecture was delivered as a keynote in 2012 at the Politics of Contemporary Fantasy conference at the University of Wurzburg, Germany. These include working as a marketing manager for a local independent movie theatre, producing content for a childrens' charity, writing newsletter articles for a local theatre troupe, and doing web design for York University's Printing Press. Tolkien inspiring him heavily in his creative pursuits.Īpart from Collider, he has worked as a freelance writer for various small organizations all around his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario. He is also a fan of fantasy novels, with the works of authors such as Brandon Sanderson and J.R.R. He currently lives with three cats and a dog. He is a fan of pets and animal nutrition, an interest created during six years of labour at a local pet shop. He has been writing ever since he knew how, producing his first unpublished written story at five years old. In short, the variety of attacks and uses of staves make them the most powerful weapon in the Middle-Earth cinematic universe.ĭawson Nyffenegger is an undergraduate English & Professional Writing student at York University in Toronto. Of course, they're also handy if Gandalf wants to use them as a physical weapon, too. It's also made clear that the staves are very necessary in order for the wizards to perform these spells, as Gandalf refuses to part with it before he meets Théoden. Gandalf also uses it to destroy the bridge of Khazad-Dûm, to lift Théoden's curse, and to ward off Ringwraiths who are attacking soldiers of Gondor. Not only do they just throw each other around, but Saruman even summons a whole lightning storm to attack the Fellowship as they traverse the Pass of Caradhras. Saruman and Gandalf can be observed using it on each other. Radagast primarily uses his to heal sick animals and defend himself against the Ringwraiths at Dol Guldur. All three wizards throw around some pretty powerful magic over the course of the franchise. These staves are what give the wizards their ability to cast spells. Three out of five wizards have been named and have appeared in the films: Gandalf, Saruman the White ( Sir Christopher Lee), and Radagast the Brown ( Sylvester McCoy). Wizard Staves vary in appearance, and are only wielded by the Istari, or the five wizards.
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