(Sloaney is now going to tackle some VERY touchy subjects. This will probable be the only post in
which I bring up politics, current affairs, love for homeland, racism sexism, belief in traditions and
country, and the need for Borders, Language and Culture, but I think this needs to be done. You might
be offended. You probably will be offended. I'm not sorry. I'm tired of my kin and I having to apologize
for all the evils in the world - or at least in my homeland of America - and that we [the white Anglo-
Saxon race] are responsible for them all. Total BS! The views expressed in this post are my own and I
don't expect many readers to understand or share them, but I will write of them nonetheless. This post
will be long - and even after I 'publish' it I will still be adding to it - and meandering. You have been warned.)
Please also note: In this post, whenever I use the word 'we' I am using it to mean myself and my race:
those of white American/English-Anglo-Saxon/Germanic/Danish/Swedish decent and their near kin.
* * *
 |
| They are not ashamed. Neither am I |
If there are three unforgivable 'sins' that a white person can never be absolved from in our current
society today, these three sins would be these: Racism, Sexism and Traditionalism. Any white
person that is found to hold or partly hold any of these 'isims' as part of his belief system is considered,
in the eyes of his kinsmen, worse then a rapist, a murderer and a pedophile. If said person also has Conservative political leanings, is a follower of Christ, passes on traditional wisdom to his children and
keeps a number of weapons [guns!] in his house because he honestly believes that his house is his castle
and that those that dwell within must be protected from outside invaders - commonly known as robbers, rapists and murderers - he is considered even more vile and dangerous. This would be me (mostly), and
the parents (for a time) who raised me.
J. R. R. Tolkien has been accused on and off of all three of these 'sins' in his works, mainly of Racism (his Traditionalism is often attacked too, although that word is rarely used. When you come across people or posts attacking the hierarchy, patriarchal and misogynistic elements in the cultures in ME they are attacking his Traditionalistic world-view).
Some of these written accusations are extremely nasty and sickening to read (this quite a disgusting rant;
you have been warned) while others are full of snooty modern superiority (I did think this was kinda
funny though). Like this Vedare article says: you can't make this stuff up. Or this.
So what am I going to do? Grab my sword, mount my horse (yes I have a horse) and ride off to join
the Free Peoples of the West in the defense of their Sub-creator? Yes, I am, but not in the way you
think. I'm not going to argue here that Tolkien wasn't a racist (in that he hated non-white peoples and
that he deliberately wanted his readers to hate them also - Tolkien himself would have never allowed
himself to hold these views - he despised racism of that kind; he even accused 'that ruddy little ignoramus Adolf Hitler' for 'ruining, perverting, misapplying, and making forever accursed that
noble northern spirit, a supreme contribution to Europe, which I have ever loved, and tried to present
in its true light.'), I am instead to try and point out that the perceived racism in The Lord of the Rings is
not an attack against people of color but a celebration and a praise of Tolkien's own people (and
mine) - the English Anglo-Saxon race and their near kindreds. To put it in blunt and very unpoliticaly
correct language, LOTR is an epic saga written by a man who was not ashamed to be white. It
was written by a man who loved his people and who loved the myths, legends, languages and traditions
of his people and those similar to them. Tolkien felt that the English people had been robbed of their
proper myths and/or had had outside myths mixed in with them by foreigners and had very little to call
their very own. The whole legendarium of Middle-Earth is nothing short of Tolkien trying create (or rediscover) the mythology of England, his beloved country. It was written by an Englishmen, in honor
and praise of English/Anglo-Saxon culture, myths and traditions - in short, this is a white man's tale; something we ourselves can truly call our own (not that this has stopped other races and other cultures
from enjoying it as well).
 |
| Earendil the Mariner: one of the first and most important figures in Tolkien's mythology |
Awkward-sounding is it not? Anyone grimacing yet? Before
I go on, I suggest that any people of color (none-whites) who might be reading this post out of curiosity should maybe
stop now. They might get offended or they might find the
rest of this musing irreverent to them since I will be talking about white people and * gasp* white 'pride' (yes, there is such a thing, as I will show). I am not a 'hater' and I am not trying hate or encourage hatred on people of color; I am
trying to show my own racial pride (not be be confused
with racial superiority) and defending my own race by defending Tolkien and the white peoples and cultures he created for Middle-Earth, namely the Lords of the House
of Eorl, the valiant Rohirrim.
So here are the big questions: Is Tolkien a racist? [or rather, do some cultures of people in ME dislike being invaded by strange cultures who do not have their best interests at heart?] Yes. Is Tolkien a sexist? [or rather, are woman portrayed more respectfully and honorably, and treated better by the menfolk in ME then in other fantasy worlds?] Yes. Is Tolkien a Traditionalist? [or rather, do the peoples of ME show respect and honor to their worthy kings and rulers and fight to preserve the traditions of their respective cultures?] Yes.
As a Tolkien fan and as someone who reads his books often and extensively, I declare him guilty on
all three of these accusations. And this is a good thing. Yes, you read right, this is a good thing. Please
read on...
So, yes, Tolkien can truthfully be accused of racism - and he is accused of it by both people of color
and by white people who have been taught to be ashamed of their own race and heritage. When the
Peter Jackson film adaptions came out there was an even greater stir because while two of Tolkien's
other sins - Sexism and Traditionalism - had been dumbed-downed and glossed-over, the racial sin
was allowed to remain - no black actors where incorporated into the films, there were no black hobbits, elves or men to be seen, and the people of color - the Southrons and Haradrim - where kept in their
proper antagonistic roles.
 |
| Movie-version: The Riders of Rohan take on the Haradrim invasion force during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields |
they read the books or watch the movies (this one is just plain idiotic). Why? We have been taught
(especially if we're American and went to public schools) that as white people we are all 'guilty' of just
about every racial woe from the beginning of time.
We must be always apologizing to blacks and other people of color for all the racial sins and crimes of
our forefathers If we happen to be wealthy, well-educated or live in a nice neighborhood we must feel
even more guilty. Our heroes and founders, like George Washington for example, are slandered and
hated upon and we are not allowed to defend them or even admire them at all. We are taught that there
is nothing good about being a white person, and that we have no history or heritage or culture that is
good or worthy of praise. As a race we are forbidden to have a racial identity or pride, while Negros,
Hispanics and Asians are praised for having strong racial ties and for taking pride in their people and
their cultures. If we attempt or desire to live in segregated and humongous communities with people of
our own race we are called racists and 'over-privileged whites' and if we try to start groups we are considered Klu-Klux Clan members or Aryan Supremists. There are dozens of racial insults that are
heaped upon us by other races (cracker, white trash...etc) without shame and if we take offence or
retaliate then our case grows only worse. Thanks to Hitler, we are forever going to be considered
neo-Nazis whenever we group together or stand up for shared interests.
The country of America which our ancestors built for us is under attack, and our corrupted
government, instead of shutting down our boarders and attending to the needs and interests of its
own people, encourages the continuous in-pouring of various immigrants, many of whom are not at
all interested in learning our language respecting/adopting our culture, and acknowledging our borders
or laws (not that all immigrants take advantage of us and feed off of us, but there are currently far to
many who do so, and it takes a heavy toll on our institutions and resources). Instead we are expected
to cater to their every need with our hard-earned tax money and not be offended when some of them
fly the Mexican flag above the American flag or when others blow some of us up at running marathons.
We are told to be tolerant and welcoming of such people, and that 'diversity equals strength'. We are
told in so many sublimal ways to shut up, feel guilty, hand over our guns, pay taxes, and never take pride
in the fact that we are white Americans living in a land that was created for us. And we comply. But not
all of us. Some of us aren't ashamed, and we morn our racial and cultural deaths.
So why should we love the 'racism' that is constantly complained about in Middle-Earth? Because in
Middle-Earth race actually matters. Language and culture actually matter. Borders matter. Look at
any map of Middle-earth and you will see the designated names and homelands of many different kinds
of people were each one maintains their own unique culture and way of life that suits best their race and needs. The Elves have Rivendale, Lorien, Mirkwood and the Gray Havens. Men have Gondor, Rohan, Bree, Dunland, Dale, Dol Amroth, Umber and near/far Harad. Hobbits have the Shire, Bree and
Buckland. Ents have Fangorn forest. Dwarves have Moria, the Lonely Mountain and the Iron Hills.
Sauron has Mordor (and wants everything else). Orcs, Balrogs and dragons have mountains to hide
and plot in. The Lords of the West (the Valar) have Valinor. The departing Noldar (the High Elves) have
Tol Eresse. Even singular beings like Tom Bambadil and Shelob have their own lands and life-ways that
they guard and maintain. In Arda every being, good or evil, mortal, immortal and supernatural have a
place, a ruler and a hierarchy.
All the species/races of beings in ME have their own languages, cultures and homelands. Some are
bigger then others. Some are more advanced and sophisticated then others. Some are more pleasant
and beautiful then others. Yes, there is great 'diversity' in Tolkien's world, but that diversity is maintained because each race of being live humongous with others of their own kind who share the same cultures
and traditions and way of life. Gondor and Rohan may be allies and friends with each other, and may
visit, lend aid, give gifts and on occasion marry one another, but you don't see any cultural mingling, no forced integration. No herdsman of Rohan graze their horses on the grasses of the Pelennor Fields and
no Stewards of Gondor build Orthanc-like star towers in the middle of the Courts of Edoras. The same
goes for all others. Hobbits do not travel en mass to the Gray Havens and sail Cirdan's swanships up
and down the Firth of Lune (although that would be an amusing sight). Ents don't come striding into the
Shire and then complain that they can't enjoy a mug of ale at the Green Dragon because they can't fit through the door. Among the 'good' cultures 'racism' - the desire to live with one's own kin and to
show loyalty to one's own ruler - prevails over the desires and viewpoints of outsiders. When Aragorn
balks at having to leave his sword Andruel outside of Theoden's Golden Hall because the laws of the Rohririm say that strangers are not allowed to come before the king baring weapons, Hama the
Doorguard reminds him that even if he were the ruling King of Gondor he still cannot go against the
will of King Theoden because Aragorn is in Theoden's kingdom now and he must abide by the laws of
that king and people, whether he likes them or not. Gandalf backs Hama up by saying, ''A king will have
his way in his own hall, be it folly or wisdom.'' In ME to disregard or scorn the laws of other peoples and cultures runs the risk of strife and death. However, Gandalf later tells Theoden that the ''courtesy of your
hall has lessened of late.'' This brings up the point that while 'natural racism' (if I may call it that) is one
thing, it is quite another thing to withhold hospitality and aid from honest, nonthreatening persons in need
of help or council. This is where 'racism' (in the way I've been showing it) becomes indeed the much
reviled and despised sin of the modern world today, for when a person or a group of persons
becomes so self-centered and isolate themselves willfully from the rest of the world and
refuse to do any good to outsiders that come to them out of need, then this natural desire
to be with one's own people becomes a sin and a vice, and its practitioners selfish, arrogant
and hard-hearted. The members of the Fellowship of the Ring travel through many different kingdoms
of Men and Elves and whenever they cross the borders of these lands the natives are soon aware of it
and they naturally desire to know what these outside people (or persons) are doing in their lands. After
they find out the nature of the Fellowship it is then to their credit or discredit whether they decide to give
or withhold aid and advice - yet it is their right to hinder or help as they deem fit, in accordance to their
laws and free will.
.jpg) |
| Haldir the Elf guides the blindfolded Fellowship into the the depths of Lothlorien |
As long as all peoples of Middle-Earth respect each other's languages, borders and cultures there is
peace in this otherwise very diverse world. But not all peoples/species do so. The Dark Lord Sauron
does not care about borders, languages and cultures. He does not respect them or honor them. He wants
to conquer them and subjugate and own them. He wants to tyrannize the Free Peoples of the West and render their homelands and ways of life obsolete. He desires that he should be their god and they his
helpless slaves.
The Elves and the men of Rohan and Gondor and certain Hobbits are not at all open or accepting of
this fallen Maiar's designs. The Council of Elrond is assembled (though not by Elrond himself), Frodo
volunteers himself to be the Ringbarer and the great War of the Ring is begun, a war in which the
'good guys' fight to preserve their rulers, kingdoms, cultures and traditions against the 'bad guys:' orcs
and strange-looking Men from strange far-off lands who are disregarding their boarders and invading
their territories with the intent to plunder, kill and destroy them and their cities. What makes this
otherwise very understandable situation so offending and unforgivable to many modern readers/viewers
is that the people doing the attacking are people of color and the people are trying to defend themselves
are people of fair white skin; in other words, people of Tolkien's own race (and subsequently my own). Tolkien could have easily written it the other way: where Sauron corrupts the leaders/governments of
Rohan and Gondor and through fear or the promise of power gets them to send their armies hundreds of miles from their homes to go and destroy those annoying Haradrim and Southrons away in the East who don't want Sauron to rule over them. If Tolkien had written LOTR that way, modern readers would
be applauding the book today as an allegory of colored minorities triumphing over the cruel
white invaders. But...
 |
| King Theoden is the bomb! |
...that is not how Tolkien wrote the story. In The Lord of the Rings it is the white Angelo-Saxon
type of people who have their day of glory in the sun - from the elderly King Theoden of Rohan and
Eomer his sister-son who stick to their oaths and lead their golden-haired Riders to battle and death to
aid and defend their brethren, their 'league-fellows' of Gondor to King Aragorn himself, who arrives
un-looked for in their darkest hour during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, revealed now as the true
King, baring the banner of Elendil, and being understandably pissed-off at the sight of his besieged and burning City and all the strange, foreign and, yes, evil-minded orcs and men who have no business being there attacking his people. Together with Eomer his ally and sword-brother they fight back the invading
hordes and win their back their homelands.
As an American reader of Germanic-Danish decent who sometimes feels as if I don't have a true
homeland or a race or a culture or an identity this story speaks very powerfully to me. No, I don't
hate colored people because they were antagonists in the War of the Ring, but I am very proud of my
own type of people for sticking to their guns, kicking ass, and standing up for their traditions, peoples
and way of life. Because we whites have been taught not to do this in the 'real world' it is nice to at least
read about a Secondary-world where we can and we do.
 |
| King Aragorn and King Eomer: sword-brothers and victorious leaders of their people |
The people of Rohan are especially defiant in the face of the Saruman's invasion of their kingdom, and
old King Theoden's epic reply to the traitor-wizard's seductive offers of peace and alliance after the victory at Helm's Deep and the destruction of Isenguard is worth quoting at length:
[Theoden to Saruman]:
''We shall have peace. We shall have peace, when you and all your works have perished - and the
works of your Dark Master to whom you would deliver us. You are a lier, Saruman, and a corrupter
of man's hearts. You hold out your hand to me, and I perceive only a finger of the claw of Mordor: cruel
and cold! Even if your war on me was just - as it was not, for were you ten times as wise you would have no right to rule me and mine for your own profit as you desired - even so, what will you say of
your torches in Westfold and the children that lie dead there? And they [the urik-hai] hewed Hama's body before the gates of the Hornburg, after he was dead. When you hang from a gibbit at your window for the sport of your own crows, I will have peace with your and Orthanc. So much for the House of Eorl.
A lesser son of greater sires am I, but I do not need to lick your fingers. Turn elsewither. But I fear your voice has lost its charm.''
[Saruman in reply]:
''Gibbits and crows! Dotard! What is the House of Eorl but a thatched barn were brigands drink
in the reek and their brats roll on the floor among the dogs? Too long have they escaped the gibbit themselves. But the noose comes, slow in the drawing, tight and hard in the end. Hang if you will!...''
(LOTR - The Two Towers - 'The Voice of Saruman')
Having failed in his attempt at peace with the king he waged war against (and having first addressed him
flatteringly as the 'worthy son of Thengel the Thrice-renowned') Saruman then reveals his inner contempt
of Theoden and his people and their culture, reducing a fair and valiant race of Men to the status of
beer-swilling slobs who live in huts and revel with dogs. The trespassing Orcs also resort to racial slurs
when referring to the Rohirrim - such as 'whiteskins,' 'strawheads' and 'horseboys'. Our race is also
reviled in much the same manner, and not only do we keep silent out of fear, but we are also brought
to believe that we deserve such degradation and that we should welcome our racial extinction through intermarriage and immigration, and of our own accord must place the the ever-tightening noose
around our willing necks:
''Whites - but only whites - must never take pride in their own people. Only whites must pretend they do
not prefer to associate with people like themselves. Only whites must pretend to be happy to give up their
neighborhoods, their institutions and their country to people unlike themselves. Only whites must always
act as individuals and never as members of a group that promotes shared interests...
Under the current rules of American society, whites have no moral grounds to preserve racial majorities
in any context, whether in a club, neighborhood, school, region, the nation as a whole, or even in their
own families. Somewhere, deep in their bones, whites yearn for comfort, the ease, the joy of living among
their own people and societies that reflect the values of their ancestors...but according to today's racial
dogma, this yearning is evil.''
(- Jared Tayler - 'White Identity: Racial Consciousness in the 21st Century')
 |
| 'The Rohan Border Patrol' or 'White Men Behaving Badly' (take your pick) |
But in Middle-earth white people do not behave as our foes and self-haters of this age would wish them
to behave. Hence time and again Tolkien is accused of being a racist or a white surpremist, and that his works promote such things. Because in Middle-earth white people and races stand up for themselves
and defend the things they love against hatred and desecration. They love their homelands, honor their
kings, keep their oaths of friendship and become heroes. They value their cultures and guard their borders. Their names are Theoden, Aragorn, Boromir, Faramir, Eomer, Eowyn, Earendil, Bard, Beren and Hurin, and we love them and are inspired by them and enjoy reading about them. They are the
slayers of dragons and the bane of the servants and allies of evil tyrants. Tolkien isn't a racist for loving
his own race and we shouldn't be considered racist for loving his books and enjoying them more then
other more politically-correct fantasy stories that are written today. Every time I read or watch the part
of 'The Ride of the Rohirrim' in The Return of the King I feel excitement and pride thrilling through me
and I marvel in the fact that even though they knew they were riding to their deaths they rode on any way: because in ME there are things and people and ideals worth dying for and that, unlike us today, they
will go out with a bang, and win glory that will be their own forever. For this we thank you, Tolkien.
(Here is a good video that talks more about LOTR, Tolkien, race, white identity and pride, foreign invasion, culture and Traditionalism. He explains these issues much better then I can:)
In conclusion...
 |
The Nine Walkers: four Hobbits, two Men, one Elf, one Dwarf and one
incarnate Maiar (Gandalf) - just because it lacks woman and 'minorities'
(- people of color - soon to be majorities) does not make their brotherhood
in any way less awesome, brave, effective or interesting. |
people are really upset about is not the lack of 'diversity' (Middle-earth is probably the most diverse
Secondary-world ever created - it even has it's own atlas and dictionary). What these people are
ultimately upset about - in spite of the fact that Men, Dwarves, Hobbits and Elves see themselves as
different types of beings, and that at some point in time they have fought each other (Elves have killed
Elves, Men have killed Men, Dwarves have killed Elves, Hobbits have killed Men, etc), - is that all of
these beings have white skin. That is the true issue here, and indeed this makes these critiques of
Tolkien very shallow and untrustworthy. Why? because it shows that these people are only concerned
about skin color. They accuse Tolkien of racism because they themselves are racists: color is the only
thing they can focus on, the only thing they care about. That the 'good Men' in The Lord of the Rings
are men with white skin is unforgivable to most moderns because they are, at heart, anti-white. That
white people have their own humongous cultures cultures in ME and fight off foreign cultures who are
trying to massacre them instead of being submissive and letting these foreign peoples integrate
themselves so everyone can be a big happy peaceful family is a huge blow to their worldview, and
to how (white) people ought to behave (also, white people aren't always the 'good guys.' The Men of Dunland are white-skinned and Saurman, by reminding them of their past land disputes with the
Rohirrim, gets them to march with the urik-hai to overthrow Helm's Deep. Aragorn, Eomer and
king Theoden wind up killing many Men as well as Orcs during the siege. It's not Tolkien's fault Peter Jackson dropped them - and added Elves for some insane reason - poor Haldir! - in the Two Towers movie).
It's funny how certain people denounce Tolkien's work as racist when there is so much within ME to
admire and praise. Indeed whole books have been written examining the values and virtues held and expressed by the various heroes of this great saga, and the authors/researchers heap much deserving
praise on Tolkien for creating a world were such old heroic expressions can be enacted, values honored,
home-lands defended, tyrants overthrown, the virtuous praised and the beauty of the Good (both
feminine and masculine, nature and civilization, mortal and immortal, big and small) brought to full
flower. And not only this, but also Tolkien managed to do it with resorting to foul language, dirty jokes, debauchery, pornographic sex, and boatloads of anti-heroes (as you can guess, I am not a fan
of G. R. R. Martian, who was unworthily dubbed by one critic as 'America's Tolkien'). By denouncing Tolkien's works as racist/misogynistic/patriarchish/homophobic/sexist/etc other would-be readers might
be offended and avoid reading The Lord of the Rings because no one wants to associate with a person
who holds such views - the only views modern society sees as truly evil and unforgivable.
But in the end all these accusations fall flat. Middle-earth is still the fantasy world of choice, in spite of
all its old-fashioned modernly unacceptableness. The book was was chosen by Amazon readers in
1999 as the 'greatest book of the century' (this did, of course, tick off some people) and
in spite of their many flaws the Peter Jackson film adaptions collectively scored 12 Oscar awards.
Why do we love The Lord of the Rings (heroic badass white people notwithstanding)? Allow me to
quote Peter Kreeft, author of The Philosophy of Tolkien:
''The Lord of the Rings heals our culture as well as our souls. It gives us the most rare and precious
thing in modern literature: the heroic. It is a call to heroism; it is a horn like the horn of Rohan, which
Merry received from Eowyn and used to rouse the Hobbits of the Shire from their sheepish niceness
and passivity to throw off their tyrants, first in their souls and then in their society.
The deepest healing is the healing of the deepest wound. The deepest wound is the the frustration of
the deepest need. The deepest need is the need for meaning, purpose, and hope. And that is what
The Lord of the Rings offers us.''
 |
| ''You cannot enter here.'' Gandalf forbids the Witch-King entry into Minas Tirith |
Hope, steadfastness, courage, friendship, valor, heroism, beauty, joy, wonder, sacrifice, borders,
language, culture - all these things are extolled and celebrated in The Lord of the Rings, yet what do
the critics focus on? what do they point out to us? what gets their panties in a twist? That The Lord of
the Rings is full of epic white-skinned people/beings. That's all they care about. Hence Tolkien is
accused of racism, because these people fight back against evil invading non-white people/beings instead
of sitting around feeling guilty. Well, why are we be sitting around feeling guilty? Why can't we take pride
in anything? Why can't we fight for the people/cultures/values/ideals that we love or admire? Are we
just going to sit passively under the Shadow and let it do away with us? Maybe that is indeed to be our
doom in 'real life': when Ragnarok falls and all the heroic men and gods are slain together in a final,
doomed battle but at least they were slain with swords still in their hands. Being a honorable hero is not
an easy thing in this world, but it is something that - at least in book form - will always be needed, called upon and enjoyed by those know a good heart-filling story when they read it, and The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are always going to be among the best of those stories, not matter what the anti-Tolkien critics say (Mr. Micheal Moorcock, with all due respect, you can take your pooh and stuff it).
* * *
So Tolkien's works are racist, you say? Too white? To heroic? Good! For those of us who love |
| Tuor of Gondolin |
Tolkien's world, whether in book or movie form, this should actually be taken as a compliment - never
again will we read or watch anything (in current 21st century times) that contains so many 'outdated', 'irrelevant' and 'racist' themes. And yet Middle-earth remains a treasured fantasy world that can never
be outdone in terms of depth, scope, power, and heroics. So let us enjoy the Kingdom of Arda, our final imaginary haven that no amount of superior liberal intellectual critics or self-hating whites can take from us. Middle-Earth's heroes are not ashamed; neither should we be.
 |
| If blacks can be proud of being black, and Asians can be proud of being Asian, and Hispanics can be proud of being Hispanic then there is no freaking reason why Vikings can't be proud of being Vikings. |
