Why Tolkien's Works are 'Racist' - and Why that's a GOOD Thing for White People

(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

And as shown by the articles already linked, some people took (and still take) offence at this, whether
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.

 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.

  

Anyone who has seriously read and/or studied the History of Middle-earth and who then also examines closely the accusations of racism thrown at Tolkien by (mostly) modern critics finds that what these
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).

*   *   *

 Tuor of Gondolin

So Tolkien's works are racist, you say? Too white? To heroic? Good! For those of us who love
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.

In Praise of the 'Good Guys': Defending the Virtues of the Heroes in 'The Lord of the Rings'

 Frodo the Ringbearer

This post is an expansion of a reply I gave in the LOTR book-to-movies character-assassination forum 
that I started recently on Fanfiction.net. I had been lamenting the fact that in the Peter Jackson films just about every main character is stripped of almost all the personal, powerful and heroic qualities/moments Tolkien graced them with. Soon enough, someone replied that what works in books can't work in movies (which is why words will always trump film) and that characters need weakness in order for us to identify with them, and that they (Aragorn, Elrond, Frodo, etc) can't be perfect. That got me thinking about 'perfection' and what is means to be 'good' and the result was this musing:

I will first talk about 'perfection'. To be 'perfect' (as understood by most people now-days) is to be someone who is always right, never wrong, makes no mistakes, is flawless, and never derailed by anything - with a good moral compass to boot. Because none of us except Christ Himself can make the claim to be totally perfect we wouldn't want to read about people like that because that would exclude us. Being moralistic (always obeying the law and doing everything the 'right' way) is actually a bad thing - when always 'being right' starts to trump mercy and compassion and love then it becomes a sin.

Are Aragorn, Elrond, Frodo and the other defenders of the West 'perfect'? Actually, they aren't. Instead, Tolkien bestows upon his heroes something other then perfection, something far better (although to the untrained eye and heart these things can often be confused with being perfect), Tolkien gives his protagonists virtues: Love, hospitality, courage, compassion, loyalty, peacefulness, integrity, bravery (sometimes taken to quite an extreme level), mercy - and in the book it is mercy - or rather pity - that is the thread upon which the fate of all of Middle-Earth is hung.

We love Elrond Halfelven not just because he's an ancient warrior badass, but also because he is kind and gentle and meek. Is he dangerous? Absolutely. Is he powerful? Without question. Can he mean? Angry? Can he treat the Men and Dwarves and Hobbits and the non-Noldor Elves who come to him for counsel, aid and healing with the same regard as the dirt under his feet, too good for him even to look at? Yes, he can, he possesses free will after all; and if he desired to behave like this towards others, he could (or if Agent Smith steals his cloths and his house and pretends to act like him = fail).

But does he actually behave like this in the great tale of the War of the Ring that we all love so much? He...does...not.

And there lies the secret of virtue, the mystery of holiness, the beauty of the 'good guys' that Tolkien has made for us. Elrond (I'm using him as the main example here) is immortal and powerful, mighty in battle and skilled in healing and very wise, but how does he behave? That is the ultimate key. How does he treat others who are below him in power, wisdom and strength? How? He is kind to them, he heals them and advises them; he protects and shelters them in his fortress/home - the Last Homily House east of the Sea - where time seems to slow down and all grief and weariness and fear are lifted from their hearts. Tolkien doesn't just describe Elrond as being noble and great - Elrond himself confirms Tolkien's words by his actions and deeds - deeds which range from fighting in the Last Alliance for seven years, to helping a frustrated Thorin understand his map, to allowing an aged Bilbo to stay in Rivendell for as long as he likes, even though Bilbo is just a small Hobbit and compared to Gandalf and Glorfindel is very small in terms of power, wisdom and usefulness. 

 Three of the Immortals: Gandalf, Elrond and Glorfindel

Elrond's hidden realm, Rivendell (as well as Lothlorion), is itself a kind of paradise: a blessed valley where evil things will not come. Once you have reached it you find it very hard to leave. You are safe there, in the company of beings who are not in it for themselves; that are not going to hurt you, or lie to you or steal from you or slander you. There you will rest, and be healed of your hurts and sorrows. And there you will hear hymns and songs about the Blessed Realm and tales about the mighty heroes of old. You will feast in the company of the real Immortals and maybe attend (or sneak into) a secret Council in which the fate of the world is discussed. You are safe there, safer perhaps then you are among your real family in your real home. I myself have been in the monastery/house of a kind and holy monk and can confirm it by my own experience: I was safe, I was loved; I did not want to leave; I was showered with hospitality and gifts that I had no right to receive but were shown and given to me anyway, and not because I had anything to offer. 

Aragorn grows up in Rivendell, in this kind of atmosphere; and when he leaves to wander Middle-Earth and struggle against Sauron he takes these virtues with him and gives every good thing he has to ensure the safty and survival of four clueless Hobbits who have no idea what they're in for. He becomes a hero to them, and they in turn his friends, for whom he would pursue to the ends of the world to rescue, even if it means starving in Fangorn or getting killed by the Rohirrim and never returning to Gondor or marrying Arwen.

 Captain Faramir also displays great wisdom and bravery and kindness. And although Boromir falls, he repents and dies a good death, laying down his life for two beings he never knew existed until a few months ago. King Theoden is very kind and condescending, with an appetite for Hobbit-lore that few others (including many readers) seem to have. If it hadn't been for his death in battle he would have sat in his Golden Hall in Edoras and listened to Merry and Pippen talk all day about the Shire and the ways of Hobbits and would have not thought it beneath his dignity to do so. I could go on and on, but what I'm trying to say is that it's not about being 'perfect'; it's about being righteous: of being merciful and brave and willing to give of yourself - like the Rangers - so that others - whether they know it or not - can be happy and free from evil and tyrannic beings; even if it means dying.

 Boromir defending Merry and Pippen

In the end - or at least one of them - The Lord of the Rings is about becoming a hero and saving the world. And when I think about it, there is no other story that can top that; not one. And Tolkien has given it to us in its finest, most grandest form, which is why I love both it and him. Tolkien himself wasn't a 'perfect' person, but that didn't stop him from believing that true heroes are real and that ordinary mortal people like us can become like them, or at least aspire to. After all, saving the world can be a long and hard and messy business, and not all heroes make good choices or go on to good ends. Some of them return home only upon their shields (or in elven boats) and yet there is always someone there - someone they saved or whose lives they enriched in some way - to sing their lament, to state that their lives and trails and sacrifices weren't all in vain; to cry: 

''Out of doubt, out of dark, to the day's rising
he rode singing in the Sun; sword unsheathing.

Hope he rekindled, and in hope ended;

over death, over dread, over doom lifted

out of loss, out of life, unto long glory.''

(funeral song for Theoden; The Return of the King)

 Theoden-King, Lord of the Rohirrim

''And in hope ended.'' What is hope? Who gives hope? Whence comes hope? Why do some have it and others do not? The deaths of Theoden the King and Denethor the Steward are a study in two completely opposite - and opposing - worldviews: that of the Defiant Hero and the Despairing Defeatist, both paths freely chosen by each. Theoden has the choice of not going to aid Gondor, to not charge into the Pelennor Fields were death seems to await all, yet he does so regardless - ''Ride now to Gondor!''- defying both death and despair, and in doing so he achieves immortality in the hearts and memories of all those who come after - including the readers: remembered as ''a gentle heart and a great king who kept his oaths, and he rose out of the shadows to a last fair morning." King Theoden has hope, even though the battle appears hopeless and that the armies of Sauron will have the victory, and he and Merry and Eowyn and Eomer confront doom and defeat head-on and in doing so are made worthy forever of their 'long glory'.
The Steward Dethathor, in contrast, has no hope - being deluded by Sauron and filled with pride and despair  - and does not wait for aid or healing or the news at the coming of the dawn, but taking Faramir with him he goes to the Tombs of the Kings and there a pyre is built upon which he will burn himself along with his wounded son. ''Why should we wish to live any longer?" he challenges Gandalf, ''For thy hope is but ignorance...Go forth and labor in healing! Go forth and fight! Vanity...against the Power that now arises in the East there is no victory. The West has failed!'' So he burns alone on his pyre while Theoden dies with his knights on the fields of Gondor, and the hearts and beliefs of those who possess hope and courage and love verses those who do not, or who reject them, are laid bare by Tolkien for all to see - and to choose between.

For it is the choices that the heroes make during the War of the Ring that are the most defining thing about them. Some have accused Tolkien of not developing his characters enough and maybe this is somewhat true, but what I have noticed as I read and reread The Lord of the Rings that the 'character-development' (which I prefer to call 'character-revelation') is extremely subtle - almost invisible, like when one is wearing the One Ring, but still there. The problem is is that many of the big, bold 'heavyweight' characters like Theoden and Elrond and Aragorn have already spent decades, centuries and Ages 'developing' in the wings. When we (through the Hobbits) encounter them for the first time, we are seeing them at their height of development and person-hood, ready to take on the challenges, destinies and duties placed before them - which is what they have been doing the whole time. It is the Hobbits that go through the most noticeable character development, for the events of LOTR are almost entirely seen and related from Frodo's, Sam's, Merry's and Pippen's eyes; the eyes of the smallest, most 'normal' people finding themselves entangled in events beyond their comprehension with beings out of myth and legend that they never expected to encounter.

 Samwise the Hobbit attacking Shelob

Again, is is the choices the characters make and the deeds they do that are perhaps where the most character-revelation lies, and were their virtues and goodness shine. With one spoken sentence, one gesture, one act, Tolkien tells us more about his heroes then dozens of pages of inner angst-ridden ''I'' point-of-view stories that has have flooded into literature. Encountering Tolkien's people is almost a relief to me because there are things about them that I don't know, that aren't explained, that don't make it into the story. Aragorn, Frodo & Co are allowed to have some privacy within their own beings. They are not psycho-analysed, their thoughts and feelings and opinions are not laid compleatly bare for all to see; many aspects of their lives - including their histories - remain a mystery. And I am glad of it. Who am I after all to think that I can know everything about a person in a story when I cannot ever know the inner thoughts and feelings of the people I love the most? whom I  'know' the most in real life? Vanity. And there's the fact that despite the perceived lack of 'character development' readers world-wide have fallen in love with Tolkien's heroes and voted in many different polls The Lord of the Rings as the ''greatest book of the century'' (and this was before the movies came out). Very telling, that. And why? Because, quite honestly, in Tolkien's world the heroic is celebrated; the home that you love is protected and fought for as a place that has meaning and value; the enemies who want to destroy/enslave your people are defied and resisted at all costs; your neighbors and friends are reveled as 'lords of great dignity and power;' your struggles become their struggles; their victories become your victories; and there is mystery and magic and wonder and the glory of the goodness of the good that makes you want to enter in and remain there for as long as you can so you can experience it to its fullness.

The honoring of Frodo and Sam - ''Praise them with great praise!'' - on
the Field of Cormallen by the Captains of the West

And finally, Tolkien has given to us something that very few authors have managed to do in a believable, meaningful manner; for many authors indeed write about Evil and death and despair and glory in the 'realistic' Grim-Dark of the world, and Tolkien is no exception. But he offers us something more, something that rises him (and us) up above the shadowy clouds of Mordor and the bloodied fields of the Pelennor and sets him (and us, if we allow it) on that high mountain-top in Valinor where the Light forever shines: Tolkien gives to us, in the world of Middle-Earth, a vision of that strange and hard-to-depict virtue of them all: Joy. 

Tolkien gives us Joy:   ''a fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief.''*

All the protagonists in The Lord of the Rings have this virtue, some more then others, some more potently seen and expressed then others, and it runs mysteriously throughout the book like a secret underground spring that sometimes erupts out into the open like a geyser shooting into the air, its spray glittering in the sun, combating gloom and despair (of which there is also a great deal of as well). There is a collective joy, such as in the Hall of Fire in Rivendell where the Elves (and certain hobbits) sing and tell stories about the first Ages. There is personal moments of joy such as when a despairing Eomer sees the black ships of Umbar coming up the Anduin and thinks his doom is at hand and then he sees Aragorn's banner of the Tree and Stars flow out from the topmost mast and realizes that the King is come and hope is renewed. Old Tom Bombadil is Joy personalized; the Shire is a shelter and haven for joy as must of us know it, small and simple, taking delight in the ordinary stuff of life like beer and smoking, while in Lothlorien the joy is beautiful, tragic and yearning, bordering on the holy and terrible. And everyone finds a way to express it: they sing, they dance, they cry, they hold feasts and parties and exchange gifts. No one is ashamed of showing it, from the mightiest of Elves to the smallest of Hobbits. 

Elves singing in the trees at Rivendell

I think that is the greatest reason why Tolkien's world is so beloved and sought after. The joy, the triumph, the exaltation we feel when we're riding with the Rohirrim or seeing Gandalf returned from death or beholding the Black Gates of Mordor falling in ruin or facing off with a Balrog or laughing at the antics of twelve Dwarves singing and cleaning dishes at Bag Eng or wandering through fair Lothlorien as if we were in a lingering shadow of Paradise or just walking with Frodo and Bilbo under the stars in the Shire (hoping to see some Elves) - these things are not just enjoyable, they are good for us. When we leave the book we are not the same. Our souls and our hearts have been fed as well as our imaginations. Maybe we are better, healed a bit more from our sickness and grief, finding at last something true and beautiful to love and treasure.
Yes, Middle-Earth is also a very dark and deadly place, for the schemes and lies and wars of Morgoth and Sauron have made it so; but no one can overturn the desire of Eru, and the Lords of the West still sit enthroned in Valinor and ''above all shadows rides the Sun'', and the heroes and saints of Arda laugh and love and weep and fight and die without once caring whether or not  it makes them too 'perfect' or too 'good' or too 'heroic'. Such triviality is beyond them; they are fixated on one thing: 'to do the deed at hand' - be that deed to arrange a birthday party in the Shire or to defy a Balrog in Moria - they do these deeds with the same fierce passion, the same unbreakable determination and the same uncompromising love and duty to 'lord and land and league of friendship.' For so their Sub-Creator has willed it, and so they are; and there they will abide, undefiled, in that Middle-Earth, those true heroes and champions of the Good 'unto the ending of the world.' 

* From ''On Fairy-Stories'' in The Tolkien Reader by J. R. R. Tolkien