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Good question. I think that Boromir is on-board with the strategy as he perceives it. But he perceives a different strategy from the one perceived by Elrond. Elrond (and Gandalf) seem to be working on the strategy of trying to read the course of events so far. They believe that Divine...

The class seemed somewhat baffled by the parenthesized comment (Mesopotamia) which is a parenthetical to the parenthesized (it originally included Minhiriath). Confusion arises if 'Mesopotamia' is considered as a geographic reference. It is not. It is a purely linguistic reference...

In Medieval literature, the hero most famous for carrying a Horn is Roland. His horn was The Oliphant, said to be made from the tusk of an Elephant. (Boromir’s Horn was, “made from the great horn of a wild ox of the East”.) Roland, of course, leading the rear guard of Charlemagne’s army as...

When Lindor, in the Hall of Fire says, “To sheep other sheep no doubt appear different. Or to shepherds. But Mortals have not been our study. We have other business.” I think that this is the first time in TLOTR when the reader should think, “Whoa! This sounds wrong. Shouldn’t Elves be...

This was thought confusing in the class. Particularly, what is the difference between ‘preservation’ and ‘physical fear’, and between ‘propagation’, ‘sexual desire’, and ‘the physical side of love when the “wedding” of hroa and fea was most close’? Let’s start with the first one. The impulse...

Gandalf seems to imply that Sauron can command the Three (even against the unwill of their bearers) and lay bare all that they have wrought (despite the resistance of unwill). "He only needs the One; for he made that Ring himself, it is his, and he let a great part of his own former power pass...

At some point, it might be beneficial for this project to include an essay or presentation on 'close reading'. (Probably written by Corey.) What is it? Why do it? What are the pros and cons? Compare and contrast with 'broad reading'. Discuss perspectives. The perspective of the characters...

This speculation was triggered on thinking about Bruce N H's question in this forum, 'When did Bilbo write, "I sit beside the fire and think"'? This wild surmise is that Bilbo had already composed most of the song in his head (to the tune, known today as 'Auld Lang Syne', as suggested by...

In last night's class, the class seemed surprised at the information about the long and ancient resistance of the Stewards of Gondor to the notion of the return of a king. However, none of this is new. It is all implied, if not explicit in TLOTR. In Appendix A we learn that, "On the death of...

Corey thought this phrase (even with "world" in quotes) curious, and a-typical for JRRT (when it came up in 'The Nature of Middle-earth'), and so do I. Do we have the original letter from Patricia Finney? I wonder if his use of this phrase (with the quotes around world) wasn't just a response...

Here JRRT provides evidence that England is the place on Middle-earth where the influence of the Elves has lingered longest. It was obviously a relic of Elvish ways which inspired the old English coinage system, with 12 pennies to the shilling. Unfortunately, Elvish influence continues to...

The usual suggestion for organization has been that it should be chapter by chapter, book by book. I suggest an additional possibility. A separate section could be made called something like 'The Poetry in The Lord of the Rings - an analysis'. This could assemble all of Corey's poem analyses...

In the last class, Corey was uncertain, and thought there was no evidence on either side of this question. I offer this, from chapter V of ‘The Nature of Middle-earth’: “Their hroar were in great vigour, and dominant; and the delights of the body of all kinds were their chief concern.” I...

Professor Olsen suggested that we ask Hostetter this question if we get an interview with him? I was the one who raised this question in class (and in a post on this forum earlier). It seems like a curious choice to me. We left the 1959 material (and extensive math) in chapter XVII. We then...

When reading JRRT’s poetry, it might be advantageous to consider how the words might have been pronounced by the author. I noticed, in the class that both Mad Violinist and Prof Olsen pronounced the word ‘been’ (in the fourth line) as ‘bin’, which is common in an American accent. However, to...

Through ‘The Nature of Middle Earth’ we have seen the vast extent of JRRT’s increasingly elaborate and intricate models of Elf to Human aging equivalents. JRRTs notes and calculations on Elvish time and aging take about 160 pages of ‘The Nature of Middle Earth’, and 22 chapters. Making...

In class, we discussed many interesting and valid possible influences on why Aragorn chose the name 'Anduril', 'Flame of the West', for renaming 'The Sword that was Broken', once it was re-forged. However, we never discussed what I think is the most obvious influence on Aragorn's choice of...

Prof Olsen was puzzled as to why the Sixth Age ended with the birth of Christ, rather than with his death or Resurection. He noted that the pattern had been that Ages end when evil is defeated. I suggest that evil was defeated at the Annunciation, rather than the Resurection. That is when God...

In the last class there was a long discussion as to whether Elrond’s statement, “Had I a host of Elves in armour of the Elder Days, it would avail little”, was a reference to the Battle of the Last Alliance. The question was, could that battle be what was referenced, as it was not in the Elder...

Here is an observation which I thought to bring up when we reached the Field of Cormallen. However, it came up in discussion at New England Moot, so, I thought I would post it now. I believe it may be an original ‘Flammifer observation’, as I have never seen it anywhere else. Corey also could...