Tony Meade
Active Member
SESSION 262
The malice of the mountain:
The malice of the mountain:
- The tendency to use alliteration for sonic effect continues with “m”, “s”, ”f”, and “l” sounds.
- This seems to be an unconscious tendency of Tolkien due to his immersion in alliterative poetry.
- While the alliteration itself is often subtle, Tolkien was very conscious of the sounds of the words he used to create certain effects and evoke particular responses in the book’s readers.
- There are also combinations of letter sounds used in conjunction, such as “fr” and “fl”, which gives a specific tone to the prose, particularly if it is read aloud, much like shades in a painting.
- Various kinds of sibilance used, both at the beginning of words and within, create a soundscape.
- Lots of different placements of “l” sounds throughout the land description give a rolling quality.
- While Tolkien is often trying to emulate the sounds that the characters are hearing in the scene around them, there is just as often a subtler, more emotional effect that is being created by it.
- Tolkien did not openly espouse the linguistic theory of iconicity, in that there was inherent meaning in the sounds of words, he did like the idea in as he could apply it to his own languages.
- The Tengwar script was designed to be a completely rational script, in contrast to the Latin one.
- Tolkien was very interested in the sonic propriety of a word to what it represents, he wanted to create a script, and an overall language, which fit the world and people that used the language.
- This is shown in the shock and horror of Elrond and the other Elf-lords at Gandalf’s recitation of the Black Speech inscription on the One Ring, because the sound of the language is itself evil.
- Note: Ursula Le Guin was another fantasy author who was interested in the origin of language.
- The use of onomatopoetic words was another way for Tolkien to translate his images to words.
- Gimli’s response to the mountain seems to be answered in kind and matches his prior beliefs.
- Note: When using the phrase “as if” in the text, Tolkien leaves it ambiguous as to whether what is being suggested is literal or figurative, leaving it to the reader to interpret as to which it is. The same is true of when he uses a phrase such as “it is said” which provides deniability of its truth.
- While Gimli has been completely convinced of the mountain’s active will, Aragorn and the others have been open to the idea without declaring it to be the only possible explanation.
- Many of the powerful places and natural forces present in Middle-earth are ambiguous as to why they are powerful, whether they are inherently powerful or externally imbued with power.
- The preponderance of evidence is that there is a spirit in Caradhras, but that is never confirmed.
- The relief that is felt as the mountain’s malice is expended is visualized with the description of the broader light, which stands in contrast to the narrow, enclosed feeling they had in the snow.
- The wide vista that they are given is the first time they have been able to see the country through which they have passed, after spending so much time in darkness and constraint.
- The feeling that the malevolent spirit’s influence has passed away is palpable, but they have now returned to the place where they had begun the debate that led to the initial attempt.
- This means that all their efforts since then have been in vain, and they are now in even greater danger than before, without a clear, safe route ahead that they can use to cross the mountains.