After an unintended and unforeseen hiatus, I am back. This is part 6 of a series on Tolkien’s Letter 131, most of which is included in the preface materials of The Silmarillion. Begin reading at Part 1 — or visit the previous post in this series. * * * At this point in his letter,... Continue Reading →
From the very beginning of the legends of Middle-earth, there is evil. I suppose, rather, that it is better to say that soon after the beginning there is evil. The evil does not reside with Eru Ilúvatar at the beginning of all things but surfaces very quickly after the making of the Ainur. Melkor’s rebellion... Continue Reading →
This is part 5 of a series on Tolkien’s Letter 131, most of which is included in the preface materials of The Silmarillion. Begin reading at Part 1 — or visit the previous post in this series. * * * After discussing the earliest days of Middle-earth and the Fall of the Elves through Fëanor,... Continue Reading →
In my last two posts, I have been discussing Gandalf's words at the end of The Hobbit: 'You don’t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit?" I have focused so far on the words managed by mere luck and suggested that luck... Continue Reading →
Something Tookish 