Middle-earth Journeys

"All Sauron had to do was think about it." Great point, RR. (Maybe not having a face impaired his ability to think!) Maybe, too, he had so long prepared his attack, that he was so invested in it that he didn't think about alternate endings. The Calendar has brought to mind the other wars he let loose in Middle-earth at the same time as his attacks on Minas Tirith: on Lorien, Rohan, and Dale. Didn't Gandalf say something like he weighs all things to a nicety in the malice of his mind? It seems he just could not conceive of losing.

Another great calendar today! The tale of self-sacrifice of the Host of the West is really quite extraordinary.

The March 18 Calendar wrote:It is said that the key to a good offense is a great defense but, I think, sometimes the key to a good offense is a great bluff.

And Sauron falls for it hook, line, and sinker, doesn't he? Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Maybe it is that Sauron did not surround himself with good advisors...he felt himself all knowing and omnipotent. The Debate of the Commanders had at least ensured that the Host of the West had explored all the possibilities. Sauron relied on his own flawed counsel. All of his servants were 'yes men', created by him. That assures no dissention, but also fatally limits the exploration of new ideas and strategies.

You'd think Sauron would be sensitive the possibility of a bluff, though, wouldn't you? He used it so often in his own strategies, fooling the Numenoreans over the Valar and later the Elves with the rings. He certainly had a very subtle mind but here he seems distracted on all fronts - overstretched, allowing himself to be panicked almost by the possibility of another wielding the Ring and taking his eye of the ball big time!

Not to change the subject but I was wondering if anyone spent Tolkien Reading Day doing what die hard fans do? The children and I revisited Bilbo, Dwarves and Gandalf in the most exciting bits of The Hobbit.

No children around yesterday to read to, Philipa, so I read to myself: Appendix A, part II, 'The House of Eorl'.

I read some poems in my Tolkien Poetry book .

How about posting one of those poems in our Tolkien poetry thread?

Great idea! We need more poetry.

Another comment on the Great Years Calendar for today: I always get the giggles a bit when Tolkien describes (in Appendix B) what happened at Dol Guldur. He writes that "Galadriel threw down its walls and laid bare its pits . . ." So what really happened here? I have two pictures: one of Galadriel kind of blinking her eyes (or wiggling her nose like Samantha!) and the walls came tumbling down; the other of Galadriel with a jackhammer or a wrecking ball!

Hmmm maybe she puts her hair back in a ponytail puts on a work apron and pickes up a chisel and hammer. Brick by brink she dismantles the place and each time a stone is lossened she picks it up and hurles it down screaming profanity.

Celeborn: "Honey, come down from there..your making a scene!"

Merry and Philipa, I will now forever have that mental image of Galadriel when I read about Dol Goldur's destruction!

She's one amazing Elf, that Galadriel. Celeborn is a sort of Elf-Consort really, isn't he? I bet Galadriel does all the home DIY as well.

Philipa wrote:How about posting one of those poems in our Tolkien poetry thread?

OK - but they are all poems from LOTR, Illustrated (and signed ) by Alan Lee. When I'm home with my book I'll pick one.

Maybe our membership on the other side of 'the pond' will be interested in this Tolkien conference coming in August:

http://www.tolkiensoxford.com

There is a link to an interesting interview by Stratford Caldecott included. I'm actually thinking of attending this conference--my first trip to Europe!

It does look interesting!!!! I'm thinking seriously about it too - but it would need some date juggling and it costs a heap .

Something that I have always wondered and been thinking about (again ) lately is...

Do women read LOTR differently than men?

That is to say are the same characters important to both sexes? Are there plots and subplots that are more or less meaningful? What is this book about to men, and what is it about to women?

Thoughts?

Ooh, great question! I'll start the thinking process . . .