Misconceptions: Difference between revisions

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:Hobbits have comparatively large, hairy feet.  
:Hobbits have comparatively large, hairy feet.  
*Cause: Hobbit feet are portrayed so in several adaptations, such as illustrations by the [[Brothers Hildebrandt]] and the movies, where the feet are actually prosthetics.
*Cause: Hobbit feet are portrayed so in several adaptations, such as illustrations by the [[Brothers Hildebrandt]] and the movies, where the feet are actually prosthetics.
*Reality: Tolkien wrote: "their feet had tough leathery soles and were clad in a thick curling hair, much like the hair of their heads". Besides the hair, Tolkien doesn't mention that the size of their feet is disproportionally large.
*Reality: Tolkien wrote: "their feet had tough leathery soles and were clad in a thick curling hair, much like the hair of their heads". However, Tolkien does not mention that the size of their feet is disproportionately large.


===Legolas' age===
===Legolas' age===

Revision as of 10:58, 5 July 2021

"I shan't call it the end, till we've cleared up the mess." — Sam
This article or section needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of article quality.

Misconceptions have arisen and circulated over numerous concepts within J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium as a result of mistakes made by secondary authors and of changes made by adaptations.

Book Misconceptions

The following are misconceptions that have arisen independenly of adaptations, though adaptations may contribute to furthering them.

The Arkenstone was a Silmaril

The Arkenstone was a Silmaril, probably the one thrown into a fiery pit by Maedhros, and found its way (geologically?) to the north, to be rediscovered by the Khazad of Erebor. Tolkien wrote that the two lost Silmarils would remain lost until the end of Arda. However, in a partial translation of early Silmarillion texts into Old English Tolkien used the etymologically related term 'Eorclanstanas' ('holy stones') to translate 'Silmarils' - suggesting that he may have borrowed the name and other concepts from the Silmarils in describing the Arkenstone.
  • A Silmaril is a gemstone hallowed by Varda which would not suffer the touch of mortal or evil hands.[1] It only allowed Beren to handle it, but Beren also lost the hand that held it. Many mortals handled the Arkenstone without a consequence, and they did not all have good intent. It would have burned them and possibly burned Smaug as well if it were truly a Silmaril. As attractive as this theory is, because it would have made the Arkenstone such a poignant element in The Hobbit, it can only be, at best, Silmaril-like or Silmaril-inspired. The latter being the most likely case. It is not a Silmaril.
  • This theory can also be disproven by the fact that Maedhros throws himself into a fiery pit with his Silmaril, while the Arkenstone was found deep within a mountain. Therefore, unless Erebor was of volcanic orgin, it is practically impossible for the Arkenstone to be a Silmaril.

Arwen, the Lastborn of the Elves

Arwen was the last Elf born in Middle-earth.
  • Cause: This concept derives from being the youngest Elf whose birth is mentioned in the Tale of Years, and perhaps from publicity for the films.
  • Reality: There is no indication in any of Tolkien's works that Arwen is the lastborn elf, nor any indication that Elves had stopped having children after her birth.

Buckland Merges With the Shire

When King Elessar gave the Westmarch to the Shire in the Fourth Age, Buckland, an independent sliver of land, was also given to the Shire and was renamed "Eastmarch" to mirror the former.*
  • Cause: This misconception originates from the Prologue to the Lord of the Rings, and is repeated in several reference books, such as Robert Foster's Guide[2] and Fonstad's Atlas.[3] A second misconception is the name "Eastmarch" which is never mentioned as such in the narrative.
  • Reality: Tolkien's actual quote in the Prologue speaks about "the East and West Marches: the Buckland; and the Westmarch added to the Shire".[4] The semi-colon here serves to show that the "addition to the Shire" refers only to the Westmarch. This is further supported by the Tale of Years, where the creation of the Westmarch is mentioned, but not the addition of Buckland or its renaming to Eastmarch.[5]

Déagol/Sméagol Relationship

Déagol is Sméagol's cousin.
  • Reality: Tolkien only calls him Sméagol's friend in The Lord of the Rings, though in The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien he writes that Déagol was "evidently a relative (as no doubt all the members of the small community were)" of Sméagol’s.[6]

Dorwinion

Dorwinion was only mentioned in passing until it appeared on Pauline Baynes' A Map of Middle-earth (1969), where it was placed on the western shore of the Sea of Rhûn. According to popular belief, its location was not decided by Tolkien, but by Baynes in random.*As Michael Martinez notes, this is a misconception that circulates as an "urban legend" in several websites.[7] As Christopher Tolkien commented: :

Dorwinion is marked on the decorated map by Pauline Baynes, as a region on the North-western shores of the Sea of Rhun. It must be presumed that this, like other names on that map, was communicated to her by my father, but its placing seems surprising.
The Lays of Beleriand, "The Lay of the Children of Húrin"

  • Evidence that Tolkien worked with Baynes on the map may be found in the transcribed map discovered in 2015.[8] In which Dorwinion was written Tolkien's own hand.

Gil-galad's father

Fingon was Gil-galad's father
  • Cause: This is in truth not quite a misconception so much as an editorial mistake by Christopher Tolkien. JRR Tolkien indeed once considered Gil-galad to be the son of Fingon., as in The Grey Annals, and it is mentioned so in The Silmarillion.
  • Reality: Christopher Tolkien admitted that it was a rushed choice as in his father's final scripts Orodreth was Gil-galad's father, and Fingon had no wife: even in The Silmarillion, Fingon was succeeded by Turgon as High King of the Noldor instead of his "son".

Gwaihir is the Great Eagle

The (unnamed) Lord of the Eagles from The Hobbit is identified in the Lord of the Rings as Gwaihir, as they are the same person.
  • Cause: This interpretation is stated by Robert Foster[9] and perhaps originates from the meaning of Gwaihir's name, which translates as "Windlord".
  • Reality: Tolkien never states that Gwaihir was the Lord of the Eagles and King of All Birds. Furthermore there are some problems with conflating the two characters:**The Great Eagle of The Hobbit is said to wear a golden crown[10] after the end of the book, but Gwaihir is not wearing one.**Near the end of Lord of the Rings Gandalf mentions that Gwaihir has carried him twice [11] (once from Orthanc and once from Celebdil); if Gwaihir was the Great Eagle, that would make it at least three times.

Ingwë, Finwë and Elwë awoke at Cuiviénen

Ingwë, Finwë and Elwë, the three ambassadors of the Elves to Aman, and later Kings of their people, were among the first 144 Elves who awoke at Cuiviénen.
  • The Silmarillion only says that Oromë visited the Elves at Cuiviénen but does not clarify whether the Three Ambassadors were indeed firstborn. According to the Grey Annals, Oromë found the Elves 500 years after the Awakening, a gap which would leave ample time for the firstborn Elves to procreate and for Elven children to be born and grow. Nothing states that the three Ambassadors could not have been born during that time, thus belonging to a second or third generation of Elves.
    • Furthermore, the Silmarillion is clear that Elwë, Olwë (and Elmo) were brothers, and that Olwë was younger than Elwë. This can't be easily understood if Elwe was a Firstborn (i.e. without parents). The Cuivienyarna mentions that Elwe was born at Cuiviénen.[12]

Middle-earth is an underground world

Middle-earth is a world that exists inside the Earth, similar to the concept of "Hollow-Earth". Tolkien's stories are a kind of Subterranean fiction as they happen underground, at the center of the Hollow Earth.[13]*The misconception circulates mainly among the Greek audience and is explained by the Greek translation "Μέση-γη". Although the translation is accurate, the stem "μέσ-" can also be understood as inside by the occasional reader. The notion was popularised mainly by the Greek press, especially concerned with the occult or the paranormal. Those sources leave open the possibility that Tolkien possessed some esoteric or occult knowledge, whereas the fantasy races of Middle-earth are identified as the beings said to populate Agartha.*It is made clear in the Silmarillion that the Earth is called Arda floating in space with atmospheric layers such as Ilmen, Vaiya and Vista; and Middle-earth is a continent.[14] The term Middle-earth refers to "our earth" and is explained geographically as "surrounded by the ocean"[15] and not being inside something.

No Money

It is thought that Middle-earth is a utopia with no finance based economy.

Rings of Power for Non-Elves

The Elves of Eregion made specifically Seven Rings especially for the Dwarves, and Nine Rings for the Men. Occasionally it is believed that each group had its own powers to be used accordingly by Elves, Dwarves and Men. The Ring Verse ("...for the Elven-kings, ...for the Dwarf-Lords") indicates their purpose and destination as when Celebrimbor himself gave a ring to King Durin III[17].
  • Cause: This misconception likely arises from the wording of the Ring verse, as well as the way that the Rings of Power are referred to in distinct groups (i.e. Gandalf talking about the Seven, the Three, and the Nine at the Council of Elrond)*In addition, some adaptations, such as Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring show a similar notion: in both movies the prologue shows that the Elf smiths made the Rings for the Elves, Dwarves and Men, before Sauron makes war to seize them. Furthermore, in Jackson's adaptation, each group has a distinct visual style (eg. the Seven have a definite "Dwarvish" design).
  • Reality: Nowhere in Tolkien's books is mentioned that the Seven and the Nine were different from each others nor that they were made for the Dwarves and Men. Everything shows that the Rings were produced massively and were designed by the Elves for themselves. The Ring that Celebrimbor gave to Durin was a notable exception. Only the Three were created distinctly outside the other 16.[18]
The Silmarillion mentions that (besides Durin's Ring) it was Sauron who gave the Rings to the Dwarves and Men, and that was only after the Elves repented.

Misconceptions Caused by Adaptations

The following are misconceptions which have arisen primarly as a result of various adaptations of Tolkien's work, such as the movies created by Peter Jackson or the many games centered around Middle-earth.

Elves' long hair

Elves have long hair, both males and females.
  • Cause: Many elves depicted in adaptations such as Peter Jackson's movies have long hair, and other works of fantasy have likely contributed to this image.
  • Reality: Though it's safe to assume that female Elves had long hair on average, there's no clear indication that this was the same for males as well. Both Elwë and Olwë had long hair, as had Fingon.[19] In early stages of writing, Celegorm was also described as having long blond hair,[20] though that passage was removed in the published book.[21] It is never made clear if long hair was a common feature for all male Elves, or that these were an exception.
    • Although there is a note that, "all the Eldar had beautiful hair (and were especially attracted by hair of exceptional loveliness)"[19], it does not mean their beautiful hair was necessarily long. The fact that Glorfindel of Gondolin died because the Balrog grabbed him by the hair to pull him over the cliff leads one to believe that he also wore his hair long.[22] Though not explicitly stated, as Tolkien rarely described his characters in detail, it is implied as short hair is more difficult to grab. Glorfindel of Rivendell clearly had long hair, "his golden hair flowed shimmering in the wind of his speed."[23]

The Eye of Sauron

After being separated from the Ring, Sauron lost his humanoid shape and turned into a great eye.
  • Cause: Sauron was portrayed as a giant eye wreathed in flame in the movies made by Peter Jackson. He was portrayed similarly in other adaptations such as the Fellowship of the Ring game for Playstation 2 and the 1980 Return of the King special by Rankin-Bass.
  • Reality: In Letter 246 Tolkien explained that "Sauron had a humanoid form, large, but not gigantic", and in Lord of the Rings Gollum comments how Sauron had only four fingers on the Black Hand, which implies that he retained some of his previous physical form.

Gollum's age

Sméagol was born in the year 2430 of the Third Age, found the Ring on his 33rd birthday in 2463, and thus was 589 years old when he died in 3019.
  • Cause: 33 is the age a Shire Hobbit becomes officially an adult. Sméagol "found" the Ring on his birthday. The filmmakers evidently decided that the day Sméagol found the Ring was his 33rd birthday.
  • Reality: Sméagol was not a Shire Hobbit, but a Stoor, and these had different customs - Tolkien states that the Stoors of Rhovanion received, and did not give gifts on their birthdays (in Unfinished Tales, The History of Middle-earth and Letters); and T.A. 2463 as the date of the discovery of the Ring is an approximate, not a precise date. Thus, there is no exact indication of Gollum's age in Tolkien's books. See http://www.theonering.net/movie/char/smeagol.html

Hobbit feet

Hobbits have comparatively large, hairy feet.
  • Cause: Hobbit feet are portrayed so in several adaptations, such as illustrations by the Brothers Hildebrandt and the movies, where the feet are actually prosthetics.
  • Reality: Tolkien wrote: "their feet had tough leathery soles and were clad in a thick curling hair, much like the hair of their heads". However, Tolkien does not mention that the size of their feet is disproportionately large.

Legolas' age

Legolas is 2931 years old during the War of the Ring, and thus was born in T.A. 87.
  • Cause: This information also comes from film publicity and is never stated in the films or books. It may derive from the fact that Aragorn was born in the year T.A. 2931. The date of T.A. 87 for Legolas' birth agrees with another common fan theory, namely that Legolas was born during the period of peace at the beginning of the Third Age.
  • Reality: Tolkien never supplied a birthdate for Legolas.

Legolas' hair color

Legolas is blond.
  • Reality: Tolkien never specifies Legolas' hair color (although The Hobbit mentions that Thranduil, Legolas' father, was blond). Legolas' hair color is one of the most enduring controversies in Tolkien fandom.

Names of the Nazgûl

The names of all nine Nazgûl are known: Er-Murazor (the Witch-king of Angmar), Khamûl, Dwar of Waw, Ji Indur Dawndeath, Akhorahil, Hoarmurath, Adunaphel the Quiet (female), Ren the Unclean and Uvatha the Horseman.
  • Further: It should be also noted that Tolkien's texts seemingly contradict the idea that one of the Nazgûl was a woman, with their consistent references as "Men" and "kings", although it could be argued that "Men" includes women and "kings" includes queens. This is supported by the ring verse speaking of three rings for the elven "kings" and Galadriel, an elven woman being the bearer of one of the rings for the elven "kings". In the Silmarillion in Of the Rings of Power and The Third Age Tolkien says "Men proved easier to ensnare. Those who used the Nine Rings became mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers and warriors of old." The sentences before those two sentences talk about the affect of the rings on dwarves, so "Men" is probably used to mean humans and does not only mean males. Since Tar-Aldarion changed the law of succession so that daughters could become ruling queens of Númenor, it is possible that women in Númenor could rise to positions of power, so it cannot be excluded that a Númenórean woman could be one of the three "great Lords of Númenórean race" that were among the ringwraiths. Unsurprisingly, the film version of The Fellowship of the Ring shows all nine Nazgûl as men when they received their Rings of Power.

Saruman, creator of Uruk-hai

Saruman is believed to be the creator of the race of Uruk-hai (Uruks), the larger, stronger breed of Orcs.
  • Cause: The misconception originates from the fact that Saruman perhaps created a race of Orc-men or Men-Orcs in his service[24]. This is visualized in The Lord of the Rings (film series) which further established this view. However the Orc-men are not the same as the Uruk-hai, which are instead the elite fighting force used by Saruman. The movie also established wrongly that "Uruk-hai" are a stronger race of Orcs, while in reality it is simply a Black Speech term for the Orcs proper themselves (excluding the Snaga).

Tengwar on Sting

The Sindarin words Maegnas aen estar nin dagnir in yngyl im are engraved on the blade of Sting. The words translate as "Maegnas (Sharp-point) is my name, I am the spider's bane".
  • Cause: The origin of this inscription is the depiction in the movies, where Sting is depicted as being engraved.
  • Reality: In the books, Tolkien describes Sting as a rather plain weapon with a simple leather sheath. Unlike Glamdring and Orcrist, it bears no runes for Elrond to translate in The Hobbit. It first receives a name from Bilbo Baggins after he uses it against the giant spiders of Mirkwood

The War in the North

The War of the Ring included a "War in the North", which involved fighting in Eriador and around Rivendell.

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor"
  2. Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, entry "Buckland"
  3. Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth, "the Shire"
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, "Prologue", "Of the Ordering of the Shire"
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "Later Events Concerning the Members of the Fellowship of the Ring"
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 214, (undated, written late 1958 or early 1959)
  7. Did Pauline Baynes Choose the Location of Dorwinion?
  8. https://www.tolkiensociety.org/2015/11/tolkiens-annotated-map-of-middle-earth-transcribed/
  9. The Complete Guide to Middle-earth entry "Gwaihir"
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Queer Lodgings"
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Field of Cormallen"
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Four. Quendi and Eldar: Appendix: The legend of the Awaking of the Quendi (Cuivienyarna)"
  13. Example article in a Greek occult forum
  14. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Ainulindalë: The Music of the Ainur"
  15. Dennis Gerrolt, Tolkien's interview to BBC, 1971
  16. The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, entry "Money"
  17. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"
  18. FAQ of the Rings: How did the Seven and the Nine differ? and Were the Seven and Nine Rings originally intended for Dwarves and Men?
  19. 19.0 19.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor"
  20. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Part Two: Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings, VI. Quenta Silmarillion"
  21. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beren and Lúthien"
  22. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "III. The Fall of Gondolin"
  23. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Flight to the Ford"
  24. http://tolkien.slimy.com/faq/Creatures.html#Urukhai
  25. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A