#Tolkien purists aren’t so purists after all

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

W.H. Auden review of “Return of the King” (1956): “evil loves only itself”

Tolkien reply (Letter 183): look, pal, that’s a very narrow and basic view of good vs. evil. I don’t agree with that, at all. I’m not a simple-minded adolescent. I don’t deal with absolute evil in my work, by the way. I’m going to write an entire essay politely telling you to f*ck off.

Tolkien/RoP fandoms for the next decades: evil loves only itself!!!

Tolkien in the afterlife, probably:

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

My dudes, we are talking about a literal demon here. “Corrupting” Galadriel sexuality and her sexual morality is Sauron’s whole goal.

Elves try and want to be the “perfect Catholics” in Tolkien legendarium, and their sexuality is restrained and contained within marriage. Elven sexual culture is Catholic purity culture (sex = marriage; divorce is forbidden; no pre-marriage sex; no casual sex; monogamy; no adultery). Targeting and “corrupting” this is the devil and his demons goals. Like: duh?

Everyone recognizes the Christian-Catholic inspiration and message in Tolkien lore except when it comes to sex. Did you all miss the part where Christians blame the devil for everything sexual in the world? Seriously, this obsession with de-sexualizing Tolkien demons is so bizarre.

the anti-haladriels circling me because they believe shipping galadriel x sauron is a sign of abject moral failure

[finitefall]

Did you watch ROP?

Hi nonnie! Yes, I watched The Rings of Power before House of the Dragon, actually. I enjoyed the first season and will keep watching, despite its flaws. While I'm a huge Tolkien fan and understand those who hate the show, I have an issue with the many people complaining it ruined Tolkien's Legendarium.

First, because Tolkien's work is still there and will keep being important way after most people will have stopped talking about ROP. It's not ruined, and saying you're insulting Tolkien because you enjoy the show is seriously screwed up. Second, because many complained about it being an awful adaptation when it was clearly said before it even aired that it wasn't an adaptation at all. That's why I can enjoy it for what it is, it's not based on a book, only on appendices. It's a show "inspired by", not an adaptation. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was an adaptation that I loved. The Hobbit trilogy was an adaptation too, but I didn't like it because it was a bad adaptation (for me, those of you who enjoyed it, don’t come at me). The Rings of Power isn't an adaptation, so it can't be compared to either.

Now, people can be upset of course. But they're blaming Amazon and the writers, like it's their fault this show was allowed to happen. The Tolkien Estate has the rights to Tolkien's Legendarium, they're the ones who gave Amazon the right to make this show. If people want to be pissed at someone, they should be pissed at the Tolkien Estate since they're the ones in charge of his legacy. No one forced them to accept.

Tolkien purists seem to be a bit dramatic. He’s one of my favorite authors but I’m not definitely not a purist. Now, I can predict that some people will call me a hypocrite because of my criticism of both shows inspired by GRRM books, but Game of Thrones is an adaptation of ASOIAF that went downhill (even after I began reading the books, which was after I finished watching the first season, it used to be one of my favorite shows despite all the changes, what changed is the writers ruining the second half of the show) and as for House of the Dragon, I don’t only blame the writers but also GRRM himself: after Game of Thrones, he should have known better. He doesn’t seem to care, though. But I’m not being dramatic on my anti got & anti hotd tags, saying the shows ruined ASOIAF since it’s not the case: the books are still the same, the shows aren’t ASOIAF books (duh). Well, no adaptation (or non-adaptation in the case of ROP), can ruin Tolkien’s Legendarium, as I said in the beginning.

Back to the show, I enjoyed the first season as I said. It’s definitely not without flaws, but the story is entertaining and the entire cast is really good. I especially love Bronwyn and Arondir, the friendship between Elrond and Durin (and his wife Disa, of course) and Adar is one of the most interesting and complex characters.

[theelvenhaven]

Heyy! First let me say how much I ove your blog and everything you post! You're such a talented writer, I always come back to read all your masterlist again❣

I wanted to ask you smth: do you feel like the tolkien fandom is becoming a bit..... toxic lately? I don't know if it is just the side I am going through, but idk. I stopped following a lot of blogs already, since the series came up people are being just so... weird. I've been seeing many people being xenophobic, racist and rude on many posts. I don't know if these people are the tolkien purists who showed themselves after the series thing or they became like this by seeing people acting like this. I'm just kinda sad, because this fandom was amazing and the safe place of many people, but all this toxic stuff lately are just..upsetting

Do you have any blog recs you like and where people are respectful? Like I said I love your blogs and I love how kind and respectful you are too💕

06.12.2022

Hey anon! 💖 thank you so much for your kind words I greatly appreciate them 💖

But no you are not imagining that the Tolkien fandom has racist/xenophobes and the like crawling out of the wood works with the new series coming up. I’ve been struggling being both on tumblr and Facebook due to it.

The toxicity has been a lot to deal with and handle. I totally sympathize with what you are going through, it’s frustrating.

I really don’t have a big blog recommendation at all, because I’ve been having a hard time too. One of my other really good friends (outside of Saviorsong) @melkors-4th-silmaril posts a lot about Silm/Tolkien stuff and is really safe.

She’s really looking forward to the show too. I also have my main blog @theladyvanya if you’re interested.

If there are other blogs who aren’t toxic about the show y’all are welcome to recommend them. But I’ve been limiting my time on tumblr because of it.

[ofwizardsandmen]

SILENCE

Gossip Witch AU (HP AU) Characters: Tara Lee (OC),  Mark  Word count: 1,2k Genre: fluff, a lot of fluff

“Once upon a time Mark enjoyed silence.”

Once upon a time there weren’t many things Mark enjoyed as much as lying down beneath the leafy London plane in the backyard of Fawley Manor —that, Tara recounted, had been there since her great grandfather’s days— to hungrily devour the classics. From Shakespeare to Tolkien, and —occasionally— some of his brother’s comic book recommendations, Mark would spend way too many hours reading piles and piles of books that he would later swap with Tara in a carefully planned dynamic that they had established on Tara’s fourth birthday.

Oftentimes, as part of their childhood exploits, Tara and Mark would also sneak into her family’s immense library to pick one or two books children of their age were not supposed to read. The silence —or lack thereof— was usually an indication of how safe it was to walk into the manor and not get caught by Mr. and Mrs. Fawley —Tara’s very strict and purist grandparents.

During the summer of 2014 Mark also enjoyed the silence that came along with an empty house. Free from his brother’s questionable music choices and the piano notes floating from inside his mother’s music room, —where she would spend hours training a long list of now successful and accomplished musicians; himself included—, Mark and Tara shared their first kisses. At age 13, they were nothing but sweet explorations that left their hearts racing and cheeks tainted pink with shyness and embarrassment.

Half his lifetime ago, Mark really enjoyed silence. But long past were those days.

It’s probably one of those things people outgrow with time.  

Or probably Mark has just grown accustomed to the chaos, racket, and turmoil that comes with touring and spending most of his time with another 8 men. It’s probably Doyoung and Taeyong playing cat and mouse during their scheduled morning fights, or maybe  Donghyuck’s unmistakable voice calling after Taeil as he chases him around the dorm. Perhaps it is Johnny’s hearty laughter or the pretentious music playing from Jaehyun’s room loudly. Or simply the crowds of fans chanting his name.

Maybe the moments of pleasant quietness are just too scarce to be enjoyed.

Nowadays Mark associates every silent moment with disapproval and uncertainty; trouble and awkwardness.

Mark still recalls with bitterness the silence he encountered on his first public appearance after his relationship reveal. He also thinks of the uncomfortable lack of conversation accompanying arguments he was not even a part of, and of course the one time Tara chose silence over three words that would’ve saved them the unnecessary pain of a breakup.  It also comes to mind the silence before Taeyong breaks unwanted news to the group.

Maybe that’s why he’s so wary of it.

Yet It is amid silence that he lets out an exasperated sigh, closing the book he’s been attempting to read with a loud snap.

Unlike his childhood days, there aren’t many books he’s eager to peruse or enough time for Mark to even take pleasure on the activity. Especially not during those rare free days when he can spend time with his girlfriend —fiancée, he doesn’t seem to get used to this new word yet.

But judging by the way Tara stares at her computer while mouthing some words silently, she doesn’t seem worried about spending time with him at all.

Mark has been sighing and making all sorts of noises for what seems to be hours to him, but trying to get Tara’s attention is nearly impossible when she’s this engrossed in her own world —or literary universe, better said—. Mark tries clearing his throat loudly next.

And there’s still no response.

“T” Mark whines as he throws the book mindlessly on the empty spot beside him. Tara doesn’t even blink “Tara!” he slightly raises his voice hoping he’ll finally get a reaction from his girlfriend. Any sign that she is not purposely ignoring him would suffice, even a simple look.

Yet, Tara only groans and without letting her eyes deviate from the screen of the computer, she mutters a curt “What?” that almost feels like a slap across the face.

Though Mark is usually a humble man, he hates to admit —even if it is to himself—, that he’s not used to or enjoys being ignored so blatantly. He could blame fame, but honestly, he’s always been a people’s favorite and as pretentious as it sounds, Mark simply doesn’t walk into a room without getting a fair share of attention.  

“You’re ignoring me,!” he complains with a pout that Tara can’t see because she has not moved an inch.

“I am not” she replies simply, her voice barely audible.

“You are” Mark insists, the pout growing more pronounced.

“I am not”

“Tara, please you haven’t talked to me since I got here, is this some sort of punishment because I didn’t tell you I was coming? I just wanted to surprise you” Mark says, his voice so impatient it gives away how frustrated he feels. “Or is this because of that stupid Gossip Witch Spotted? I swear to God I just ran into Mindy casually, I was with Doyoung, they cropped the picture. Please, T, you have to believe-“ Mark adds in such a pleading, hopeless tone that Tara finally snaps out of the self absorption and slowly turns her chair to face her fiancé.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but now you’ve got my attention,” she says with a raised brow and it is evident she is struggling to keep a straight face.

“It was nothing, Doyoung and I went to get coffee, we were paying at the cashier when Mindy walked in. She said hello, I said hello and that was it, no conversation, nothing, just two people bumping into each other randomly” Mark states seriously. “T, we’re engaged, we’re getting married and I would never-“

“I know you would never” Tara interrupts, a shadow of a smile making its way onto her lips. It is the classic Tara smile: warm, knowing, and just a touch mischievous, teasing almost. “I wasn’t ignoring you” she says turning serious and pointing at the screen of her computer “I just finished the last chapter of my book” Tara explains beaming. Mark lets out a long, relieved exhale and allows his eyes to rest on Tara’s face. “I wanted to proofread before sending it to my editor, but you know, I guess as excited as I am, that can wait. I barely slept last night, so I could use some cuddles, some food and maybe my super needy and cute boy- fiancé…“Tara corrects herself “wants to update me about the latest blasts on Gossip Witch” Tara adds the last part smirking. “I didn’t know you were a fan. Oh, no, wait, you’re becoming one of those narcissistic celebrities that search their names on Google and have the notifs on for news about them, now that’s-“

Mark doesn’t let Tara continue because he skillfully picks her up, spinning her around before laying her on the velvet sofa where he was sitting just seconds ago and starts tickling her sides. Tara laughs and screams for him to stop, trying to defend herself with her knees, but Mark continues because there’s nothing he loves as much as to hear Tara laugh genuinely, freely, with nothing holding her back.

It’s the kind of thing he will never outgrow and one of the many reasons silence is not enjoyable anymore. 

…

[xcziel]

i have to say, i have tried with the MXTX danmei novels (at least, the english translations) and personally ... i just can't

idk if it's the translations themselves (because everyone says the writing is so good in chinese, so something might really be getting lost) or just the style, but they are not enjoyable for me personally to read

the wording is clunky to me, the descriptions dry. there's just so Much stuff that's ... pointless (to me) ghost story/early-episode-of-Supernatural type of events, seemingly just plopped inside the plot? with one or two elements of relevant character or plot information scattered within? i'm guessing possibly this may be due to them being serialized web novels (got to keep people interested chapter to chapter i suppose)

and then the parts where i could really do with more authorial involvement or descriptions are rendered with: "and then that happened" and no more? again, this may be the unspoken genre conventions that i'm not aware of as a western reader, but if that's the case i feel i can be excused for going: wtf?

a character "ascended to the heavens"? um, how exactly? could you describe this process other than "there was a great disturbance that shook the foundations" and then totally side-tracking into petty disaster reparations? how does the character feel? bc all they actually seem to do is shrug and go "oh, okay whatever"

for stories with such high stakes and deep emotions running rampant, there's ... such a lack of affect? and i don't know if that's a cultural thing, a translation issue, or me just marinating in fanfic for so long, but honestly, reading a description of something that would be unimaginably painful happening to a character, but them going, in text, "oh. well, it was justified that happened i suppose. i guess i don't feel it anymore" leaves me literally like "???"

to my reading, the characters are opaque, it almost seems an issue of telling rather than showing. they perform impossibly romantic actions, enact modes of devotion and revenge, but there's no examination of their internal psychology. even inner thoughts are somehow rendered as passive, almost remote? it's like books full of cql lan wangjis. people talk and perform actions, and i'm meant to interpret their emotions purely from that, which is certainly a valid way to write, but i feel i'm not able to properly describe how ... distancing? how ... textbook-like? it makes the stories feel for me

it's like i thiiiink i can see where parts of the novels are deconstructing tropes that are almost sort of invisible outlines of things i've come to expect in fandom reading, made clear more from the spaces left by their absence, so i can guess at the author's intentions there. but unfortunately the execution is what i'm actually left dealing with, and it's ... not something i would ever read by choice? if i picked these books up off the shelf in a local bookstore (maybe they had a really great covers), i'd read the blurb on the back, flip through a few pages, see the rains of blood or the chatty disembodied heads, and put them back down again

i'm not even seriously addressing the sex scenes bc people have made it very clear that those do actually conform to genre and cultural conventions, however irksome they are personally to me as a western reader (they really do read like a straight female's version of gay sex, though. as though they were written het, and then she just switched a few things and the pronouns. the different translations change things considerably between them, but that part still really comes through)

and like these aren't just fantasy stories, they're ghost stories, they're very much Horror stories in aspect - there's far more curses and gore and gross spooky shit that seems to be there just for the sake of being gross and spooky as far as i can tell - than like the 'magic' magic a western reader might expect in a supernatural fantasy. MXTX's writing (or possibly the xianxia genre?) to me has a lot more in common with japanese horror than say, the dresden files or tolkien

and i know part of that is the culture: everything's related to spirits, reincarnation, ancestral honor or debts, and clearly that's why the genre doesn't map directly to the western idea of supernatural/fantasy stories, but like, i still, personally, hate horror stories? i don't care about ghosts either. buzzfeed unsolved and blair witch and the ring leave me equally cold.

so for me, the part of The Untamed featuring gorgeous people in amazing costumes being utter badasses? improbable fight scenes, mystery-solving, and heart-wrenching romance? yes yes yes, a thousand times yes!

the curses, creepy eye-sacrificing, tongue-slicing, flesh-eating, revelling in zombie/ghost/creature skin-crawlingness? a very big no thank you on my part. most especially on the written page

(they toned down a LOT of that in the adaptations)

tl;dr the MXTX books may be the basis for an amazing tv series and adaptations, plus the plots/characters by themselves are iconic and fantastic worldbuilding, but me trying to read through the translations is like making myself do homework, and i have enough other media waiting on my time and attention that fighting to read in a genre i don't normally care for is just not worth it.

i'm sorry mdzs purists, i can understand the frustration of endless bad takes, but fandomers pick and choose their canons, and a lot of us chose cql as the starting point. we're not doing it to be obtuse or obstructive - it's literally just the version that is most satisfying to engage with for some. no hard feelings okay? we all just want to enjoy ourselves, after all

(i mean, i've never read the lord of the rings either and i don't regret it. i still enjoyed the movies)

[the-seas-song]

Tolkien Gen Week Day 5

DAY FIVE: diversity How does diversity affect Tolkien’s characters and your interpretations of them? Does a disability or orientation affect relationships with other characters? Have you lost sleep thinking about hobbit race relations? This is the day to consider all the other factors that go into a character’s life.

Work has been insane lately, so unfortunately I wasn't able to write everything I wanted to for this amazing week, but I really wanted to make sure I got this one done.

This is mainly a thank you post. First, I want to give a big thank you to @starlightwalking for creating and running this week. A lot of time must have gone into it, and I've had a great time.

I love all forms of love, and one of my favorite things about Tolkien's works is that he highlights a large variety of emotionally intimate platonic relationships. Thank you Tolkien. And also thank you to everyone who worked on the films, for not only portraying those in the texts, but actually adding and expanding the amount of deep platonic relationships.

As someone who is gray aro/ace, another one of my favorite things about Tolkien's works is the diversity in racial sexualities.

Elves only fall in love once in their life (technically it is possible for them to fall in love a second time, but we are only given two cases in all of Tolkien’s works, and both times there was a greater power at work). The foundation of elven-kind is memory and emotion. Their souls control their bodies. Elvish memories remain crystal clear, no matter how many decades or centuries pass. They never fade, even the slightest bit. Connected to memory is emotion. Elves feel things in a clearer way. They are ruled by emotion. They can literally just lie down and kill themselves with their mind, if they wish. Also, because of this clarity, they know from the beginning if they are feeling romantic-love or friendship-love for someone. There is nothing more important to an elf than their relationships, of any kind. Their anti-possessiveness goes so far that they will not even say 'I have two children’.

Tolkien says in LACE that almost all elves marry, and marry young. However, the entire legendarium contradicts that. Over half the elves we meet very marry/are never said to be married, and almost all of those that do marry do so well into their centuries and millenniums. Feanor and Nerdanel are literally the only elven couple that we are told married young.

Also, who could ever forget the tragedy of Beleg's death? “Thus ended Beleg Strongbow, truest of friends, greatest in skill of all that harboured in the woods of Beleriand in the Elder Days, at the hand of him whom he most loved; and that grief was graven on the face of Túrin and never faded.” - The Silmarillion

We are also given a tantalizing hint of one deep female friendship: “Fingolfin’s wife Anaire refused to leave Aman, largely because of her friendship with Earwen wife of Arafinwe (though she was a Noldo and not one of the Teleri). But all her children went with their father.” - The Shibboleth of Feanor

Another thing I rarely see people mention is Tolkien explicitly separating sex and gender:

According to the Eldar, the only 'character' of any person that was not subject to change was the difference of sex. For this they held to belong not only to the body but also to the mind equally: that is, to the person as a whole. [cut] Those who returned from Mandos, therefore, after the death of their first body, returned always to the same name and to the same sex as formerly.

[cut]

For the [souls] of the Elves are of their nature male and female, and not their [bodies] only. - LACE

Because their souls control their bodies, there are no trans elves. However, the fact that Tolkien took pains to explicitly say this for elves, throws the door wide open for all of the other races!

We're also told that about two thirds of dwarves are naturally aromantic, and those who aren’t only fall in love once. So, another gray aro/ace race!

There are so many amazing fanworks out there that diversify Tolkien's works even more.

Throughout my years of being a fan I've met a fair amount of purists, and there's nothing wrong with being a purist. Most of them are lovely people. I am, however, a firm believer in Roland Barthes's The Death of the Author (found here) theory. The great thing is Tolkien was too:

The Lord of the Rings has been read by many people since it finally appeared in print; and I should like to say something here with reference to the many opinions or guesses that I have received or have read concerning the motives and meaning of the tale. The prime motive was the desire of a tale-teller to try his hand at a really long story that would hold the attention of readers, amuse them, delight them, and at times maybe excite them or deeply move them. As a guide I had only my own feelings for what is appealing or moving, and for many the guide was inevitably often at fault. Some who have read the book, or at any rate have reviewed it, have found it boring, absurd, or contemptible; and I have no cause to complain, since I have similar opinions of their works, or of the kinds of writing that they evidently prefer. But even from the points of view of many who have enjoyed my story there is much that fails to please. It is perhaps not possible in a long tale to please everybody at all points, nor to displease everybody at the same points; for I find from the letters that I have received that the passages or chapters that are to some a blemish are all by others specially approved. The most critical reader of all, myself, now finds many defects, minor and major, but being fortunately under no obligation either to review the book or to write it again, he will pass over these in silence, except one that has been noted by others: the book is too short.

As for any inner meaning or 'message', it has in the intention of the author none. It is neither allegorical nor topical. As the story grew it put down roots (into the past) and threw out unexpected branches: but its main theme was settled from the outset by the inevitable choice of the Ring as the link between it and The Hobbit.

[cut]

Other arrangements could be devised according to the tastes or views of those who like allegory or topical reference. But I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history, true or feigned, with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory'; but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.

An author cannot of course remain wholly unaffected by his experience, but the ways in which a story-germ uses the soil of experience are extremely complex, and attempts to define the process are at best guesses from evidence that is inadequate and ambiguous. It is also false, though naturally attractive, when the lives of an author and critic have overlapped, to suppose that the movements of thought or the events of times common to both were necessarily the most powerful influences. One has indeed personally to come under the shadow of war to feel fully its oppression; but as the years go by it seems now often forgotten that to be caught in youth by 1914 was no less hideous an experience than to be involved in 1939 and the following years. By 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead. Or to take a less grievous matter: it has been supposed by some that 'The Scouring of the Shire' reflects the situation in England at the time when I was finishing my tale. It does not. It is an essential part of the plot, foreseen from the outset, though in the event modified by the character of Saruman as developed in the story without, need I say, any allegorical significance or contemporary political reference whatsoever. It has indeed some basis in experience, though slender (for the economic situation was entirely different), and much further back. The country in which I lived in childhood was being shabbily destroyed before I was ten, in days when motor-cars were rare objects (I had never seen one) and men were still building suburban railways. Recently I saw in a paper a picture of the last decrepitude of the once thriving corn-mill beside its pool that long ago seemed to me so important. I never liked the looks of the Young miller, but his father, the Old miller, had a black beard, and he was not named Sandyman. - LotR Foreward

And:

The Lord of the Rings as a story was finished so long ago now that I can take a largely impersonal view of it, and find 'interpretations' quite amusing; even those that I might make myself, which are mostly post scriptum: I had very little particular, conscious, intellectual, intention in mind at any point.* Except for a few deliberately disparaging reviews – such as that of Vol. II in the New Statesman,3 in which you and I were both scourged with such terms as 'pubescent' and 'infantilism' – what appreciative readers have got out of the work or seen in it has seemed fair enough, even when I do not agree with it. Always excepting, of course, any 'interpretations' in the mode of simple allegory: that is, the particular and topical. In a larger sense, it is I suppose impossible to write any 'story' that is not allegorical in proportion as it 'comes to life'; since each of us is an allegory, embodying in a particular tale and clothed in the garments of time and place, universal truth and everlasting life. Anyway most people that have enjoyed The Lord of the Rings have been affected primarily by it as an exciting story; and that is how it was written. Though one does not, of course, escape from the question 'what is it about?' by that back door. That would be like answering an aesthetic question by talking of a point of technique. I suppose that if one makes a good choice in what is 'good narrative' (or 'good theatre') at a given point, it will also be found to be the case that the event described will be the most 'significant'.

* Take the Ents, for instance. I did not consciously invent them at all. The chapter called 'Treebeard', from Treebeard's first remark on p. 66, was written off more or less as it stands, with an effect on my self (except for labour pains) almost like reading some one else's work. And I like Ents now because they do not seem to have anything to do with me. I daresay something had been going on in the 'unconscious' for some time, and that accounts for my feeling throughout, especially when stuck, that I was not inventing but reporting (imperfectly) and had at times to wait till 'what really happened' came through. But looking back analytically I should say that Ents are composed of philology, literature, and life.

[cut]

That of course does not mean that the main idea of the story was a war-product. That was arrived at in one of the earliest chapters still surviving (Book I, 2). It is really given, and present in germ, from the beginning, though I had no conscious notion of what the Necromancer stood for (except ever-recurrent evil) in The Hobbit, nor of his connexion with the Ring. But if you wanted to go on from the end of The Hobbit I think the ring would be your inevitable choice as the link. If then you wanted a large tale, the Ring would at once acquire a capital letter; and the Dark Lord would immediately appear. As he did, unasked, on the hearth at Bag End as soon as I came to that point. So the essential Quest started at once. But I met a lot of things on the way that astonished me. Tom Bombadil I knew already; but I had never been to Bree. Strider sitting in the comer at the inn was a shock, and I had no more idea who he was than had Frodo. The Mines of Moria had been a mere name; and of Lothlórien no word had reached my mortal ears till I came there. Far away I knew there were the Horse-lords on the confines of an ancient Kingdom of Men, but Fangorn Forest was an unforeseen adventure. I had never heard of the House of Eorl nor of the Stewards of Gondor. Most disquieting of all, Saruman had never been revealed to me, and I was as mystified as Frodo at Gandalf's failure to appear on September 22.1 knew nothing of the Palantíri, though the moment the Orthanc-stone was cast from the window, I recognized it, and knew the meaning of the 'rhyme of lore' that had been running in my mind: seven stars and seven stones and one white tree. These rhymes and names will crop up; but they do not always explain themselves. I have yet to discover anything about the cats of Queen Berúthiel.8 But I did know more or less all about Gollum and his pan, and Sam, and I knew that the way was guarded by a Spider. And if that has anything to do with my being stung by a tarantula when a small child,9 people are welcome to the notion (supposing the improbable, that any one is interested). I can only say that I remember nothing about it, should not know it if I had not been told; and I do not dislike spiders particularly, and have no urge to kill them. I usually rescue those whom I find in the bath! - Letter 163

Tolkien's loathing of allegory is well known. However, most don't talk about the fact that his fundamental reason for loathing it is because it enforces the domination of the author over the freedom of the reader - “I think that many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory'; but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.”

So, as we continue to love these works and create our own, let's never forget that Tolkien himself believed in our agency.

P.S. I have to share this quote from Letter 66. It's too funny!

A new character has come on the scene (I am sure I did not invent him, I did not even want him, though I like him, but there he came walking into the woods of Ithilien): Faramir, the brother of Boromir – and he is holding up the 'catastrophe' by a lot of stuff about the history of Gondor and Rohan (with some very sound reflections no doubt on martial glory and true glory): but if he goes on much more a lot of him will have to be removed to the appendices — where already some fascinating material on the hobbit Tobacco industry and the Languages of the West have gone.