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02-02-2006, 03:27 PM | #41 | ||||||||||
La Belle Dame sans Merci
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A Resurrection
I had an epiphany of sorts in class the other day, hit Search just now, and found this lovely thread that I decided died too early.
I'm reading Dante's Inferno. I'm seeing parallels. I thought I'd share them. Y'all make mention of where hell is on Middle Earth. The Paths of the Dead. Inferno. Let me compare: Outside the entrance: Quote:
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The Paths of the Dead reflect Dante's first circle of Hell. Or I'm insane. Take your pick and discuss, if you will. You never know, I might use some of your thoughts in a paper I'm planning to write.
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02-02-2006, 03:41 PM | #42 |
Eagle of the Star
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sarmisegethuza
Posts: 1,058
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The main difference I see between the two tales is that the king of the mountains's accursed people are a singular (mostly irrepeatable in itself) and temporary case - though your comparison makes for a vey interesting reading .
[As a side note, the case of the forgotten people seems rather problematic to me: did Isildur indeed have the power to alter the design of other Men, in a rather significant manner? Only the valar could do that, Imo, and they thoroughly avoid it.] |
02-02-2006, 03:48 PM | #43 |
La Belle Dame sans Merci
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What fascinated me was a line of somewhat irreverent thought: Is Aragorn supposed to be a parallel to Jesus? Wow, allegories are bad, says Tolkien. And yet his "Hell" is parallel to that of a clearly allegorical story.
The descendent of one for whom the dwellers of the place did not fight is one given the power to descend into the place and release them from their fate. The Harrowing of Hell. It made me think a lot. The King of Men.
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02-02-2006, 04:09 PM | #44 | |
Illustrious Ulair
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
Posts: 4,240
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I'm not sure that the Paths of the Dead was a strict allegory of Hell. In 'The Rivers & Beacon Hills of Gondor' Tolkien gives some background to the place:
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And what reason Baldor had for wanting to get in there (did he know there was such a temple beyond the door?) is another question... |
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02-02-2006, 05:27 PM | #45 |
A Mere Boggart
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: under the bed
Posts: 4,737
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The main drawback as I see it is that the Men of Dunharrow were not 'fence-sitters', they were oath breakers and as such had done wrong. Given what Tolkien wrote later about "evil temple", maybe he wanted to show that these Men had been engaged in worship of Sauron/Morgoth and that it was this that led them astray and made them break their oaths.
There is just one major drawback to this theory - that Baldor must have lived quite some time after Isildur. Perhaps there were still Men who wanted to follow this 'cult', worshipping the dead, even?
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02-02-2006, 06:09 PM | #46 | |
La Belle Dame sans Merci
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Talk about breaking an oath. And yes, I'm arguing to inspire discussion and fun of that sort.
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02-03-2006, 12:56 AM | #47 | ||
Eagle of the Star
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sarmisegethuza
Posts: 1,058
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02-03-2006, 02:22 AM | #48 | |
Hauntress of the Havens
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: IN it, but not OF it
Posts: 2,538
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How coincidental. My World Lit class is just finishing up with Inferno, too, and I also searched this thread to see if it can help me with my paper.
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But in the Harrowing of Hell, Jesus supposedly took only selected people from Limbo with Him to Heaven. Meanwhile all of the Dead were granted release from their oath, assuming of course that none of them opposed their king and chose to stay behind and have tea parties instead of fighting with Aragorn. Just noting a simple observation. Fea, why don't we engage in mutualism for our respective papers? Last edited by Lhunardawen; 02-03-2006 at 02:25 AM. |
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02-03-2006, 08:09 AM | #49 | ||
La Belle Dame sans Merci
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Just noting another. Aragorn also has powers to heal. Eowyn lay as though dead. Aragorn brought her back. The little girl who died... Jesus said she was merely sleeping. Just noting another. Quote:
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