Second-guessing and Misunderstanding Tolkien

[Radaghast]

That's some snug armor. Joel Schumacher, eat your heart out.

 

[Deimos]

Which reminds me: why didn't they get Tom to blow up the Ring? He's got "Bomb" right in his name!

You get a bazillion points for that 😁... I couldn't stop laughing.🤣🤣🤣

 

[Glorfindel Goldtress]

I've shown this to one of my friends before, but here's a delightful conversation I had with the oh-so-infallible ChatGPT. (I am User if this is not obvious.)

User
Write a history of Thranduil's elk.

ChatGPT
2 / 2

Thranduil's elk, also known as Aeglos, played a significant role in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, particularly in "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings." Thranduil, the Elvenking of the Woodland Realm in Mirkwood, is depicted as a character who maintains a strong connection with the natural world, and his majestic elk is a symbol of this relationship.

Origin of Aeglos:

The origins of Aeglos are not explicitly described in Tolkien's works, but it is implied that Thranduil's elk is a native inhabitant of the great forest of Mirkwood. These creatures are likely descendants of the mighty elks that once roamed the ancient forests of Middle-earth.

Role in "The Hobbit":

In "The Hobbit," Thranduil's elk, Aeglos, makes a brief appearance. When Bilbo Baggins and the Dwarves are imprisoned in the Woodland Realm, it is the Elvenking Thranduil who uses Aeglos to transport them safely. This is a pivotal moment in the story, as the elk carries the group across the river and out of captivity.

Aeglos in "The Lord of the Rings":

While Aeglos is not as prominent in "The Lord of the Rings" as it is in "The Hobbit," Thranduil's elk remains a symbol of the Elves' close connection to nature. The Elves, in general, are portrayed as guardians of the natural world, and their ability to communicate with animals and plants is showcased through characters like Thranduil.

Cultural Significance:

In Elven culture, the bond between Thranduil and his elk represents their reverence for nature and the importance of preserving the environment. Elves are known for their love of the woods and the creatures that inhabit them, and Aeglos embodies this aspect of their character.

Legacy:

Thranduil's elk, Aeglos, continues to be a beloved and memorable element of J.R.R. Tolkien's works, even though its appearances are relatively brief. The creature serves as a reminder of the Elves' connection to the natural world and their role as guardians of the forests in Middle-earth.

In conclusion, Thranduil's elk, Aeglos, holds a special place in Tolkien's legendarium as a symbol of the Elves' deep connection to nature and their role as protectors of the forests. Its brief but significant appearances in "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" help to reinforce the rich and intricate world-building that Tolkien is celebrated for.

User
Where is the elk's name mentioned in the legendarium?

ChatGPT

I apologize for the incorrect information in my previous response. Thranduil's elk is not explicitly named Aeglos in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium. The name "Aeglos" does not appear in Tolkien's works regarding Thranduil or his elk. I regret any confusion my previous response may have caused. The elk is known simply as Thranduil's "great elk" in "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings." Thank you for pointing out the error, and I appreciate your understanding.

User
What is the title of the chapter in "The Hobbit" the elk appears in?

ChatGPT

In "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien, the elk, or Thranduil's elk, makes an appearance in Chapter 9, which is titled "Barrels Out of Bond." This is the chapter where Bilbo and the Dwarves escape from the dungeons of the Elvenking's palace in barrels and are aided by Thranduil's elk in their journey down the river.

User
Since when?

ChatGPT

I apologize for the incorrect information in my previous response. Thranduil's elk does not appear in "The Hobbit" at all. The elk is not mentioned in the book, and there is no reference to it in any chapter. I appreciate your patience, and I'm sorry for the confusion.

 

[Olorgando]

I've shown this to one of my friends before, but here's a delightful conversation I had with the oh-so-infallible ChatGPT. (I am User if this is not obvious.)

Upon receiving such blather, my question to the poster would be
"What have you been
a) drinking
b) smoking
c) snorting
d) injecting
and don't try to tell me that any of the last three were legal!"
😈

 

[Glorfindel Goldtress]

"What have you been
a) drinking
b) smoking
c) snorting
d) injecting
and don't try to tell me that any of the last three were legal!"
😈

AI really stands for Alcohol Intolerance.

 

[Olorgando]

That's some snug armor. Joel Schumacher, eat your heart out.

It's so snug my guess would have gone to body-paint.

 

[Olorgando]

AI really stands for Alcohol Intolerance.

While ethanol - C2H5OH - may not have the conductivity of the dipole water - H2O - if its hydroxyl group OH does cause a short-circuit spark in any electronic stuff needed for a"i", THEN things get "interesting".

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

I've shown this to one of my friends before, but here's a delightful conversation I had with the oh-so-infallible ChatGPT. (I am User if this is not obvious.)

It's enough to put the reader in a quantum superposition of laughing and crying.

 

[Olorgando]

It's enough to put the reader in a quantum superposition of laughing and crying.

That would be the stuff going back to a thought experiment by Erwin Schödinger (possibly of special interest to @Elthir 😁 ).
I wonder if Werner Heisenberg would come up with some thoughts about a"i", were he still alive today. 😈

 

[Radaghast]

What is the name of the abominable narrative style used in J.J.R. Tolkien's recently-released posthumous novel, The Children of Hurin? "Extended Appendix"?

What in the unholy heck is this person referring to?

 

[Radaghast]

After the Akallabêth, if Sauron was able to reconstitute himself because so much of his essence was in the one ring, how could he do this without even knowing where the ring was? This seems like me not knowing where my own body is.

First you'd have to locate your brain.

 

[Glorfindel Goldtress]

After the Akallabêth, if Sauron was able to reconstitute himself because so much of his essence was in the one ring, how could he do this without even knowing where the ring was? This seems like me not knowing where my own body is.

First you have to locate your brain.

View attachment 1700770850856.webp

 

[Radaghast]

Which race between Elves and Men are more important to Eru? Will his son take form of Elven race or He shall remind a bit Jesus Christ?

😵‍💫

 

[herlig9]

That in order to time travel to middle ages or a different world. Then we need to find that island

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

wow

 

[Deimos]

Which race between Elves and Men are more important to Eru? Will his son take form of Elven race or He shall remind a bit Jesus Christ?

This one sounds like an AI generated question.... the mighty "mechanical" moron took a bucket of words relating to discussions about Eru, sloshed it around a bit, and dumped it out as what we see here.

 

[Olorgando]

This one sounds like an AI generated question.... the mighty "mechanical" moron took a bucket of words relating to discussions about Eru, sloshed it around a bit, and dumped it out as what we see here.

JRRT did rewrites of two northern mythological topics, "The Story of Kullervo" from the Finnish Kalevala while still a student at Oxford, and of the Völsunga Saga and the Saga of Gudrun (and Sigurd) from his time as a professor at Oxford - about the early 1930's is Christopher Tolkien's guess.
What he was adamant about was that his Middle-earth legendarium was in no way a "rewrite" of biblical material. As I noticed in several letters, having just finished reading my 2023 expanded edition of Humphrey Carpenter's "Letters". That a"i" needs to fill its bucket (bathtub, swimming pool, lake, ocean) with a lot more stuff before sloshing produces more than slush.

 

[Elthir]

The person who asked the question might be interested to know that Tolkien, at one point in his life, did pen Finrod recounting a vision of Arda Remade (and Finrod says of the Elves]: ". . . and there walk, maybe, with the Children of Men, their deliverers, and sing. . ."

Next, Andreth reveals to Felagund the Old Hope, and that those of the Old Hope say that the One will somehow himself enter Arda, and heal Men and all the Marring from the beginning to the end.

Tolkien himself comments [section on Athrabeth Finrod Ah Andreth, Morgoth's Ring]: "Since Finrod had already guessed that the redemptive function was originally specially assigned to Men, he probably proceeded to the expectation that "the coming of Eru", if it took place, would be specially and primarily concerned with Men: that is to an imaginative guess or vision that Eru would come incarnated in human form. This however, does not appear in the Athrabeth."

That said, see Isolated Slip C with respect to Tolkien's own query regarding "a parody of Christianity", as well as Christopher Tolkien's excellent commentary (presenting Tolkienian texts) that follows, which concerns the legend "of the Fall" -- including a referrence to the "astonishing" [CJRT] conception of the Great Hope of Men. Christopher Tolkien ends this section with:

"But this surely is not parody, nor even parallel, but the extension -- if only represented as
a vision, hope, or prophecy -- of the "theology" of Arda into specifically, and of course centrally, Christian belief; and a manifest challenge to my father's view in his letter of 1951
on the necessary limitations of the expression of "moral and religious truth (or error)" in a "Secondary World". Christopher Tolkien, commentary, Athrabeth Finrod Ah Andreth, Morgoth's Ring

Just sayin' that much

Much more could be said of this matter in general. "Would" Tolkien have even included something like the Old Hope (or "more"), in a now never-to-be realized "final" Tolkien-ratified-for-publication form of the Athrabeth (or any other text)?

I wonder.

And I nap.

 

[Radaghast]

Celebrian, Elrond’s wife, was tormented by the orcs to the point that he was unable to heal her and had to euthanize her. Why didn’t the Elves go to war with the orcs over it?

😐

 

[Radaghast]

Why did Galadriel give her hair to Gimli but not to Feanor? Basically, she rejected the greatest elf that ever lived, who in turn was responsible for all the fiascos in the first age, for a dwarf who wasn’t even royalty.

So...it's good to be responsible for fiascos? 😕