Lord of the Rings meta

[luzula]

So I'm rereading LotR now, and there's a line about the Old Forest just as they're leaving the Shire, saying that the parts of the forest that are more alive and more malicious are all broadleaved forest with willow, oak, ash, etc. The outskirts of the forests are coniferous with pine and spruce. This struck me as very apt, since the area around the Shire is supposed to be identified with north-western Europe, and in Europe the broadleaved forest definitely has more reason to be angry at mankind.

There used to be a belt of broadleaved virgin forest all the way across middle Europe, and only remnants are left now, such as Białowieża Forest in Poland and Belarus. OTOH, the boreal coniferous forest fared a lot better, at least in Tolkien's day (though it's probably not happy with being turned into plantations in Scandinavia now). So the broadleaved forest would have a lot more reason to take revenge.

Or maybe I'm just making a whole theory out of a throwaway line here--I have no idea if Tolkien thought of it like this. *g*

Comments

[king_touchy]

Tolkien was all about the details. He did that on purpose.

[luzula]

Yeah, he was definitely all about the details when it came to certain areas, but I don't know how much he was into biology? OTOH, this is about history as well, so maybe you're right that it was on purpose.

[king_touchy]

Yes, the forest issue is about history. Also, he was in touch with the natural world: the plants and trees and little rivers. Certainly his generation was far more in touch with nature than mine. I don't know many names of trees or plants or birds; children spend less time outdoors than they did back in the day.

That, and the man spent how many decades on Middle Earth? Yup. Details! I love them all. :-)

[luzula]

Well, there are also historical details that strike me as inconsistent, though--like, where does the Shire get its tea and potatoes from (both foreign to Europe)? There's all sorts of things that belong in an idealized English countryside from the 19th century, but lack historical context in a Middle-Earth world that is supposed to be long-ago north-western Europe. So I feel like Tolkien is meticulous where he wants to be, and handwaves other stuff.

[eve_n_furter]

Well, he was a historian and probably had something like photographic memory. I wouldn't be surprised. Nice theory any way. :)

[luzula]

I thought he was a philologist? But yeah, I do like the theory. : )

[eve_n_furter]

You are right! I'd heard that he was a historian a long time ago and just assumed that it was right because it doesn't fit bad either. Live and learn!