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lucipurr42 's review for:
The Dark Powers of Tolkien
by David Day
The book initially stirred my interest when it promised to focus on the evil characters from the Legendarium. As an avid Tolkien fan and devotee of Melkor (the name is tattooed in Quenya Mode Tengwar on my forearm), I felt this book would be a good read. David Day, however, immediately ignores Tolkien's disdain for allegory as he stretches to draw parallels between Tolkien's mythology and the Judaeo-Christian mythos. Day seemingly cannot wait to re-write the Ainulindalë in a fashion all too similar to the story of Lucifer's fall as he has read in Milton. (Day, pg. 20). The underlying problem with this, besides the blatant ignorance displayed, is that Day, by comparing Melkor to Lucifer, turns Melkor from a being of growing discord (and eventual pure evil) into a tragic anti-hero in vein of Paradise Lost. We also learn that Saruman has a Lucifer tie-in as well in that "His speeches have much in common with the enthralling, deceptive speeches given to Satan in Milton's Paradise Lost." (Day, pg. 218).
Day continues through the book to force Tolkien's work to fit his ideas of other mythologies. This includes Melkor being half Loki- half Odin and Ungoliant having parallels with the Indian goddess Kali- both have eight limbs and are completely evil (according to Day, pg. 32). Day also fancies that the One Ring has biblical ties to the Ring of Solomon. "There can be little doubt that Tolkien was familiar with this ancient biblical tale of a sorcerer-king who, like Sauron, used a magic ring to command all the demons of the Earth and bind them to his purpose. Of all the biblical ring stories, Solomon's Ring most resembles the One Ring." (Day, pg. 96). Coincidence? Not really, just another giant stretch to attain a premeditated outcome. What Day fails to do here is provide any biblical source, instead referring to it as a legend. This Ring legend presented is not mentioned in any scripture but instead in medieval Jewish tradition and in Islamic/Western occultism, both of these seem unlikely for Tolkien to be using as inspiration. It becomes problematic when a simple Google search provides facts which contradict what Day is struggling to make a possible reality. Further, just because something displays similarities to something else doesn't necessarily mean it was inspired by it. Is the entire book filled with this nonsense? Not at all, in fact, some of the alleged parallels are quite thought-provoking.
Many of the potential inspirations are actually rather interesting, especially when they relate to Norse Mythology or Arthurian Legend which Tolkien is known for utilizing as the basis for characters (ie Gandalf). The comparison of Númenor to Atlantis or another lost continent is an interesting take, though one need not read this book to draw that connection.
The Dark Powers of Tolkien has a wonderful redeeming quality and that is the collection of illustrations that are bound within. Many of these I would absolutely love to have to hang around my house and I will no doubt pull the book out to look at them again.
Day continues through the book to force Tolkien's work to fit his ideas of other mythologies. This includes Melkor being half Loki- half Odin and Ungoliant having parallels with the Indian goddess Kali- both have eight limbs and are completely evil (according to Day, pg. 32). Day also fancies that the One Ring has biblical ties to the Ring of Solomon. "There can be little doubt that Tolkien was familiar with this ancient biblical tale of a sorcerer-king who, like Sauron, used a magic ring to command all the demons of the Earth and bind them to his purpose. Of all the biblical ring stories, Solomon's Ring most resembles the One Ring." (Day, pg. 96). Coincidence? Not really, just another giant stretch to attain a premeditated outcome. What Day fails to do here is provide any biblical source, instead referring to it as a legend. This Ring legend presented is not mentioned in any scripture but instead in medieval Jewish tradition and in Islamic/Western occultism, both of these seem unlikely for Tolkien to be using as inspiration. It becomes problematic when a simple Google search provides facts which contradict what Day is struggling to make a possible reality. Further, just because something displays similarities to something else doesn't necessarily mean it was inspired by it. Is the entire book filled with this nonsense? Not at all, in fact, some of the alleged parallels are quite thought-provoking.
Many of the potential inspirations are actually rather interesting, especially when they relate to Norse Mythology or Arthurian Legend which Tolkien is known for utilizing as the basis for characters (ie Gandalf). The comparison of Númenor to Atlantis or another lost continent is an interesting take, though one need not read this book to draw that connection.
The Dark Powers of Tolkien has a wonderful redeeming quality and that is the collection of illustrations that are bound within. Many of these I would absolutely love to have to hang around my house and I will no doubt pull the book out to look at them again.