As I read the final chapters, I was struck by the many parallels to the conclusion of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. At the end of both works, a new king is crowned, Aragorn in LOTR and Taran in The High King. The world of each story enters a new age, the Fourth Age in LOTR and a post-magic time in The High King. An exodus to a land of immortality occurs, the elves sail to Undying Lands in LOTR and the people of magic sail to the Summer Country in The High King. Some are invited to join the exodus, Bilbo and Frodo in LOTR and Gurgi and Glew in The High King. A woman eligible to leave in the exodus chooses to stay and rule as queen with the new king, Arwen in LOTR and Eilonwy in The High King. The ending of Alexander's story is not contrived or forced. It has that sense of inevitability that all great stories have. I'm left wondering what to make of all these parallels. Alexander drew heavily on Welsh mythology for his stories. Tolkien relied on Norse and other traditions. Perhaps the answer lies in the parallels to be found in their respective sources or perhaps there was no better way to end the types of stories that Tolkien and Alexander were telling.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Echos of Tolkien?
As I read the final chapters, I was struck by the many parallels to the conclusion of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. At the end of both works, a new king is crowned, Aragorn in LOTR and Taran in The High King. The world of each story enters a new age, the Fourth Age in LOTR and a post-magic time in The High King. An exodus to a land of immortality occurs, the elves sail to Undying Lands in LOTR and the people of magic sail to the Summer Country in The High King. Some are invited to join the exodus, Bilbo and Frodo in LOTR and Gurgi and Glew in The High King. A woman eligible to leave in the exodus chooses to stay and rule as queen with the new king, Arwen in LOTR and Eilonwy in The High King. The ending of Alexander's story is not contrived or forced. It has that sense of inevitability that all great stories have. I'm left wondering what to make of all these parallels. Alexander drew heavily on Welsh mythology for his stories. Tolkien relied on Norse and other traditions. Perhaps the answer lies in the parallels to be found in their respective sources or perhaps there was no better way to end the types of stories that Tolkien and Alexander were telling.
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