1:24 “but as the video progressed, it came into the heart of Jess to interweave sponsorships of their own imagining, that were not in accordance with the theme of Ilúvatar.” In all seriousness, that was a brilliantly placed sponsorship; I wish all creators were that adept with it.
It is no surprise that Tolkien was careful about creating when you consider his life. This man fought in WW1 and lived through WW2. These conflicts were showcases for the creativity of humanity...and all the wonder and horror that can entail. From the wonder of transcontinental flight, to the terror of the Nuclear bomb, he saw all of it unfold in real time. Thus, he would be acutely aware of the need for temperance and Humility in creation. Great summary, Jess! I'm loving your videos!
Check again. Many "advancements" have destroyed the soil and given many people cancer to boost productivity for a few years. The other commenter is correct, anything can be used for good or ill.
Always loved Robin Williams line from “Dead Poet Society” “We don’t write poetry because it’s cute. We write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion.”
Cirdan is my favourite Tolkien character in general. Elves are cool, I love the sea, and he is such a strong example of enduring faith despite great personal cost. Plus, he's the only elf with a beard, and beards are cool
That’s a wonderful choice. Círdan in one of my favourite characters in the Legendarium. We know little of him, and yet he’s been there all along. Fascinating to think that he didn’t want to be a creator for the sake of creation, but out of need and yielded to the will of the Valar to create that which others needed, all along waiting for his turn to use it as he desired. That’s true humility on an epic scale, shall I say.
One of my favorite creation stories is Aule and the dwarves. I love Iluvatar’s reaction to Aule’s creation. He calla out Aule for exceeding his authority, but has mercy on the creator and creations. He gives the dwarves the Secret Fire, yet changes nothing else about them. It’s both a slap on the wrist for Aule exceeding his authority, but also the implication that the dwarves are perfect just as they are. He reprimands Aule for exceeding his authority, yet accepts the creation and gives it life. The story is a beautiful illustration of a loving God. Iluvatar had the authority to totally destroy the dwarves as punishment for Aule’s presumption, yet he accepts Aule’s creation and gives it true life.
Another truly fantastic presentation. I feel so fortunate to have found your channel - you are exceptional. I’ve long known that Tolkien was a Catholic and have been told that it influenced his writings greatly - but you’ve really brought that into the light as opposed to just telling me that it is. This while not yet diving head first into his writings myself. While not a Roman Catholic, I am a follower of Christ. While not the artist I pretend to be, I am a musician and a songwriter. A fabricator and designer, by trade - a toolmaker, jokingly considered the world’s second oldest trade. I have a love for things that work well and perform their intended purpose well - this idea is what the God of the Bible defines as “good”. I’m beginning to see the real magic of Tolkien’s work with your help. I’m most thankful.
You're far too kind! There's nothing more beautiful than well-intentioned, meaningful creativity, especially things made by hand. Thank you so much for watching!
@@Jess_of_the_Shire No, I’m not nearly kind enough. I will work towards doing more than just “like-follow-share”. Your format is so honest and heartfelt. Not akin to a History Channel documentary, that’s for sure! You’ve clearly had these stories and ideas on your mind for some time - they come with great joy. My father is a writer, historian and journalist in his own field, I know the look of a passionate thinker mid-thought all too well. I don’t know if you realize just how beautiful it is to see. My best to you!
You haven't read the Master's work yet! For pity's sake get going Man! Start with the Hobbit, then the Lord of the Rings, then onward! Try the audio books by Andy Serkis as narrator if you aren't a big reader, or you like to listen while you do chores, or you just get it better by hearing than seeing.
@@marieroberts5664 I’ll do my best! I’m a poor reader - a strange one at best. Slow, if you want to be kind! Audiobooks don’t really do enough for me, my ears have a certain standard for retention set from music. Plus, that just seems lazy to me and I wrestle with that enough as it is! I did read the Hobbit (some years ago now) and have started Fellowship, but I kind of got sidetracked and started working on my own bits and pieces. I hope to get back to it soon!
20:49 "Do we create with the mindset of Morgoth and Sauron to own to have something that is just ours to possess and to control?" No, but Illuvatar does. That is EXACTLY what he says about the flame imperishable and forces his creations to surrender their will to him. Just like Sauron with his underlings.
@@jensphiliphohmann1876 no, eru didn't create his children to be free. He created them to be absolutely subservient to his will. If you go against his will, you get mocked, scorned, and punished. If you DARE even WANT to share what is Eru's, his, his ALONE, his precious, the flame imperishable... then you are evil. And he also made Morgoth and Sauron JUST as they were, KNOWING that if he made them that way, and treated them the way he did, exactly what they'd do. So, he factually made them KNOWING they'd be imprisoned, and he made them specifically that way, so he made TO BE evil and TO BE in prison (in the case of sauron, it's a prison of not having a body.) Eru is responsible for every decision they make. He shaped it. He used them. They did as he made them to do, knowing they'd do it. And he punished THEM for doing what HE designed. There is no avoiding this conclusion.
@@jensphiliphohmann1876even Frodo destroyed the Ring because of Eru's providence and not by his own free will. You can be free as long as you obey, so to say... as Augustine would put it, freedom is acting as you are meant to act, coherently with the plan God prepared for you... in the case of humanity being his image, thus acting in agreement with Him.
@@mavrospanayiotis Frodo originally wanted to destroy the ring. He only failed at doing so at Mt. Doom because of the ring's influence. It was Gollum who accidentally destroyed it alongside himself.
Favourite maker: I'm thinking whichever elf made the food that Frodo, Pippin, and Sam get from Gildor's party. Gildor calls it 'poor', but Frodo calls it 'good enough for a birthday party'. And Sam says if he could grow apples like that he would call himself a gardener. (And later in his life, he takes that very name, after having a little help from Galadriel.)
Jess, I always wanted a woman to comment in a TH-cam series on Tolkien and his works. The men are fine but I thought a woman would add something the men just wouldn’t see. Thank you for exceeding my hopes boundlessly.
That was so beautiful! The last few minutes had me crying. Shared creation is truly the greatest joy. My partner and I were once at a local pagan center where we have many friends when someone happened to use a phrase that occurs as a line in a song we had been fixated on for weeks. We immediately sang the next line, in perfect harmony. When everyone had finished laughing and clapping, someone incredulously asked "Do you two just sit at home singing all the time?". In perfect unison, we replied "Yes". Hey, it's the best foundation for a relationship I've found so far. 🙂🎵 My favorite creator in the Legendarium is Celebrimbor. He is such an achingly tragic figure! He longed to match his grandfather's fabled skill as a magical craftsman, and to help his people. Even though he was blind to Annatar's malice, it was his good intentions that blinded him. His making friends with the dwarves of Kazad-Dum, creation and distribution of the three Elven rings, and resistance to torture by Sauron kept his mistake from turning into a catastrophe. He couldn't escape the Doom of the Noldor, but he redeemed his clan even as he fell.
If Morgoth is the devil, then there is the fun fact that the devil is known by many names, including Lucifer. In English Lucifer simply means lightbearer.
@@sulljoh1 No, he was "born" the highest after Eru Iluvatar himself and thus fell the deepest. He wasn't like some poor bugger born into a broken family and with hardly any chance of survival but by stealing or worse but like a prince who broke with his father because of not being just like him.
Great video! Loved it! My favorite is Jess! Ok, favorite is Samwise. Love his love for growing things and I'd love a brace of coney's with some taters right now :)
It's undeniable that Tolkien valued creativity but warned, against creativity when it walked hand-in-hand with pride and ambition. However, Tolkien's creativity in Lord of the Rings is set in order and sharing and not born out of chaos and unbridled ambition. I love how you mention that Tolkien saw his creative works as a way of honoring his faith, his love of language and myth, and passion for the nature world that was quickly being lost.
Regarding the role of a writer's creativity, Dan Sinykin said the following about The Dark Tower in his book ‘Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature’ (big spoilers for later books in the series btw): If Misery demystifies authorship, forgoing the aura of the romantic genius for the quotidian reality of work, then King’s Dark Tower series challenges the idea of the individual author itself. It is a quest narrative, a loose novelization of Robert Browning’s poem “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”. Roland Deschain must find the Dark Tower. Across the first few novels, Roland gathers his companions who form a company or, in the series’ Tolkienesque language, a ka-tet. They come to learn that they are characters created by Stephen King who they must protect from the evil Crimson King if they want to complete their quest. The Crimson King is affiliated with a massive conglomerate whose goal “to be everywhere, own everything, and basically control the universe.” Roland’s ka-tet, in response, forms the Tet Corporation to ensure that King finishes the series. The series becomes a contest between a tyrannical conglomerate and a corporation oriented toward the greater good. The Tet Corporation is aligned with genre fiction. Its headquarters in the series is the same building in New York that in real life houses Dell Press, publisher of several genre writers who inspired King. The ka-tet saves King, who saves Roland, who arrives at the Dark Tower and defeats the Crimson King. Allan interprets The Dark Tower as allowing King to reimagine his work as an author: rather than a brand producing financial capital for his conglomerate publisher, he can see himself “as a member of a larger, communal organization that produces something other than the empty brand”; he can define himself “in relationship not only to his own novels, but also within a longer lineage of literary production”; he can be himself “entrusted with a larger institutional project.” I want to push Allan’s insights further. Something more radical is at work in the series. Allan notes that the Tet Corporation makes literal King’s “indebtedness to other writers and filmmakers, and even to his own work.” Indeed, King is understood as a member of the ka-tet and his work is subsumed by the collective labor of the Tet Corporation. King is recognizing how many people contribute to any work of literature. Even as his name remains on the cover, a necessary brand, he goes beyond his rejection of the romantic author in Misery to reject individual authorship itself. He romanticizes authorship by associating it with a postwar corporation set against an evil conglomerate, illustrating the conglomerate authorship of the conglomerate era. He enacted his resistance to conglomeration by publishing the series with an independent fantasy and science fiction publisher, Donald Grant. King grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, when the United States was enjoying one of the greatest periods in the history of capitalism, and the large corporation was the organizing structure at its heart. 3M, General Motors, U. S. Steel: they provided good, stable jobs and encouraged a filial sensibility. People spent their lives working for one company. When the postwar boom transitioned into the long downturn in the 1970s, management practices transitioned, too, from loyalty and stability toward flexibility under the aegis of shareholder value. Conglomerates swallowed corporations. King’s oeuvre from the 1970s through the final volume of The Dark Tower in 2004 expresses, in part, a nostalgia for the fair economic winds and paternalistic corporatism of the postwar boom, when, in his fantasy, a writer was not eclipsed by his brand but instead was a worker among workers, with a certain solidarity. Of course, such nostalgia was less useful for - because the boom years were less hospitable to - white women and people of color.
It’s fascinating how much Morgoth abhorred a vacuum when you consider the traditional understanding of evil as a negation or lack of the good; he wanted to fill the void with his own creations, but that only pushed him further into a void of his own being. So it’s also super fitting that his punishment is to look out on the void forever-it would be like staring at what he made himself for all eternity…
@@Jamie_E_Pritchard 'Tom's words laid bare the hearts of trees and their thoughts, which were often dark and strange, and filled with a hatred of things that go free upon the earth, gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning: destroyers and usurpers.' And that sounds like the haters.
The problem isn’t creativity. The problem was vanity….thinking that your creations hold anything of the same “value” and “goodness” of the real world. This goes back to how it is impossible to understand Tolkien outside of his Catholicism. The entire Tolkien mythos is just Christian theology with an Anglo-Germanic veneer.
The entire mythos? I'd argue the Christian theology really starts to dominate with the revision of LotR. As he stated "The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision" While it was unconsciously a fundamentally Catholic work, there was more room for other influences. The Hobbit and the early version of what would become the Silmarillion also display less Christian and more pagan influences - just compare the later Nienna, who grieves for others and teaches compassion and derives wisdom from suffering, to Fui Nienna of the Lost Tales who stands for despair and suffering without hope and decorates her halls with bat wings. The Valar as a whole act much more like pagan gods than Christian angels in the early versions - they're petty, they lie and they have children. The Lost Tales idea that the dead stay inside of the physical world, but go to various permanent dwellings depending on their deeds, also feels very different from the later idea of Men's souls going to Eru.
It' certainly isn't a blatant allegory like that of narnia by clive Lewis.....but to deny the clearly "catholic" (or judeo-christian themes throughout tolkien's works is folly.
16:59, "And that might be a little silly since he was writing fantasy-fiction which isn't technically 'true'." I think it's better to think of it as the difference between "the truth" and "the facts". Fantasy, especially the writings of Tolkien, Lewis, and L'Engle are true, even though they aren't "factual" narratives. The Veritas Forum has posted a really good lecture on their TH-cam Channel of Madeleine L'Engle discussing this subject, entitled, "Searching for Truth Through Fantasy".
It's 100% understandable for a Catholic who experienced WWI to think that all creativity/engineering/*the machine* was evil or at least suspect. Much better to give up on all that and sit in your English countryside enjoying nature! But the alternative view - expounded by Carl Sagan and Star Trek - is worth considering. Creativity can be the mechanism by which we make a better world and a brighter future.
Absolutely agree, there's such an interesting philosophical dialogue between creation and domination… as human beings we live by using, making, changing, and defining our world. But when we define the world (or each other) as an Other, an Object that is only there for us to use and change (as Christianity arguably does), that is the first step on the path to evil…
@sulljoh1. Where in the Silmarillion , or The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings is the view expressed that creation is so problematic? Gimli and Legolas create a very deep friendship. Sam and Frodo reshape and recreate their relationship from what it was in the Shire to what we witness during the climb up Mount Doom. Eowyn creates a place in her heart for love to bloom. Also, you should if you haven't read the poem that Jess read a part of. I believe it is Tolkien's Creed where creativity is concerned.
I agree. I don't think it's deliberate but technology is basically at a standstill for ~8,000 years during the three ages and by many measures get worse over time.
I read somewhere (maybe even Tolkien? I really can't remember) someone said "of course it's a fiction, a story. But why should that mean it's not true?" Actually now I think about it it might have been doctor who
Tolkien might disagree with me on this one, but in my mind a Creator whose creation does not grow beyond them is kind of a shoddy creator. Eru's insistence that the full power of creation be his and his alone makes him no better than Melkor or Sauron. I think I could best describe this from the perspective of family. A (good) parent does not hold their children back, but encourages them onward until those children achieve and create things greater and grander than their parents ever dreamed. The goal of creation is to put something into existence that can live and grow on its own. The best creations take on a life of their own and outlast and outshine even their creators. Tolkien believed in and wrote about a fallen world in perpetual decline. I think the opposite is true. Or at least, that whether the world falls or rises is up to us and how we choose to use our creativity.
I suppose it comes down to what is possible only for Eru to do, as opposed to what a creature is capable of. Existence and life are native to Eru alone, and he shares those attributes with his creations in a limited capacity that is proper to their nature. For instance, a rock simply exists, but a sentient being has a greater capacity to share in the attributes of Eru. The problem comes when a high level creature, a powerful angelic being, desires power that only Eru has, and out of vanity and malice, seeks to lord over and dominate all created things. A constant theme in the story, is that the desire for power beyond one's natural state, inevitably leads to corruption and evil.
@@simeonwaia How is Eru's desire for power and domination any less vain or malicious? I know what Tolkien believed and what his writings meant to convey. I just don't buy into the one-sided narrative. The "nature" and "capacity" arguments have been used since time immemorial to justify racism and sexism and all kinds of bigotry, and very often with some god or another at the root of that argument. Any god / powerful being unwilling to share power is gonna need a better excuse than "cause I'm naturally better".
@@pufthemajicdragon Eru is perfect in and of himself. He does not need anything outside of himself. His act of creation is an act of pure love ('love' for Tolkien is willing the good of another), that is, it comes from a desire to share his life with his creation. A good analogy is parents that want to have children, this desire for children is an attribute that Eru's creatures share with him. The rightly ordered relationship between parents and children is not that of power-hungry domination. The desire for power and domination comes from corruption within finite beings who abuse their free will. It is the opposite of love, it is a will that seeks its own satisfaction at the expense of others.
Great video Jess ❤ One tip: I do feel that in your sketch of the Beginning you've mixed up Tolkien's descriptions of Melkor and Manwe, "brothers in the mind of Iluvatar". Melkor (the future Dark Lord) was the most powerful Ainu. Manwe (the future protector & King of Arda) was the wisest Ainu, who knew Iluvatar's mind best.
Thank you. Thank you. In all humility, and with eyes moist from being moved, thank you. This is beautiful, and gets at the heart of what I do when I write words or music, or even play or read aloud the words or music of others. I've been reading tolkien for nearly fifty years now, ever since as a boy of nine, I first encountered the Hobbit. As I've grown older, the significance of the creative work he has done, and the obvious and extravagant love of the world and of people that shines through it has fired my own desire to create. You caught this secret fire beautifully in this video essay. Your voice shapes words that shine with that love. I hear you. Again, thank you.
Another great exposition! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and wisdom. The creation of the created can never match that of the Prime Mover, whatever form it is. This plays right back to the finite and its desire to understand the infinite. No matter how enlightened one may be, we are still finite and can never fully comprehend the infinite.
I love your channel. I just really enjoy nerding out to hard core Tolkien 411. You are really good at this and have my deepest respect. But, please, for all that is good and holy, at some point, let us see you drink from your mug or cup. It can be at the very end of your post with a wink and a knowing smile. It could be just before one of you quote cards, giving us the funny impression that you can drink as you read off a quote, just like a magical ventriloquist. You can even start off the video with you taking a healthy swig and a vocal post-gulp “ahhh” to complete the aura you give of casual instruction from a comfy Hobbit Hole. BTW, what is it that is in those drinking vessels of yours? I say it’s Tullamore Dew!!!
Someday, I'll release a video that is just sips. 10 minutes of drinking. Haha, no, it would be really boring if I didn't edit out the time it takes me to drink. I just need something in my hands so I don't over-gesture, and I like to drink water or tea while I read the next section of my script!
An excellent analysis, Jess - one of your best so far, I think. I am happy to hear you do seem to be a believer, which is great! You have sparked a lot of thoughts here. For one, I am so glad to see you brought in Tolkien's idea of 'Sub-Creation' from "On Fairy Stories" into your analysis. I was thinking of that when you were making the comparison between Morgoth and Sauron - creation of a creation [sub-creation] versus creation pure and original. [On a side-note, I am not as familiar with the poem as the essay, but the line about "refracted Light ... from a single white to many hues" made me think - Saruman? A stray thought, perhaps, but one that may be worthy of exploration]. Speaking of creation by the Valar, I actually just re-read The Silmarillion for the first time after many years, and it struck me that all the beings in Middle-Earth make complete sense when we see who creates them - like the Valar create beings which perfectly reflect their own essence - so Illuvatar (The Light) creates the Elves (Children of Light), Manwe (Lord of the Air) creates the Eagles, Yavanna (Lady of the Woods) creates the Ents, etc., That strikes me as the power of each individual artist - your creations are always a reflection of your self in a way. Your comparison between Mortgoth and Sauron is fascinating - when we think of the rings, we naturally assume that the central desire is just one of control; I had never thought about how part of that desire is sub-creation. Not creating the thing itself, but a thing that can corrupt the original. It actually speaks to what a lot of theologians will say about Sin [i.e. God created monogamy as a good thing, but Satan has corrupted it into extra-marital sensuality, etc.,]. I come from a very Evangelical culture, and am sometimes saddened by the sometimes non-existent role which the arts are relegated to; but one thing I have often thought is this - we hear that "Imitation is the highest form of flattery". If this is true, if imitation is in a certain sense an act of worship, then what better way to worship our creator than to create? At any rate - great post!
Thank you for this video Jess. As a fantasy writer who does this, creating worlds and revealing things that are true via things that are not, I needed to hear this message today.
As a fantasy writer, boy I felt this 😅 Also I was going to say Bilbo, too, but I thought a little and I might have to say Galadriel. She was a student of many masters, learned from Melian how to make a land that was her own, protected and preserved for her people. A worldbuilder within the world whose purpose was love and beauty and not dominion. And who knew, fundamentally, when it was time to let her creation go on without her, even if that meant its slow fading.
Regarding the role of a writer's creativity, Dan Sinykin said the following about The Dark Tower in his book ‘Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature’ and I think you might find it interesting (big spoilers for later books in the series btw): If Misery demystifies authorship, forgoing the aura of the romantic genius for the quotidian reality of work, then King’s Dark Tower series challenges the idea of the individual author itself. It is a quest narrative, a loose novelization of Robert Browning’s poem “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”. Roland Deschain must find the Dark Tower. Across the first few novels, Roland gathers his companions who form a company or, in the series’ Tolkienesque language, a ka-tet. They come to learn that they are characters created by Stephen King who they must protect from the evil Crimson King if they want to complete their quest. The Crimson King is affiliated with a massive conglomerate whose goal “to be everywhere, own everything, and basically control the universe.” Roland’s ka-tet, in response, forms the Tet Corporation to ensure that King finishes the series. The series becomes a contest between a tyrannical conglomerate and a corporation oriented toward the greater good. The Tet Corporation is aligned with genre fiction. Its headquarters in the series is the same building in New York that in real life houses Dell Press, publisher of several genre writers who inspired King. The ka-tet saves King, who saves Roland, who arrives at the Dark Tower and defeats the Crimson King. Allan interprets The Dark Tower as allowing King to reimagine his work as an author: rather than a brand producing financial capital for his conglomerate publisher, he can see himself “as a member of a larger, communal organization that produces something other than the empty brand”; he can define himself “in relationship not only to his own novels, but also within a longer lineage of literary production”; he can be himself “entrusted with a larger institutional project.” I want to push Allan’s insights further. Something more radical is at work in the series. Allan notes that the Tet Corporation makes literal King’s “indebtedness to other writers and filmmakers, and even to his own work.” Indeed, King is understood as a member of the ka-tet and his work is subsumed by the collective labor of the Tet Corporation. King is recognizing how many people contribute to any work of literature. Even as his name remains on the cover, a necessary brand, he goes beyond his rejection of the romantic author in Misery to reject individual authorship itself. He romanticizes authorship by associating it with a postwar corporation set against an evil conglomerate, illustrating the conglomerate authorship of the conglomerate era. He enacted his resistance to conglomeration by publishing the series with an independent fantasy and science fiction publisher, Donald Grant. King grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, when the United States was enjoying one of the greatest periods in the history of capitalism, and the large corporation was the organizing structure at its heart. 3M, General Motors, U. S. Steel: they provided good, stable jobs and encouraged a filial sensibility. People spent their lives working for one company. When the postwar boom transitioned into the long downturn in the 1970s, management practices transitioned, too, from loyalty and stability toward flexibility under the aegis of shareholder value. Conglomerates swallowed corporations. King’s oeuvre from the 1970s through the final volume of The Dark Tower in 2004 expresses, in part, a nostalgia for the fair economic winds and paternalistic corporatism of the postwar boom, when, in his fantasy, a writer was not eclipsed by his brand but instead was a worker among workers, with a certain solidarity. Of course, such nostalgia was less useful for - because the boom years were less hospitable to - white women and people of color.
This video was honestly so beautiful and moving. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in such a cincere way! My favorite maker in Tolkien's world is Gandalf- his fireworks are so dreamy and fun, but of course the older races made more impressive things, like the First Song
As a Christian, I believe one of God’s greatest gifts to us is the art of creating. I’m a just starting a writer and when I create stories it does bring me much joy to delve into worlds that I brought to life, but I make sure to give it all to God. God Bless 🙏🏻 Excellent video. 👍
I love your videos, and I’m really enjoying this one. Pride in creation is such a slippery slope. Pride in learning and using God-given talents to share with others is not evil, at least I don’t think so. I was an extremely talented pianist when I was younger, and nothing beat the feeling when I worked on a song and performed it and knew it gave others pleasure. I’m an introvert, and musical talent was a way to share the brighter parts of my soul with others, but I never forgot that God gave me the talent and that the performance honored his gift.
Your screen presence is so peaceful and relaxing. You could narrate paint drying and I would find that enjoyable. I think you were cut from the same cloth as Mr Fred Rogers.
A remarkable exegesis, Jess, and an adorable sweater. It looks comfy and warm. Stretching the meaning of creation a bit, I would say my favorite creator is Gandalf, who "creates" the incredibly complex and fragile chain of events that leads ultimately to the destruction of the one ring.
Informative video, Jess. Well presented, and good use of quotations and illustrations. By the way, have you done a video about the Arkenstone? Perhaps you could do a deep dive into that precious stone. Anyway, another good video.
I know this wasn't exactly the topic of the video, but I was always struck by this discord in virtually all of the monotheistic religions centred on one god-creator. If nothing is happening without his will or knowledge, this means that all the atrocities were also planned or at least predicted by him. If so, how can he punish his 'children' for doing something he actually proseen and kinda planned? I don't really understand how the concept of 'free will' applies to this kind of theology. It is often stated that 'children' of god received free will from him, but at the same time, we are constantly told nothing is going on without his will or knowledge. So is there really free will or just an illusion of it? These questions apply also to the concepts of fate and destiny. While I love the Lord of the Rings and the whole Tolkien's 'universum' for many things, this discord between supposed free will and a deterministic (like 'destiny-driven') view of the world is what put me off slightly.
One of the few good things I think to have come from the Rings of Power show is when Sauron speaks about his view on Morgoth, where he says that Sauron seeks to perfect what Morgoth sought to destroy. It's a testiment to Sauron's desire to craft a world he feels is 'perfect' no matter how flawed that view of perfection might be. All that aside this is by far one of the best videos I have ever seen. Bravo! My favourite creator it Tolkien's lore is Sam. He is a humble mine who only wishes to plant a humble garden and in that way bring all the more humble beauty to the world around him.
There is something in the act of creation... that the creation is an expression of the creator - a very biblical theme. Also the creation is infused with the intent of the creator. If for instance the creator focuses on love as he creates then perhaps the creation is infused with love. It reflects that love back into the world. On the other hand if the creator focuses on a negative emotion as he creates...
Jess. Fav creator (or sub- create) is Galadriel. Her gift to Gimli helps to mend and recreate a new relationship between dwarves and elves. Really, another candidate vid 4 a Ted Talk 😊
It was beautifully stated. I love Jess' summary and analysis. She may have triggered me on certain philosophical issues (and I spammed a few comments) But it was very artfully done 🤍
Hey Jess, a little off topic, but I'm throwing a Tolkien theme party complete with a movie marathon, boardgames, and seven entire meals. I would really like your opinion on what our first meal should be. Keep in mind that, due to timing issues caused by adult life, our first meal will be luncheon.
Best maker of stuff in Arda = Sador Labadal. Injuries prevented him doing little else around the homestead of Turin but he made furniture of an excellent standard and remained humble about his craft in the face of strong criticisms by Morwen and others. Obviously not the smith of a Feanor, Celebrimbor or Sauron standard but he's an awesome character nonetheless.
05:15 f No theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in Eru Iluvatar. And in a similar manner, no _Lord of the Rings_ stuff may be written that hath not its uttermost source in J.R.R. Tolkien. 10:05 f _We see ... creative ambition being the downfall of brilliant souls._ Yes, but also of less brilliant souls in the real world - like those who write _Rings of Power_ not only because they twist Tolkien's lore (for example, they completely screwed up the timeline) but also made good characters like Galadriel kind of evil and destructive, and the actions of the characters make no sense.
Destruction can allow for better creation. Overbearing law can lead to stagnation. Destruction can lead to death. Endless chaos can lead to no advancement. Chaos and law are both equal.
"The passion for destruction is also a creative passion." -Mikhail Bakunin Though he was a Russian Anarchist and Atheist with a very different worldview than an English Catholic, and I imagine Tolkien would disagree.
Wonderful video today! In my view there are many forms of creative artists around the world. You can often tell who is in it for the art and who has the mistaken belief that they’ve discovered the path to instantaneous fame and fortune. I have occasionally been approached by the Sauron’s who promise me wealth untold if I just write down their life story. I try to be polite with them and say I’m far too busy for that “but if they could just write down some notes, perhaps I could help” them write it. It usually ends there. Who is my favorite Maker? That’s a bit hard to say here. In my soul I really want to say Treebeard for his actions and desire to find the Entwives and save the trees from Saruman’s nastiness, but I also would say Gandalf, for all he does to guide the various heroes toward the destruction of the ring and the end of Sauron.
Most people don't realize that LotR is relentlessly conservative. That means that nothing can change for the better.... ever. The only thing we can do is fight to restore the past.
My favorite creator in the LOTR would probably also be Bilbo since I'm also a writer/poet, so Bilbo's created works resonate with me more, especially his "translation" that Sam recites of The Fall of Gil-galad.
My favorite creator is Sam, who was before everything a humble gardner. Using and working with nature to create a landscape that captivates and inspires - now that is a noble endeavor.
Tolkien’s thoughts on the nature of divinity is a subject I’ve not considered before. It would be interesting to explore theologically. He’s no flyweight thinker. 😊
Galadriel is a wonderful creator. She created Lothlorien as a memory of Lorien in Valinor. Her love of all of Arda helped her to grow past her desire to rule a realm of her own and earn the right to return by the Straight Road back to the home she grew up in.
My favorite maker would be Pippin. He was always making trouble, but doing it out of curiosity and having fun. (This may be more movie Pippin than book Pippin)
Go to www.squarespace.com/jessoftheshire to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain!
1:24 “but as the video progressed, it came into the heart of Jess to interweave sponsorships of their own imagining, that were not in accordance with the theme of Ilúvatar.”
In all seriousness, that was a brilliantly placed sponsorship; I wish all creators were that adept with it.
Haha thank you so much!
A transition as smooth as butter...
It is no surprise that Tolkien was careful about creating when you consider his life. This man fought in WW1 and lived through WW2. These conflicts were showcases for the creativity of humanity...and all the wonder and horror that can entail. From the wonder of transcontinental flight, to the terror of the Nuclear bomb, he saw all of it unfold in real time. Thus, he would be acutely aware of the need for temperance and Humility in creation.
Great summary, Jess! I'm loving your videos!
Great point!
If you create a path of destruction, you are a destroyer.
@@DowlphinNearly every significant invention can be used for creation and destruction.
@@GrahamCStrouse Except those advances in agriculture, huh? And probably quite a lot of others that inherently serve life.
Check again. Many "advancements" have destroyed the soil and given many people cancer to boost productivity for a few years. The other commenter is correct, anything can be used for good or ill.
Always loved Robin Williams line from “Dead Poet Society”
“We don’t write poetry because it’s cute. We write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion.”
"Glory and conquest, without contribution, is meaningless." -Mr. Hunter
My favorite creator is Cirdan the Shipwright . He creates ships essentially to the journey of Elves into the West.
Cirdan is my favourite Tolkien character in general. Elves are cool, I love the sea, and he is such a strong example of enduring faith despite great personal cost. Plus, he's the only elf with a beard, and beards are cool
That’s a wonderful choice. Círdan in one of my favourite characters in the Legendarium. We know little of him, and yet he’s been there all along. Fascinating to think that he didn’t want to be a creator for the sake of creation, but out of need and yielded to the will of the Valar to create that which others needed, all along waiting for his turn to use it as he desired. That’s true humility on an epic scale, shall I say.
Yeah, mine oo :) Although in translation i first get to now him his name sounded a bit different, and maybe that is why i like it more
Serdan
One of my favorite creation stories is Aule and the dwarves. I love Iluvatar’s reaction to Aule’s creation. He calla out Aule for exceeding his authority, but has mercy on the creator and creations. He gives the dwarves the Secret Fire, yet changes nothing else about them. It’s both a slap on the wrist for Aule exceeding his authority, but also the implication that the dwarves are perfect just as they are. He reprimands Aule for exceeding his authority, yet accepts the creation and gives it life. The story is a beautiful illustration of a loving God. Iluvatar had the authority to totally destroy the dwarves as punishment for Aule’s presumption, yet he accepts Aule’s creation and gives it true life.
Another truly fantastic presentation. I feel so fortunate to have found your channel - you are exceptional.
I’ve long known that Tolkien was a Catholic and have been told that it influenced his writings greatly - but you’ve really brought that into the light as opposed to just telling me that it is. This while not yet diving head first into his writings myself.
While not a Roman Catholic, I am a follower of Christ. While not the artist I pretend to be, I am a musician and a songwriter. A fabricator and designer, by trade - a toolmaker, jokingly considered the world’s second oldest trade. I have a love for things that work well and perform their intended purpose well - this idea is what the God of the Bible defines as “good”.
I’m beginning to see the real magic of Tolkien’s work with your help. I’m most thankful.
You're far too kind! There's nothing more beautiful than well-intentioned, meaningful creativity, especially things made by hand. Thank you so much for watching!
@@Jess_of_the_Shire No, I’m not nearly kind enough. I will work towards doing more than just “like-follow-share”. Your format is so honest and heartfelt. Not akin to a History Channel documentary, that’s for sure! You’ve clearly had these stories and ideas on your mind for some time - they come with great joy. My father is a writer, historian and journalist in his own field, I know the look of a passionate thinker mid-thought all too well. I don’t know if you realize just how beautiful it is to see.
My best to you!
You haven't read the Master's work yet! For pity's sake get going Man!
Start with the Hobbit, then the Lord of the Rings, then onward!
Try the audio books by Andy Serkis as narrator if you aren't a big reader, or you like to listen while you do chores, or you just get it better by hearing than seeing.
@@marieroberts5664 I’ll do my best! I’m a poor reader - a strange one at best. Slow, if you want to be kind! Audiobooks don’t really do enough for me, my ears have a certain standard for retention set from music. Plus, that just seems lazy to me and I wrestle with that enough as it is!
I did read the Hobbit (some years ago now) and have started Fellowship, but I kind of got sidetracked and started working on my own bits and pieces. I hope to get back to it soon!
20:49 "Do we create with the mindset of Morgoth and Sauron to own to have something that is just ours to possess and to control?"
No, but Illuvatar does.
That is EXACTLY what he says about the flame imperishable and forces his creations to surrender their will to him. Just like Sauron with his underlings.
Yeah, it's special pleading.
I wouldn't put it like this. Eru Iluvatar created his children to be free. Morgoth and Sauron enslaved some of them.
@@jensphiliphohmann1876 no, eru didn't create his children to be free. He created them to be absolutely subservient to his will. If you go against his will, you get mocked, scorned, and punished. If you DARE even WANT to share what is Eru's, his, his ALONE, his precious, the flame imperishable... then you are evil.
And he also made Morgoth and Sauron JUST as they were, KNOWING that if he made them that way, and treated them the way he did, exactly what they'd do. So, he factually made them KNOWING they'd be imprisoned, and he made them specifically that way, so he made TO BE evil and TO BE in prison (in the case of sauron, it's a prison of not having a body.)
Eru is responsible for every decision they make. He shaped it. He used them. They did as he made them to do, knowing they'd do it. And he punished THEM for doing what HE designed. There is no avoiding this conclusion.
@@jensphiliphohmann1876even Frodo destroyed the Ring because of Eru's providence and not by his own free will. You can be free as long as you obey, so to say... as Augustine would put it, freedom is acting as you are meant to act, coherently with the plan God prepared for you... in the case of humanity being his image, thus acting in agreement with Him.
@@mavrospanayiotis
Frodo originally wanted to destroy the ring. He only failed at doing so at Mt. Doom because of the ring's influence. It was Gollum who accidentally destroyed it alongside himself.
Favourite maker: I'm thinking whichever elf made the food that Frodo, Pippin, and Sam get from Gildor's party. Gildor calls it 'poor', but Frodo calls it 'good enough for a birthday party'. And Sam says if he could grow apples like that he would call himself a gardener. (And later in his life, he takes that very name, after having a little help from Galadriel.)
Jess, I always wanted a woman to comment in a TH-cam series on Tolkien and his works. The men are fine but I thought a woman would add something the men just wouldn’t see.
Thank you for exceeding my hopes boundlessly.
Yeah it’s so cool to hear a female voice in this space 😊😊😊😊😊
That was so beautiful! The last few minutes had me crying. Shared creation is truly the greatest joy.
My partner and I were once at a local pagan center where we have many friends when someone happened to use a phrase that occurs as a line in a song we had been fixated on for weeks. We immediately sang the next line, in perfect harmony. When everyone had finished laughing and clapping, someone incredulously asked "Do you two just sit at home singing all the time?". In perfect unison, we replied "Yes". Hey, it's the best foundation for a relationship I've found so far. 🙂🎵
My favorite creator in the Legendarium is Celebrimbor. He is such an achingly tragic figure! He longed to match his grandfather's fabled skill as a magical craftsman, and to help his people. Even though he was blind to Annatar's malice, it was his good intentions that blinded him. His making friends with the dwarves of Kazad-Dum, creation and distribution of the three Elven rings, and resistance to torture by Sauron kept his mistake from turning into a catastrophe. He couldn't escape the Doom of the Noldor, but he redeemed his clan even as he fell.
'Maybe not all the time, but, crucially, whenever we feel like it.'
This channel is a warm blanket ❤ thanks for the reprieve from the mundane Jess!
So Morgoth was the first fanfic writer.
Morgoth never got the chance to explore his epic fanfic haha
He was born into a shit role
Not a great fanfic either - the main character was a total Marty Stu...
If Morgoth is the devil, then there is the fun fact that the devil is known by many names, including Lucifer. In English Lucifer simply means lightbearer.
@@sulljoh1
No, he was "born" the highest after Eru Iluvatar himself and thus fell the deepest.
He wasn't like some poor bugger born into a broken family and with hardly any chance of survival but by stealing or worse but like a prince who broke with his father because of not being just like him.
Kind of. He was to Eru what the RoP writers are to Tolkien, whereas Jackson is to Tolkien kind of what Aule was to Eru Iluvatar.
I truly felt that Toilken believed that “To die, would be an awfully big adventure”
Great video! Loved it!
My favorite is Jess!
Ok, favorite is Samwise. Love his love for growing things and I'd love a brace of coney's with some taters right now :)
It's undeniable that Tolkien valued creativity but warned, against creativity when it walked hand-in-hand with pride and ambition. However, Tolkien's creativity in Lord of the Rings is set in order and sharing and not born out of chaos and unbridled ambition. I love how you mention that Tolkien saw his creative works as a way of honoring his faith, his love of language and myth, and passion for the nature world that was quickly being lost.
Regarding the role of a writer's creativity, Dan Sinykin said the following about The Dark Tower in his book ‘Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature’ (big spoilers for later books in the series btw):
If Misery demystifies authorship, forgoing the aura of the romantic genius for the quotidian reality of work, then King’s Dark Tower series challenges the idea of the individual author itself. It is a quest narrative, a loose novelization of Robert Browning’s poem “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”. Roland Deschain must find the Dark Tower. Across the first few novels, Roland gathers his companions who form a company or, in the series’ Tolkienesque language, a ka-tet. They come to learn that they are characters created by Stephen King who they must protect from the evil Crimson King if they want to complete their quest. The Crimson King is affiliated with a massive conglomerate whose goal “to be everywhere, own everything, and basically control the universe.” Roland’s ka-tet, in response, forms the Tet Corporation to ensure that King finishes the series. The series becomes a contest between a tyrannical conglomerate and a corporation oriented toward the greater good. The Tet Corporation is aligned with genre fiction. Its headquarters in the series is the same building in New York that in real life houses Dell Press, publisher of several genre writers who inspired King. The ka-tet saves King, who saves Roland, who arrives at the Dark Tower and defeats the Crimson King.
Allan interprets The Dark Tower as allowing King to reimagine his work as an author: rather than a brand producing financial capital for his conglomerate publisher, he can see himself “as a member of a larger, communal organization that produces something other than the empty brand”; he can define himself “in relationship not only to his own novels, but also within a longer lineage of literary production”; he can be himself “entrusted with a larger institutional project.” I want to push Allan’s insights further. Something more radical is at work in the series. Allan notes that the Tet Corporation makes literal King’s “indebtedness to other writers and filmmakers, and even to his own work.” Indeed, King is understood as a member of the ka-tet and his work is subsumed by the collective labor of the Tet Corporation. King is recognizing how many people contribute to any work of literature. Even as his name remains on the cover, a necessary brand, he goes beyond his rejection of the romantic author in Misery to reject individual authorship itself. He romanticizes authorship by associating it with a postwar corporation set against an evil conglomerate, illustrating the conglomerate authorship of the conglomerate era. He enacted his resistance to conglomeration by publishing the series with an independent fantasy and science fiction publisher, Donald Grant.
King grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, when the United States was enjoying one of the greatest periods in the history of capitalism, and the large corporation was the organizing structure at its heart. 3M, General Motors, U. S. Steel: they provided good, stable jobs and encouraged a filial sensibility. People spent their lives working for one company. When the postwar boom transitioned into the long downturn in the 1970s, management practices transitioned, too, from loyalty and stability toward flexibility under the aegis of shareholder value. Conglomerates swallowed corporations. King’s oeuvre from the 1970s through the final volume of The Dark Tower in 2004 expresses, in part, a nostalgia for the fair economic winds and paternalistic corporatism of the postwar boom, when, in his fantasy, a writer was not eclipsed by his brand but instead was a worker among workers, with a certain solidarity. Of course, such nostalgia was less useful for - because the boom years were less hospitable to - white women and people of color.
Don't forget it was a present to his son Christopher as well!
@@Scarfhead And what a gift! Christopher was able to make an entire life for himself out of collecting and annotating his father's stories.
Ok I’ve been wondering about that purple snake in the background for ages and I just need to know!
an Ekans? a purple version of God Emperor of Dune?
I call it the "Cheshire snake," I painted it like 10 years ago. Glad you like him!
@@Jess_of_the_Shire He's fun!
Missed the snake. I must be a lesser being.
It’s fascinating how much Morgoth abhorred a vacuum when you consider the traditional understanding of evil as a negation or lack of the good; he wanted to fill the void with his own creations, but that only pushed him further into a void of his own being. So it’s also super fitting that his punishment is to look out on the void forever-it would be like staring at what he made himself for all eternity…
Great video as always.
Your summarization of Tolkiens creation was truly beautiful.
So Tolkien is Eru Illuvatar. Peter Jackson is Aulë and Amazon is Melkor.
Sounds about right 😁
@@Jamie_E_Pritchard 'Tom's words laid bare the hearts of trees and their thoughts, which were often dark and strange, and filled with a hatred of things that go free upon the earth, gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning: destroyers and usurpers.'
And that sounds like the haters.
No, Amazon is Celebrimbor. They had a great idea, but sometimes they’re cludgy in the execution.
😂😂😂😂
No.
Tolkien's a hobbit.
He was actually sorta clear about that! XD
1:26 - that two frames of you laughing at your segue is hilarious and wonderful and I am SO glad you kept it lol
The problem isn’t creativity. The problem was vanity….thinking that your creations hold anything of the same “value” and “goodness” of the real world.
This goes back to how it is impossible to understand Tolkien outside of his Catholicism. The entire Tolkien mythos is just Christian theology with an Anglo-Germanic veneer.
Hubris. Of which both sauron and morgoth had an abundance. I wholeheartedly agree with ur summary.
The entire mythos?
I'd argue the Christian theology really starts to dominate with the revision of LotR. As he stated
"The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision"
While it was unconsciously a fundamentally Catholic work, there was more room for other influences. The Hobbit and the early version of what would become the Silmarillion also display less Christian and more pagan influences - just compare the later Nienna, who grieves for others and teaches compassion and derives wisdom from suffering, to Fui Nienna of the Lost Tales who stands for despair and suffering without hope and decorates her halls with bat wings. The Valar as a whole act much more like pagan gods than Christian angels in the early versions - they're petty, they lie and they have children.
The Lost Tales idea that the dead stay inside of the physical world, but go to various permanent dwellings depending on their deeds, also feels very different from the later idea of Men's souls going to Eru.
It' certainly isn't a blatant allegory like that of narnia by clive Lewis.....but to deny the clearly "catholic" (or judeo-christian themes throughout tolkien's works is folly.
@@SNWWRNNGAccurate assessment.
16:59, "And that might be a little silly since he was writing fantasy-fiction which isn't technically 'true'."
I think it's better to think of it as the difference between "the truth" and "the facts". Fantasy, especially the writings of Tolkien, Lewis, and L'Engle are true, even though they aren't "factual" narratives. The Veritas Forum has posted a really good lecture on their TH-cam Channel of Madeleine L'Engle discussing this subject, entitled, "Searching for Truth Through Fantasy".
Thank you for your creativity, Jess, another insightful video.
It's 100% understandable for a Catholic who experienced WWI to think that all creativity/engineering/*the machine* was evil or at least suspect. Much better to give up on all that and sit in your English countryside enjoying nature!
But the alternative view - expounded by Carl Sagan and Star Trek - is worth considering. Creativity can be the mechanism by which we make a better world and a brighter future.
Absolutely agree, there's such an interesting philosophical dialogue between creation and domination… as human beings we live by using, making, changing, and defining our world. But when we define the world (or each other) as an Other, an Object that is only there for us to use and change (as Christianity arguably does), that is the first step on the path to evil…
@sulljoh1. Where in the Silmarillion , or The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings is the view expressed that creation is so problematic? Gimli and Legolas create a very deep friendship. Sam and Frodo reshape and recreate their relationship from what it was in the Shire to what we witness during the climb up Mount Doom. Eowyn creates a place in her heart for love to bloom.
Also, you should if you haven't read the poem that Jess read a part of. I believe it is Tolkien's Creed where creativity is concerned.
I agree. I don't think it's deliberate but technology is basically at a standstill for ~8,000 years during the three ages and by many measures get worse over time.
The technology that made WWI so brutal was even more of a shock to people who’d grown up in the Victorian age than WWII.
@@GrahamCStrouse I know... I can only imagine how jarring it was for him. 😞
fantasy may not be truth but it can be metaphor i loved this blog thank you !
That's an excellent way to put it
I read somewhere (maybe even Tolkien? I really can't remember) someone said "of course it's a fiction, a story. But why should that mean it's not true?"
Actually now I think about it it might have been doctor who
Tolkien might disagree with me on this one, but in my mind a Creator whose creation does not grow beyond them is kind of a shoddy creator. Eru's insistence that the full power of creation be his and his alone makes him no better than Melkor or Sauron.
I think I could best describe this from the perspective of family. A (good) parent does not hold their children back, but encourages them onward until those children achieve and create things greater and grander than their parents ever dreamed. The goal of creation is to put something into existence that can live and grow on its own. The best creations take on a life of their own and outlast and outshine even their creators.
Tolkien believed in and wrote about a fallen world in perpetual decline. I think the opposite is true. Or at least, that whether the world falls or rises is up to us and how we choose to use our creativity.
But in the conservative mindset the child is only a shadow of the greatness of its progenitor.
Very insightful reasoning sir.🙏
I suppose it comes down to what is possible only for Eru to do, as opposed to what a creature is capable of. Existence and life are native to Eru alone, and he shares those attributes with his creations in a limited capacity that is proper to their nature. For instance, a rock simply exists, but a sentient being has a greater capacity to share in the attributes of Eru.
The problem comes when a high level creature, a powerful angelic being, desires power that only Eru has, and out of vanity and malice, seeks to lord over and dominate all created things.
A constant theme in the story, is that the desire for power beyond one's natural state, inevitably leads to corruption and evil.
@@simeonwaia How is Eru's desire for power and domination any less vain or malicious?
I know what Tolkien believed and what his writings meant to convey. I just don't buy into the one-sided narrative. The "nature" and "capacity" arguments have been used since time immemorial to justify racism and sexism and all kinds of bigotry, and very often with some god or another at the root of that argument. Any god / powerful being unwilling to share power is gonna need a better excuse than "cause I'm naturally better".
@@pufthemajicdragon Eru is perfect in and of himself. He does not need anything outside of himself. His act of creation is an act of pure love ('love' for Tolkien is willing the good of another), that is, it comes from a desire to share his life with his creation. A good analogy is parents that want to have children, this desire for children is an attribute that Eru's creatures share with him. The rightly ordered relationship between parents and children is not that of power-hungry domination.
The desire for power and domination comes from corruption within finite beings who abuse their free will. It is the opposite of love, it is a will that seeks its own satisfaction at the expense of others.
Another cracking video! I really loved the piece at the end about the nature of humanity and creativity
As to my favorite maker: I think I like Beorn and his being one with nature (and thus unselfish) most.
Great video Jess ❤ One tip: I do feel that in your sketch of the Beginning you've mixed up Tolkien's descriptions of Melkor and Manwe, "brothers in the mind of Iluvatar". Melkor (the future Dark Lord) was the most powerful Ainu. Manwe (the future protector & King of Arda) was the wisest Ainu, who knew Iluvatar's mind best.
Another thought provoking, insightful treatise on story in general, and of course, Tolkien in particular . Well created, Jess! As always, thank you😊
The Tolkien artist Kip Rasmussen translated literally to Dutch would be chicken racialsparrows. And I find that way too funny!
It wouldn't, since it's actually a name of Danish origin, meaning son of Rasmus.
@@Arcessitor yeah, but there the same words and spelling.
1:17 The smoothest segue in the history of Arda.
Thank you. Thank you. In all humility, and with eyes moist from being moved, thank you. This is beautiful, and gets at the heart of what I do when I write words or music, or even play or read aloud the words or music of others. I've been reading tolkien for nearly fifty years now, ever since as a boy of nine, I first encountered the Hobbit. As I've grown older, the significance of the creative work he has done, and the obvious and extravagant love of the world and of people that shines through it has fired my own desire to create.
You caught this secret fire beautifully in this video essay. Your voice shapes words that shine with that love. I hear you.
Again, thank you.
This is the most beautiful commentary on the Silmarillion I’ve ever heard. You captured the very essence of why we love the world Tolkien created. 🙂❤️
Another great exposition! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and wisdom. The creation of the created can never match that of the Prime Mover, whatever form it is. This plays right back to the finite and its desire to understand the infinite. No matter how enlightened one may be, we are still finite and can never fully comprehend the infinite.
I love your channel. I just really enjoy nerding out to hard core Tolkien 411. You are really good at this and have my deepest respect. But, please, for all that is good and holy, at some point, let us see you drink from your mug or cup. It can be at the very end of your post with a wink and a knowing smile. It could be just before one of you quote cards, giving us the funny impression that you can drink as you read off a quote, just like a magical ventriloquist. You can even start off the video with you taking a healthy swig and a vocal post-gulp “ahhh” to complete the aura you give of casual instruction from a comfy Hobbit Hole.
BTW, what is it that is in those drinking vessels of yours? I say it’s Tullamore Dew!!!
Someday, I'll release a video that is just sips. 10 minutes of drinking. Haha, no, it would be really boring if I didn't edit out the time it takes me to drink. I just need something in my hands so I don't over-gesture, and I like to drink water or tea while I read the next section of my script!
@@Jess_of_the_Shire What's your favorite kind of tea?
This video was a lovely creation in its own right. I appreciate your creativity, Jess, and that you share it with us every week.
An excellent analysis, Jess - one of your best so far, I think. I am happy to hear you do seem to be a believer, which is great! You have sparked a lot of thoughts here. For one, I am so glad to see you brought in Tolkien's idea of 'Sub-Creation' from "On Fairy Stories" into your analysis. I was thinking of that when you were making the comparison between Morgoth and Sauron - creation of a creation [sub-creation] versus creation pure and original. [On a side-note, I am not as familiar with the poem as the essay, but the line about "refracted Light ... from a single white to many hues" made me think - Saruman? A stray thought, perhaps, but one that may be worthy of exploration]. Speaking of creation by the Valar, I actually just re-read The Silmarillion for the first time after many years, and it struck me that all the beings in Middle-Earth make complete sense when we see who creates them - like the Valar create beings which perfectly reflect their own essence - so Illuvatar (The Light) creates the Elves (Children of Light), Manwe (Lord of the Air) creates the Eagles, Yavanna (Lady of the Woods) creates the Ents, etc., That strikes me as the power of each individual artist - your creations are always a reflection of your self in a way. Your comparison between Mortgoth and Sauron is fascinating - when we think of the rings, we naturally assume that the central desire is just one of control; I had never thought about how part of that desire is sub-creation. Not creating the thing itself, but a thing that can corrupt the original. It actually speaks to what a lot of theologians will say about Sin [i.e. God created monogamy as a good thing, but Satan has corrupted it into extra-marital sensuality, etc.,]. I come from a very Evangelical culture, and am sometimes saddened by the sometimes non-existent role which the arts are relegated to; but one thing I have often thought is this - we hear that "Imitation is the highest form of flattery". If this is true, if imitation is in a certain sense an act of worship, then what better way to worship our creator than to create? At any rate - great post!
Thank you for this video Jess. As a fantasy writer who does this, creating worlds and revealing things that are true via things that are not, I needed to hear this message today.
As a fantasy writer, boy I felt this 😅 Also I was going to say Bilbo, too, but I thought a little and I might have to say Galadriel. She was a student of many masters, learned from Melian how to make a land that was her own, protected and preserved for her people. A worldbuilder within the world whose purpose was love and beauty and not dominion. And who knew, fundamentally, when it was time to let her creation go on without her, even if that meant its slow fading.
Regarding the role of a writer's creativity, Dan Sinykin said the following about The Dark Tower in his book ‘Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature’ and I think you might find it interesting (big spoilers for later books in the series btw):
If Misery demystifies authorship, forgoing the aura of the romantic genius for the quotidian reality of work, then King’s Dark Tower series challenges the idea of the individual author itself. It is a quest narrative, a loose novelization of Robert Browning’s poem “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”. Roland Deschain must find the Dark Tower. Across the first few novels, Roland gathers his companions who form a company or, in the series’ Tolkienesque language, a ka-tet. They come to learn that they are characters created by Stephen King who they must protect from the evil Crimson King if they want to complete their quest. The Crimson King is affiliated with a massive conglomerate whose goal “to be everywhere, own everything, and basically control the universe.” Roland’s ka-tet, in response, forms the Tet Corporation to ensure that King finishes the series. The series becomes a contest between a tyrannical conglomerate and a corporation oriented toward the greater good. The Tet Corporation is aligned with genre fiction. Its headquarters in the series is the same building in New York that in real life houses Dell Press, publisher of several genre writers who inspired King. The ka-tet saves King, who saves Roland, who arrives at the Dark Tower and defeats the Crimson King.
Allan interprets The Dark Tower as allowing King to reimagine his work as an author: rather than a brand producing financial capital for his conglomerate publisher, he can see himself “as a member of a larger, communal organization that produces something other than the empty brand”; he can define himself “in relationship not only to his own novels, but also within a longer lineage of literary production”; he can be himself “entrusted with a larger institutional project.” I want to push Allan’s insights further. Something more radical is at work in the series. Allan notes that the Tet Corporation makes literal King’s “indebtedness to other writers and filmmakers, and even to his own work.” Indeed, King is understood as a member of the ka-tet and his work is subsumed by the collective labor of the Tet Corporation. King is recognizing how many people contribute to any work of literature. Even as his name remains on the cover, a necessary brand, he goes beyond his rejection of the romantic author in Misery to reject individual authorship itself. He romanticizes authorship by associating it with a postwar corporation set against an evil conglomerate, illustrating the conglomerate authorship of the conglomerate era. He enacted his resistance to conglomeration by publishing the series with an independent fantasy and science fiction publisher, Donald Grant.
King grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, when the United States was enjoying one of the greatest periods in the history of capitalism, and the large corporation was the organizing structure at its heart. 3M, General Motors, U. S. Steel: they provided good, stable jobs and encouraged a filial sensibility. People spent their lives working for one company. When the postwar boom transitioned into the long downturn in the 1970s, management practices transitioned, too, from loyalty and stability toward flexibility under the aegis of shareholder value. Conglomerates swallowed corporations. King’s oeuvre from the 1970s through the final volume of The Dark Tower in 2004 expresses, in part, a nostalgia for the fair economic winds and paternalistic corporatism of the postwar boom, when, in his fantasy, a writer was not eclipsed by his brand but instead was a worker among workers, with a certain solidarity. Of course, such nostalgia was less useful for - because the boom years were less hospitable to - white women and people of color.
This video was honestly so beautiful and moving. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in such a cincere way! My favorite maker in Tolkien's world is Gandalf- his fireworks are so dreamy and fun, but of course the older races made more impressive things, like the First Song
This IS the best TH-cam channel. ❤🌎🔮✨️🌿
As a Christian, I believe one of God’s greatest gifts to us is the art of creating. I’m a just starting a writer and when I create stories it does bring me much joy to delve into worlds that I brought to life, but I make sure to give it all to God. God Bless 🙏🏻 Excellent video. 👍
I love your videos, and I’m really enjoying this one.
Pride in creation is such a slippery slope. Pride in learning and using God-given talents to share with others is not evil, at least I don’t think so. I was an extremely talented pianist when I was younger, and nothing beat the feeling when I worked on a song and performed it and knew it gave others pleasure. I’m an introvert, and musical talent was a way to share the brighter parts of my soul with others, but I never forgot that God gave me the talent and that the performance honored his gift.
Your screen presence is so peaceful and relaxing. You could narrate paint drying and I would find that enjoyable. I think you were cut from the same cloth as Mr Fred Rogers.
Absolutely wonderful analysis. Described in short my life philosophy of creativity vs possesion
I really enjoy the way you describe Tolkien's world.
That transition from the might of Melcor to the ad was just mwa (chefs kiss) 😂😂😂
Imagine how Tolkien felt about his “children.” The characters of his stories he gave birth to and labored and cried over and suffered with. 🥹
One of the most inspiring videos I've ever seen. thanks.
Really Solid take... I loved your assessment.
Thanks so much!
I don’t usually comment when I’m less than 2 minutes into the video, but you really ground my gears with that segue into the sponsor portion lol
A remarkable exegesis, Jess, and an adorable sweater. It looks comfy and warm. Stretching the meaning of creation a bit, I would say my favorite creator is Gandalf, who "creates" the incredibly complex and fragile chain of events that leads ultimately to the destruction of the one ring.
Obsession with the work of one's own hands definitely is a gateway to evil or at least being influenced by it. Great video as always, Jess!
Informative video, Jess. Well presented, and good use of quotations and illustrations. By the way, have you done a video about the Arkenstone? Perhaps you could do a deep dive into that precious stone. Anyway, another good video.
When people ask why I dislike Amazon's Rings of Power, this is basically it. If Tolkien is Ilúvatar, Amazon is Melkor.
You nailed it! Well done, and thank you.
Only when your creativity leads to an obsession. That's when the detriment begins 😱
Beautifully spot-on!
(And recognized as such by you.)
I know this wasn't exactly the topic of the video, but I was always struck by this discord in virtually all of the monotheistic religions centred on one god-creator. If nothing is happening without his will or knowledge, this means that all the atrocities were also planned or at least predicted by him. If so, how can he punish his 'children' for doing something he actually proseen and kinda planned? I don't really understand how the concept of 'free will' applies to this kind of theology. It is often stated that 'children' of god received free will from him, but at the same time, we are constantly told nothing is going on without his will or knowledge. So is there really free will or just an illusion of it? These questions apply also to the concepts of fate and destiny. While I love the Lord of the Rings and the whole Tolkien's 'universum' for many things, this discord between supposed free will and a deterministic (like 'destiny-driven') view of the world is what put me off slightly.
It's confusing because there is no creator, nor any free will.
That was lovely ~ improved my morning ~ My favourite creator . . . Galadriel---though I suppose Lothlorien was unchanging
This is such a central but underdiscussed theme of Tolkien’s. I’m glad to see a video on it!
One of the few good things I think to have come from the Rings of Power show is when Sauron speaks about his view on Morgoth, where he says that Sauron seeks to perfect what Morgoth sought to destroy. It's a testiment to Sauron's desire to craft a world he feels is 'perfect' no matter how flawed that view of perfection might be.
All that aside this is by far one of the best videos I have ever seen. Bravo!
My favourite creator it Tolkien's lore is Sam. He is a humble mine who only wishes to plant a humble garden and in that way bring all the more humble beauty to the world around him.
Jess of the Shire & Co is my favourite creator, keep up the good work! :)
This was the most beautiful video you have made.
All your finds are so cool! I do want to collect these, I have the previous batch of them!
There is something in the act of creation... that the creation is an expression of the creator - a very biblical theme. Also the creation is infused with the intent of the creator. If for instance the creator focuses on love as he creates then perhaps the creation is infused with love. It reflects that love back into the world. On the other hand if the creator focuses on a negative emotion as he creates...
This was fantastic. Thank you JotS!
Would love some of this channels content on Spotify to listen and drive
Agreed
Valeu!
Jess. Fav creator (or sub- create) is Galadriel. Her gift to Gimli helps to mend and recreate a new relationship between dwarves and elves.
Really, another candidate vid 4 a Ted Talk 😊
You are brilliant Jess
Beautifully stated!
Thanks so much!
It was beautifully stated. I love Jess' summary and analysis. She may have triggered me on certain philosophical issues (and I spammed a few comments) But it was very artfully done 🤍
Hey Jess, a little off topic, but I'm throwing a Tolkien theme party complete with a movie marathon, boardgames, and seven entire meals. I would really like your opinion on what our first meal should be. Keep in mind that, due to timing issues caused by adult life, our first meal will be luncheon.
Samwise Gamgees is my favorite creator in Middle Earth. His songs were simultaneously beautiful and fun, while is potato stew was amazing.
Favourite middle earth creator - Sam. What is a gardener if not a creator and curator of a tiny subcompartment of the world, after all?
Best maker of stuff in Arda = Sador Labadal. Injuries prevented him doing little else around the homestead of Turin but he made furniture of an excellent standard and remained humble about his craft in the face of strong criticisms by Morwen and others. Obviously not the smith of a Feanor, Celebrimbor or Sauron standard but he's an awesome character nonetheless.
Now that's a deep cut!
05:15 f
No theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in Eru Iluvatar.
And in a similar manner, no _Lord of the Rings_ stuff may be written that hath not its uttermost source in J.R.R. Tolkien.
10:05 f
_We see ... creative ambition being the downfall of brilliant souls._
Yes, but also of less brilliant souls in the real world - like those who write _Rings of Power_ not only because they twist Tolkien's lore (for example, they completely screwed up the timeline) but also made good characters like Galadriel kind of evil and destructive, and the actions of the characters make no sense.
Great video dude
is destruction just a different form of creation?
Is entropy a form of creation?....hmm 🤔. Yes,it's not exactly "destruction"... but it's an interesting philosophical thought.
Destruction can allow for better creation.
Overbearing law can lead to stagnation.
Destruction can lead to death.
Endless chaos can lead to no advancement.
Chaos and law are both equal.
"The passion for destruction is also a creative passion." -Mikhail Bakunin
Though he was a Russian Anarchist and Atheist with a very different worldview than an English Catholic, and I imagine Tolkien would disagree.
I Love, Love, Love this. Thank you.
Your Elven smiths were so preoccupied with whether or not they *could,* they didn't stop to think if they *should.*
Wonderful video today! In my view there are many forms of creative artists around the world. You can often tell who is in it for the art and who has the mistaken belief that they’ve discovered the path to instantaneous fame and fortune. I have occasionally been approached by the Sauron’s who promise me wealth untold if I just write down their life story. I try to be polite with them and say I’m far too busy for that “but if they could just write down some notes, perhaps I could help” them write it. It usually ends there.
Who is my favorite Maker? That’s a bit hard to say here. In my soul I really want to say Treebeard for his actions and desire to find the Entwives and save the trees from Saruman’s nastiness, but I also would say Gandalf, for all he does to guide the various heroes toward the destruction of the ring and the end of Sauron.
Aule was humble. He created not to glorify himself, but simply because he loved to create.
That sponsor segue came swooping down like a great eagle from the sky ;)
You know you made it as a TH-camr when Squarespace sponsors your videos😉
That transition to the sponsor was on point xD
I so enjoyed this video. Thanks!
I'm with you--Bilbo the poet is my favorite creator.
This was a beautiful video, Jess! I want to create fantasy of my own just like Tolkien did.
Most people don't realize that LotR is relentlessly conservative. That means that nothing can change for the better.... ever. The only thing we can do is fight to restore the past.
incredibly well said! LOTR is inherently hierarchical... N worse It's a hierarchy that's not only "justified" but immutable. Ick.
Love it.
But ick.
My favorite creator is Sam. He reminds me of my mom and Alan Lee who both have a love for gardening and art.
Best creator(s) in Middle Earth? Easy. Gimli & Legolas, who created a friendship that permanently bridged the hate between elves and dwarves.
My favorite creator in the LOTR would probably also be Bilbo since I'm also a writer/poet, so Bilbo's created works resonate with me more, especially his "translation" that Sam recites of The Fall of Gil-galad.
My favorite creator is Sam, who was before everything a humble gardner. Using and working with nature to create a landscape that captivates and inspires - now that is a noble endeavor.
Tolkien’s thoughts on the nature of divinity is a subject I’ve not considered before. It would be interesting to explore theologically. He’s no flyweight thinker. 😊
Galadriel is a wonderful creator. She created Lothlorien as a memory of Lorien in Valinor. Her love of all of Arda helped her to grow past her desire to rule a realm of her own and earn the right to return by the Straight Road back to the home she grew up in.
The cause of their downfall was not creativity but selfishness and vanity. Tolkien was a catholic indeed.
The ad read intro was hilarious
A key distinction between Melkor and Olwe was that Melkor wanted to create for himself where Olwe wanted to create to add to what was already made.
*Sauron* : "Oh my god, it can't be! .... Melkor!" *_crickets a-chirpin'_* "My old college roommate!" How I miss ye olde days of flash😂
My favorite maker would be Pippin. He was always making trouble, but doing it out of curiosity and having fun. (This may be more movie Pippin than book Pippin)