I made a small mistake in the video, saying 4 rings for the dwarves for some reason. Sorry about that. Give me your opinions on the interpretation, I know people can be LOTR experts, which I am not, so I am curious to know.
As a Tolkien apprentice, I really enjoyed your interpretation. One thing I want to praise you for is avoiding drawing one to one parallels to "real life" examples (e.g. The ring represents nuclear arms). Tolkien repeatedly said he disliked allegory and did not write LOTR, The Hobbit, or the Silmarillion to be allegorical. "I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me.” What he instead said that he strived to do was create a Mythology. Because myth, unlike allegory, can have a wide range of valid applications and interpretations. In the Narnia books, if you don't read Aslan as Christ, you are misinterpreting Lewis. However, in LOTR, many of the characters act as "types" of Christ. Frodo bears the weight of the world on his shoulders, Aragorn is the long awaited King returning to his people, Gandalf sacrifices himself to the demon of fire in the underworld and is resurrected. But none of the characters *are* Christ. Frodo fails the quest, Aragorn fails to save Merry, Pippin, and Boromir, and Gandalf fails his first encounter with Saruman (all of them are finite beings). I think your interpretation fit well into the "myth" category. If you're taking suggestions, I would love to hear what you have to say about some of the stories in the Silmarillion. They're a lot more dense in terms of meaning and symbolism than his other works about Middle Earth.
"it is possible that many of us have already become ringwraiths." i love how this interpretation puts the symbolism intertwined in the LOTR in modern context. i think advancing technology, especially artificial intelligence is, looking at the current developments that are coming at us faster and faster every time, something to definitely have an eye on or two.
Also notice how the level of control is increased with the multiplicity of the rings. The Nine he has complete domination over. The Seven he has corrupted to make their owners greedy and selfish, but the Three he cannot see unless he comes into the fullness of his power. Also interesting how three heroes, Gandalf, Aragorn and Frodo, aĺl have a descent into death/trampling down, sequence. One more point worth talking about is how every time evil is fought head-on, in ages past, the victory is laced with sorrow and evil is not fully beaten. Tolkien had a very clever take on how evil can be defeated.
@@jamesbyrne8687 By feeding it back into itself. Dropping the Ring into Mt Doom symbolises this. The good guys still put up a fight in the feild but ultimately it is the incorruptibility of Frodo and Sam that allows them to penetrate the inner sanctum of Mordor (even wearing the clothes of the enemy) and recycle the evil onto itself.
May I ask what is the link between the multiplicity of rings and level of control? Why should the level of control increase if there are more rings? Thanks
@@supernal2272 To fully understand I would recommend watching all of Jonathons videos (but really its a lifetimes study), but it revolves around the heirarchy of values and principalities which we can imagine as a mountain. At the base of the mountain is many places and states, multiplicity. But as you ascend the mountain you both move upwards and towards the centre, and multiplicities begin to resolve (though not in a unification-of-duality way, this is often an incorrect conception). So for the Nine Kings of the Nazgul, they have been 'bound' by rings that are at the bottom of the mountain, petty and inconstant values and capricious principalities, therefore their fate is to be divorced from their true selves and be as withered formless ghosts, completely enslaved to their rings. Does that make sense?
I always saw the ring as an allegory for sin and giving in to being your own god. You desire it as it will give your power (invisibility) but by giving into the ring you allow the devil (sauron) complete control over you or to see and destroy you. You believe in the falsehood that the ring will bring you life/power but it really brings death and destroys you as evident by how it transforms gollum into a wretched creature.
That analogy isn't too far fetched. Tolkien himself was a Christian after all. More specifically, Roman Catholic. And many people believe that he actually hid some elements of Christian faith into his works. To an extent, even he admits to having done this.
Not too far-fetched, but its bigger than that. The ring is the material world becoming your god. You can incorporate your symbolism into Pageau's symbolism for an even greater picture.
I teach The Lord of the Rings and found this video among the most insightful work on Tolkien I've encountered. Thank you! I will share it with my students.
I am a wearer of many rings, the ring of alcohol, of cigarettes, of TH-cam. I'm a wraith. Thank you for this interpretation, it may be of some use to me in my struggles.
@@armageddon4831 I'm reminded of the part of the video where Jonathan describes how the 'word' of the individual is stronger than the 'army' that protects the individual, because it outlasts, it endures. And the ornament of power overtakes and erases the individual in time. The ornament is a cover, a lie. Whereas the word is the truth. Gandalf represents that understanding.
also.. the interplay of fate and free will in Lotr. Frodo’s fate to carry the burden but also his responsibility to take that moral choice. all characters are pushed to make difficult moral decisions, but in the end there is the ‘eucatastrophe’ (the Providence ensuring the good’s defeat over evil) no individual character, but the culmination of all small steps lead to victory and in the end saved by grace.
As much as I’m not a fan of Harry Potter, I think that the notion of the horcrux is a really incredible way of understanding technology. The more Voldemort put his soul into different horcruxes, the more fragmented he became, until he ultimately lacked a proper body altogether and took on a weak, vampiric body. After his horcruxes were destroyed, he lacked embodiment and was easily overcome. Technology is a horcrux- the more of ourselves that we invest in it and depend upon it, the more fragile we become. How many people would survive if the grid were to collapse? Almost none- the grid is their horcrux, and when it is destroyed, so is the embodiment of their souls.
Loved it. If you want to stick with Tolkien, I'd recommend the Ainulindale, or The Music of the Ainur. It's from the Silmarillion. It's Tolkien's Creation myth, and is absolutely beautiful. Thank you for what you're doing, I'm hooked. This one spoke to me especially as I come from a communication background that presents a historical worldview that focuses on an idea of technological determinism (Marshall McLuhan type stuff). What you've identified is profound. We are all ringwraiths. More unsettling than us turning into androids. Thank you again! Your presentation of Orthodox iconography has set a fire beneath the development of my faith, I felt I was in a rut, or at least that I had plateaued. The rigidness of protestant systematic theology has been gnawing at me for some time. You're beautiful.
I find it interesting how the One Ring 'completes' the other levels - making 4 of the three elven rings, for example. The three elven rings are the ring of Water, Fire and Air (Nenya, Narya and Vilya), the One Ring would complete this series and be the ring of Earth, earth being a symbol for material wealth, but also for fertile ground (or the opposite). Celebrimbor thought Sauron to be a 'giver of gifts' when he crafted the rings, calling him 'Annatar'. He had mistaken or overseen the negative aspects technology, wealth, earth brings with it (a common theme for all Noldor) and was eventually killed by Sauron, 'giver of gifts', because he wouldn't yield the rings back to him. It's also interesting how the destruction of the One Ring could be seen as the completion of the world, as the Silmarils (symbols of holy power, something like that) were already in their right place (in the Sky with Eärendil, in the Sea due to Maglor and a 'fiery pit' with Maedhros - note here the similarities between the Silmarils and the 3 Rings), yet the earth element was missing and still about in the world in the form of the One Ring, made by Sauron. From a Jungian perspecitve, where one sees 3 of something, one should look for a 4th (which is oftentimes repressed, or seen as evil). 3 Silmarils on Morgoth's crown, making him the 4th - 3 silmarils and Sauron's ring, sauron being archetypically the same as Morgoth, the 4th element earth as an evil which needs to be incorporated and not seperate or above from the rest. I tried to figure this out for a while now and you helped me along the way, I hope this rambling made sense, thanks! Topic suggestion: The Fall of the Noldor, Nargothrond, Doriath and Gondolin and their relation to the biblical fall is a goldmine
"From a Jungian perspecitve, where one sees 3 of something, one should look for a 4th (which is oftentimes repressed, or seen as evil)", where did you find this in Jung?
I am not one to be joyful when I see a new video of a creator that I appreciate, I am a bit too stoic and negative for that, and yet I was joyful when I saw that you released a new video on LotR, which as someone raised atheist, was one of my first deep approach on mythology and symbolism. Do keep up the good work, your words do not die as soon as they have been heard.
Excellent stuff, and particularly the Ringwraith punchline, which ties in with your thoughts on zombies. If you want suggestions for subjects in the LotR, how about: symbolism of the feminine (Galadriel, Eowyn, Arwen, Rosie Cotton, the usually-overlooked Ioreth, and Shelob); symbolism of the tower (LotR has lots of them); thoughts on Minas Tirith as Byzantium; an Orthodox Christian take on an explicitly Catholic work. Is that enough for starters? :-)
I thought the elves were a closer representation of the Byzantine, since they were a great people whose time is coming to an end. The men in middle earth seem to make more sense as "the West" which will inherit the world from Byzantium.
Ja Sh Meh. Only partially. He is also Jesus, giving his life so that others might live and then rising from the dead in a glorified form. He is also Fr. Francis Xavier, who was a sort father figure of Tolkien.
One aspect of the Ring of Power I find interesting is how it symbolizes one of the most perplexing characteristics of power over others - once you have it, it is almost impossible to voluntarily give up. In the LOTR trilogy, the only character we see truly able to resist the grasp of power after having tasted it is Samwise Gamgee. Every other character fails to voluntarily relinquish the Ring of Power without some degree of struggle.
totally right, I love the Sam character, let's remember that Aragon showed some resistance to the ring too, by holding it for a little bit and giving it back to Frodo
"the only character we see truly able to resist the grasp of power after having tasted it is Samwise Gamgee." Bilbo willingly gave the ring to Frodo a few decades before Sam had it.
It’s described in the books that Sam hesitated before giving the ring back to Frodo, which is visually shown in the movies by how many times Frodo has to keep asking for the ring. Sam definitely handles it better than most but he is susceptible just like anyone else. The only person that is shown to be unaffected is Tom Bombadil
@@IdeasBehindStoriesthat’s true but it was early on in his ownership. He failed to destroy the ring which highlights how potent the ring is at corrupting anyone who has it
I also see the inverted hierarchy in the structures of Middle-Earth. The evil uses menacing towers, which is similar to a corrupt hierarchy. Only one person on high above, and everyone else below, who have no hope to get to the top because it is a vertical structure. This is how corrupt systems works with only few people in the upper levels of society, who have ultimate overview on the landscape. On the otherside, Edoras, Minas Tirith, Caras Galadhon all placed on hills, which are much more like pyramids of normal hierarchical structures, where there is much more connection between the different levels. Also, the folks who extremely reclused from the world live under hills an mountains, which seem a pathologic level of isolation. This is the case with hobbits, dwarves and Mirkwood elves. And all of them are wilfully blind as JBP would say, which can or will be their doom (the hobbits in the end of the third book, and the dwarves of Moria and the Lonely Mountain).
Tom Bombadil would be cool to talk about since he is not influenced by the ring. Also I wish to hear ur interpretation of the Green Knight which Tolkien said was one of the most difficult characters to interpret. Great video as always!!
You make an interesting point about we humans binding, Sauron-like, our power to our technology. 'The Distributist' made a related point recently when he compared the power of emerging technology (especially AI) to the 'Eldritch Abominations' of HP Lovecraft.
This is one of them videos that I like before I press play. Tolkien blows my mind. EDIT: And to have Jonathan break down why it blows my mind is epic also.
I always liked the fact that hobbiton was segregated from middle earth. On the far north west end and they don’t really interact with any of the other species. They’ve never even seen them other than bilbo which is why he’s famous. He is the only one who left the village, went under a mountain to confront a dragon and found the most important thing and brought it back with him to the village. Then to finally right the world it takes his descendent to also go up a mountain into fire and lose himself only to be saved in an inverted way by Gollum who is a monster who has lost his soul, an image of what Frodo will become. And Aragorn has to come out of the wilds, the margin of the forests to finally take his seat in the center of middle earth, Gondor, by accepting his responsibilities and rescuing the spirit of his father to become king. Jordan Peterson would be so proud of Aragorn lol.
Excellent video! It draws my attention to a comparison between the enigmatic Tom Bombadil and Faramir. One who was completely immune to the ring, and the other who must have been inwardly tempted by it, but rejects it without second thought. The outward level of “power” of these two is completely different, but I think their response to the ring shows a similar “inward power.” However, where Bombadil is concerned, I can say nothing for certain.
Excellent video. The smart phone is truly the ring of power. See how people covet and rub it and how uncomfortable they get if someone else touches it.
The Lord of the Ring, a master-piece (here seen and exposed with a full intelligence and reflexion !) Bravo ! Please continue your serie of interpretations on this majestic novels/movies ! With you, my vision gets deeper and deeper. Very intersting as a writer to see all these new perspectives.
From this perspective he is a being that is immune to the power of One Ring which means he is self-sufficient and cannot be tempted. Someone like Budda, who got rid of his desires.
Sauron want's to be Eru Illuvatar, just like Satan want's to be God, and pervert the existing hierarchy to fit his vision of power. The pyramide, hierarchy of the 4 rigs echoes, Nebuchadnezzar's dream: "Daniel interpreted a dream of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. The king saw a gigantic statue made of four metals, from its gold head to its feet of mingled iron and clay; as he watched, a stone "not cut by human hands" destroyed the statue and became a mountain filling the whole world." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_2 The uncut stone destroyed the clay feet. Clay is a simbol of the body. The feet are not just clay, but also iron, ork and evil human. The stone is the divine intervention, perhaps the reincarnation or resurrection of Gandalf and the quest of the Ring-bearer Frodo (Christ). Iron is the metal of humanity, war. Bronze is the dwarves, silver is the elves and gold is the Ainur. Melkor is an Ainur, but since he was tossed into the Timeless void, Sauron sort of represents him.
I was watching the extended trilogy recently. I was thinking about the symbolism of the ring. I couldnt figure it out and hoped you will make a video about it. Perfect timing!
Wow, just wow! I’ve always been a huge fan of LOTR due to the mythopoetic nature and its higher meanings, but I’ve never considered how much of the themes affect our modern lives right now. Thank you for the eye opener Jonathan! P.S. I’ve just started to read your brother’s book as well.
Tolkien's work never ceases to amaze me. It's like he tells the story that's hidden deep inside our collective unconscious. (The story containing symbols that reveal aspects of an archetypal pattern). When I first saw LOTR in my early teens it was like I was transported into an all-encompassing world that I've always known on a much deeper level then I could articulate. I would really love a conversation with Dr. Duke Pesta - he has quite an insight into LOTR as well.
I always recognize the ring in smartphones. We thought they gave us power, that we could have all the knowledge of the world at our fingertips, and always reach anyone we needed to reach, and we loved them for the services they provided us. But now it's the phone that has power over us, we are constantly looking at it, no longer being free, anyone can get to us at any time and we're basically not allowed to get rid of them. Somewhere the phones gained more control over our lived than we controlled our phones.
This idea of the "binding of the powers" has me contemplating my own artistic practice. I have long used photography and 3D rendering... but perhaps it is time to take up drawing, painting, printmaking, maybe even carving. Thank you
Loved this analysis! My suggestion for new videos would be to delve into the lore of the Silmarillion....particularly interesting videos may be on the meaning behind the Fall of Gondolin or the difference and hierarchies of Illuvatar, the Ainur, the Valar, the Maiar, and the Noldor, numenoreans, dwarves, and lesser men and elves. Not just the obvious differences in their races, but the reasonings Tolkien may have gave for such differences in their creation, etc. (getting away from the more superficial aspect of race and more towards their metaphorical and metaphysical purposes and meanings/ideals as they relate to humanity and religion. Other topics might include the Children of Hurin, the Lay of Luthien, or the reasoning behind the barring of certain peoples from Valinor and being among the gods, or why the gods only intervene in the troubles of Middle-Earth "when they feel like it." Cheers!
For much of these, I'm referring to the allegory/metaphors and subliminal themes that may be gleamed from these stories and why tolkien may have crafted them so, as he was careful, precise, and particular in everything that he wrote.
Another concept from Tolkien's letters that is relevant is the difference between magia and goetia. The use of craftsmanship to create new tools and the ability to emphasize different aspects of it. Both can be used for good or evil.
The "dark element of technology" I think helps explain why the Empire in Star Wars was the dark side. I remember Jonathan saying that Star Wars had symbolic confusion with the dark and light sides but it makes sense putting technology in the context constructed by LotR in this video.
“Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, Ash nazg thrakutulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul. Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.” by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
Great video, I think you nailed it. Another idea for future LOTR videos could be: 1) Why does Frodo have to leave at the end and 2) What are the different archetypes of the major protagonists. Why is Aragorn below Frodo on the hierarchy of great characters? Thanks! Also, which church is that at 13:19?
It is fascinating how art helps explain the world in a way that is just impossible for science to do. I remember two sisters in a park one day. This is a true story. It had rained and there was a rainbow. The younger sister looked up and said "look! A rainbow! It's beautiful!". The older sister, bragging about her superior knowledge, replied: "you know that it is just an optical illusion caused by the sunlight passing through the droplets of water that are still in the air, right?". To which the younger sister wisely answered: "yeah, I know... but it is still beautiful...". Upon listening to your exposition, I started to wonder about invisibility as a means of power that in the ends corrupts the person. I think there might be a connection between the look of the others and how by removing their ability to see what we are doing, there are no limits to what can be done, both good and evil. There is certain oppression from the group that watches what we do, and a ring that makes you invisible would free the wearer from that oppression. But that look from others also helps the person stay in check and behave properly in the world. Being free from the look of others would come at a cost of the soul, as you could let go of the constrains and dissolve into the chaos that are the raw impulses that lie in the bottom of every human being... or something along these lines... Anyway, thank you for the content.
Awesome interpretation. I'm currently writing a high fantasy novel and your view on power and it's affects is very identical to the "magic system" I use in my story. It also in many ways sheds light on things that I subconsciously added as well. Thanks for the upload and I am looking forward to more videos on middle earth!
great vid yet again. I think the analysis of Frodo , how the pure of heart is corruptable and how even he could not complete the mission, but "fate" did. Fredo was the only one to bere it, yet bare it is all he could do, for casting it out was just too much.
So ive been thinking about this a bit. The explanation of the three is that they have some 'hidden' power that keeps those they from the forces of time. The definition of Rivendell and Lorien are some of the best descriptions of Matthieu's concept of 'space' ive ever read. Now the pagan god of Moloch in the bible; he equates to Saturn or Cronos. Known as the Lord of Time....or the Lord of the Rings.
Exactly. The Three Elven rings (not made by Sauron himself, but by his unwitting pupil Celebrimbor), were created to assuage the grief felt by the Noldorian 'exiles' at the fleeting nature of all things in Middle-Earth, by allowing their holders to preserve 'timeless' places, recreating something like the conditions in Valinor. Unfortunately, that power depended on the One Ring... Interestingly, Tolkien himself criticized their actions as 'embalming'.
Thank you so much for all your content, Mr. Pageau. It fascinates me and I try to get as much from it as I can. Would you consider the possibility of making a small introductory series on symbolism for the people who don't have the prerequisite understanding of the insight offered in religious stories? I was raised in a non-religious family in one of the most secular countries on earth, and I think this is the reason I have such a hard time understanding your videos. I try to grasp with logic what should probably already be an intuitive understanding on my part. I don't have any intuitive understanding of any of the stories in the bible for example. Their meaning has always been lost on me, especially as a child, and my worldview is instead very rationalistic, scientific and materialistic. For example in the videos on encountering god in stories, the siginificance of the divine is completely lost on me. I try to wrap my head around it, but it just doesn't give in. I hope this makes sense. Thank you.
I would love it if you would talk about the Children of Húrin as it is one of Tolkien's greatest tragedies and i would love to hear your take on the mythological and spiritual aspects of this writing
Hello Jonathan, when you spoke about the rings function as an ornament, I remembered that I once realized that the "mark of Kain" must be the crown. A crown has the function which is described as the function of the mark of Kain. Also, the word "king" seems to be derived from Kain's name in many languages ("khan" for example). Also, if Kain was the first to found and build a town, he also must be the first to be a king. What do you think about it? "King", of course, is not that old as a word and has a history of transformation. But it still has its old root word in it and this root word may be derived from "Kain". A confirmed example with another word: the Russian word for "king" is "karolj" and this is derived from the name of Charles / Karl / Carlo the Great (Charlemagne). Also, look at the name "Tubal Kain". At this point in history, "Kain" may have already become a title just like at "Genghis Khan" and "Ögedei Khan" a. s. o..
I've spent years watching The Matrix trilogy and researching for inumerous insights in forums and youtube, and this is why I found your take on The Matrix - although very interesting - shortsided, specially because you had not clue of what happened in the second and third movie. Now, about LOTR, I haven't researched that much. I'm afraid I might get misinformed with this video. But here we go...
Great video! Might you interpret more of Tolkien? The elves, the dwarves, the evil in Tolkien? An additional point about magic itself. When they are given cloaks,at the beginning of the journey, the hobbits initially ask of the elves, : 'Are they magic?'. It confuses the elves, they answer something like: 'it is a good cloak [...] a great aid in keeping out of the sight of unfriendly eyes.' So in some ways I thought Tolkien actually... repudiates the concept of magic somehow. The elves do seem to speak like how knowledgeable people would speak to laymen.
So true, the rings of power are analogous to a wedding ring. For generations it was sold to men as a way to gain something they want, ie sex, companionship, children, and an assistant who can watch our property while we're out in the world producing wealth and productivity, who can keep our clothes repaired, and turn the food we bring home into nutritious meals and lunches that can give us greater strength in our labors. And women gained command of the man's home and protection while she fulfilled her own reproductive desires. And she inherits the man's property if he died ahead of schedule. For generations the old alliance between men and women profited both parties. Over the last century however the deal has been getting gradually worse for men, until now it's almost completely without merit for a man. The ring is a binding for the man but the woman can break the binding anytime she wants but she still has the man bound into an agreement that allows her to apply state power against him, take his children, take his home, take his childrent, seize savings and 401k, slam him into massive debt and apply large (pay or go to jail) alimony and (pay or go to jail) child support, with the additional percentage that goes to the family court which gives them a profit motive to increase the size of these payments. The result is that millions of men every year are looking at that ring and we see only slavery rather than anything positive. For a woman to sell the idea of marriage to a man these days, she is facing a serious uphill battle . As you may guess, I opted out of marriage. It's not all bad though. Without the drag factor of supporting a woman and being impoverished by that horrible deal marriage has become, I've done rather well. Nice house on a half acre (paid off) car and truck (paid off), income from my mechanic job 4600, spending 1400, surplus usually around 3000 a month. I save 2k every month and I'm rapidly approaching an early retirement (although if I were honest with myself I could probably pull the plug on my job tomorrow and be just fine).
Not to mention Aule the Smith (who "created" the dwarves without the consent of Eru Iluvatar, the Creator - great story there) of Tolkien's Legendarium. Aule's story (and the stories of his disciples - Sauron, Saruman, Feanor...) is a beautiful exploration into the potential problems of these technological innovations.
Shame on me for coming down on John so hard one time because he wasn’t embracing true Christian doctrine he was in many ways tearing it down but that has nothing to do with that I just think it’s crazy how one can get so upset over their beliefs but I clearly value johnathans insight and his position. Everything in this video is 100 percent accurate. Well done John
If I were to pick a theme for you to look at, I would choose what I see as his critique of the State, or the centralizing apatite for power of the state in LOTR. I see this work as a warning, and next to the Gulag Archipelago, the best. Thanks for your outstanding work.
Best line. My friends, you bow to no one. Since they have no king, they don't know how to rule or be ruled. They refused to bow to the Power itself. It's not they don't have to, they just don't...
Tolkien has stated many times that the Lord of the Rings is not an allegory, and that the ring represents nothing but an powerful object. But it's your interpretation, so I respect it.
Sauron had 10 fingers. Isildur chopped off 1, with the Ring on it. Sauron now has 9 fingers. The 9 Ringwraiths thus represent his "hands" the projection of his activity. By regainig the One Ring he would symbolically get the full use of his hands back and once again be "whole" and able to manifest in the world. This theory is supported by Frodo losing his finger to Gollum. Afterwards, he is never quite "whole" again.
Good video; Tolkien said the ring represented the "Machine" in his letters, so it lines up really nicely with what the author himself thought of his work. There's a strong ethic in the books of technology being meant to serve its makers and not the other way around. He called WWII and the atom bomb in particular the war of the machines and thought they were the true victors of the conflict (and yes, he brought up the singularity too as the logical endgame of technological development as far back as 1945, though he didn't use that word for it). Shockingly he was even opposed to combat in the air and disapproved of his son Christopher for serving in the RAF...something that we just take for granted today and probably don't know there was ever any debate over.
Hi Jonathan. Nice video. There's the symbolism of Frodo, as a small person, from a small village of peaceful little people (just the kind of people you wouldn't expect to be capable of much) being the one who took the responsibility and managed to destroy the biggest evil leader, or ideal, in Middle Earth. Metal, wheels, wretchedness, evil, ugliness, malice, tiranny. These are attributes of Sauron and Saruman. Which the "meek" and easy going Hobbit's managed to rise above and be morally superior, hence their victory. So, in my point of view, The lord of the rings is also an allegory of how simple people can have the biggest heart (hence Aragorn and the city of Gondor bowing to the hobbits). It wasn't the mighty horse masters of Rohan who ultimately defeated Sauron, sure, they collaborated, it wasn't Gondor, it wasn't the elves, it wasn't Aragorn who ultimately took the ring of power and lead it into Mordor to it's destruction. Only the hobbits, the small hobbits, could have done it. And only through friendship because right at the end the ring corrupted Frodo and he counted on Samwise to help him to the right thing.
Thanks so much Jonathon I appreciate your insight and your ending note. I am perennially stirred by the Two Trees of Valinor in the Silmarillion as symbols of great beauty, and also their descendant lights. I wonder if you would be interested in speaking about them as they are in the Genesis of Tolkien's whole subcreated worlds.
I made a small mistake in the video, saying 4 rings for the dwarves for some reason. Sorry about that. Give me your opinions on the interpretation, I know people can be LOTR experts, which I am not, so I am curious to know.
Can't wait÷
As a Tolkien apprentice, I really enjoyed your interpretation. One thing I want to praise you for is avoiding drawing one to one parallels to "real life" examples (e.g. The ring represents nuclear arms). Tolkien repeatedly said he disliked allegory and did not write LOTR, The Hobbit, or the Silmarillion to be allegorical. "I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me.” What he instead said that he strived to do was create a Mythology. Because myth, unlike allegory, can have a wide range of valid applications and interpretations. In the Narnia books, if you don't read Aslan as Christ, you are misinterpreting Lewis. However, in LOTR, many of the characters act as "types" of Christ. Frodo bears the weight of the world on his shoulders, Aragorn is the long awaited King returning to his people, Gandalf sacrifices himself to the demon of fire in the underworld and is resurrected. But none of the characters *are* Christ. Frodo fails the quest, Aragorn fails to save Merry, Pippin, and Boromir, and Gandalf fails his first encounter with Saruman (all of them are finite beings). I think your interpretation fit well into the "myth" category.
If you're taking suggestions, I would love to hear what you have to say about some of the stories in the Silmarillion. They're a lot more dense in terms of meaning and symbolism than his other works about Middle Earth.
No problem dawi it's just going in the book of grudges!
Interestingly, 4 was the number of Dwarf rings which were known to have been destroyed by the dragons
I'd be fascinated to hear your take on the archetype of a Wizard, or of magic in general, and what it means in the modern world
"Many of us are already ring wraiths." That hits hard.
"it is possible that many of us have already become ringwraiths." i love how this interpretation puts the symbolism intertwined in the LOTR in modern context. i think advancing technology, especially artificial intelligence is, looking at the current developments that are coming at us faster and faster every time, something to definitely have an eye on or two.
Also notice how the level of control is increased with the multiplicity of the rings. The Nine he has complete domination over. The Seven he has corrupted to make their owners greedy and selfish, but the Three he cannot see unless he comes into the fullness of his power. Also interesting how three heroes, Gandalf, Aragorn and Frodo, aĺl have a descent into death/trampling down, sequence. One more point worth talking about is how every time evil is fought head-on, in ages past, the victory is laced with sorrow and evil is not fully beaten. Tolkien had a very clever take on how evil can be defeated.
The last one is a great point. Maybe it has something to do with that when you play by the enemy's rules, they already won.
Please remind me of Tolkien’s take on how to overcome evil
@@jamesbyrne8687 By feeding it back into itself. Dropping the Ring into Mt Doom symbolises this. The good guys still put up a fight in the feild but ultimately it is the incorruptibility of Frodo and Sam that allows them to penetrate the inner sanctum of Mordor (even wearing the clothes of the enemy) and recycle the evil onto itself.
May I ask what is the link between the multiplicity of rings and level of control? Why should the level of control increase if there are more rings? Thanks
@@supernal2272 To fully understand I would recommend watching all of Jonathons videos (but really its a lifetimes study), but it revolves around the heirarchy of values and principalities which we can imagine as a mountain. At the base of the mountain is many places and states, multiplicity. But as you ascend the mountain you both move upwards and towards the centre, and multiplicities begin to resolve (though not in a unification-of-duality way, this is often an incorrect conception). So for the Nine Kings of the Nazgul, they have been 'bound' by rings that are at the bottom of the mountain, petty and inconstant values and capricious principalities, therefore their fate is to be divorced from their true selves and be as withered formless ghosts, completely enslaved to their rings. Does that make sense?
I always saw the ring as an allegory for sin and giving in to being your own god. You desire it as it will give your power (invisibility) but by giving into the ring you allow the devil (sauron) complete control over you or to see and destroy you. You believe in the falsehood that the ring will bring you life/power but it really brings death and destroys you as evident by how it transforms gollum into a wretched creature.
That analogy isn't too far fetched. Tolkien himself was a Christian after all. More specifically, Roman Catholic. And many people believe that he actually hid some elements of Christian faith into his works. To an extent, even he admits to having done this.
Not too far-fetched, but its bigger than that. The ring is the material world becoming your god. You can incorporate your symbolism into Pageau's symbolism for an even greater picture.
I see it as a analogy for addiction
I teach The Lord of the Rings and found this video among the most insightful work on Tolkien I've encountered. Thank you! I will share it with my students.
I am a wearer of many rings, the ring of alcohol, of cigarettes, of TH-cam. I'm a wraith. Thank you for this interpretation, it may be of some use to me in my struggles.
Exactly the demons Im dealing now. Gave up porn tho, granted me some social autonomy.
Take heed fellow struggler:
Struggle, contend, wriggle. That alone is the sword of one who confronts death.
I guess thats why Gandalf uses his considerable power so rarely. And mostly in a reserved manner.
@@armageddon4831 I'm reminded of the part of the video where Jonathan describes how the 'word' of the individual is stronger than the 'army' that protects the individual, because it outlasts, it endures. And the ornament of power overtakes and erases the individual in time. The ornament is a cover, a lie. Whereas the word is the truth. Gandalf represents that understanding.
@Rachel Henley you see it the way I see it
Good idea for you to not bind yourself to patreon, it makes you stronger but you also become dependent on it :D
Very witty remark my friend
also.. the interplay of fate and free will in Lotr. Frodo’s fate to carry the burden but also his responsibility to take that moral choice. all characters are pushed to make difficult moral decisions, but in the end there is the ‘eucatastrophe’ (the Providence ensuring the good’s defeat over evil) no individual character, but the culmination of all small steps lead to victory and in the end saved by grace.
As much as I’m not a fan of Harry Potter, I think that the notion of the horcrux is a really incredible way of understanding technology. The more Voldemort put his soul into different horcruxes, the more fragmented he became, until he ultimately lacked a proper body altogether and took on a weak, vampiric body. After his horcruxes were destroyed, he lacked embodiment and was easily overcome.
Technology is a horcrux- the more of ourselves that we invest in it and depend upon it, the more fragile we become. How many people would survive if the grid were to collapse? Almost none- the grid is their horcrux, and when it is destroyed, so is the embodiment of their souls.
regards from egypt, i follow you since kek episode on jordan peterson channel. keep it up
khaled samaha The metaphysics of Pepe is how I found Pageau as well :-)
@@dandimit5104 all hail kekistan
Loved it. If you want to stick with Tolkien, I'd recommend the Ainulindale, or The Music of the Ainur. It's from the Silmarillion. It's Tolkien's Creation myth, and is absolutely beautiful. Thank you for what you're doing, I'm hooked. This one spoke to me especially as I come from a communication background that presents a historical worldview that focuses on an idea of technological determinism (Marshall McLuhan type stuff). What you've identified is profound. We are all ringwraiths. More unsettling than us turning into androids. Thank you again! Your presentation of Orthodox iconography has set a fire beneath the development of my faith, I felt I was in a rut, or at least that I had plateaued. The rigidness of protestant systematic theology has been gnawing at me for some time. You're beautiful.
I find it interesting how the One Ring 'completes' the other levels - making 4 of the three elven rings, for example. The three elven rings are the ring of Water, Fire and Air (Nenya, Narya and Vilya), the One Ring would complete this series and be the ring of Earth, earth being a symbol for material wealth, but also for fertile ground (or the opposite). Celebrimbor thought Sauron to be a 'giver of gifts' when he crafted the rings, calling him 'Annatar'. He had mistaken or overseen the negative aspects technology, wealth, earth brings with it (a common theme for all Noldor) and was eventually killed by Sauron, 'giver of gifts', because he wouldn't yield the rings back to him.
It's also interesting how the destruction of the One Ring could be seen as the completion of the world, as the Silmarils (symbols of holy power, something like that) were already in their right place (in the Sky with Eärendil, in the Sea due to Maglor and a 'fiery pit' with Maedhros - note here the similarities between the Silmarils and the 3 Rings), yet the earth element was missing and still about in the world in the form of the One Ring, made by Sauron. From a Jungian perspecitve, where one sees 3 of something, one should look for a 4th (which is oftentimes repressed, or seen as evil). 3 Silmarils on Morgoth's crown, making him the 4th - 3 silmarils and Sauron's ring, sauron being archetypically the same as Morgoth, the 4th element earth as an evil which needs to be incorporated and not seperate or above from the rest. I tried to figure this out for a while now and you helped me along the way, I hope this rambling made sense, thanks!
Topic suggestion: The Fall of the Noldor, Nargothrond, Doriath and Gondolin and their relation to the biblical fall is a goldmine
Triforce of Wisdom, Power, and Courage: what's the fourth? :^)
@@ficklebar The Player.
"From a Jungian perspecitve, where one sees 3 of something, one should look for a 4th (which is oftentimes repressed, or seen as evil)", where did you find this in Jung?
@@the11382 From the top of my head, i think it is in his mandala symbolism stuff
The work by this guy continues to fascinate and amaze me.
I am not one to be joyful when I see a new video of a creator that I appreciate, I am a bit too stoic and negative for that, and yet I was joyful when I saw that you released a new video on LotR, which as someone raised atheist, was one of my first deep approach on mythology and symbolism.
Do keep up the good work, your words do not die as soon as they have been heard.
Excellent stuff, and particularly the Ringwraith punchline, which ties in with your thoughts on zombies.
If you want suggestions for subjects in the LotR, how about: symbolism of the feminine (Galadriel, Eowyn, Arwen, Rosie Cotton, the usually-overlooked Ioreth, and Shelob); symbolism of the tower (LotR has lots of them); thoughts on Minas Tirith as Byzantium; an Orthodox Christian take on an explicitly Catholic work. Is that enough for starters? :-)
Yoooooo, this guy gets it
Yes! I'd love the exploration of the feminine theme in LOTR.
I thought the elves were a closer representation of the Byzantine, since they were a great people whose time is coming to an end. The men in middle earth seem to make more sense as "the West" which will inherit the world from Byzantium.
Explicitly catholic? Gandalf is Odin.
Ja Sh
Meh. Only partially. He is also Jesus, giving his life so that others might live and then rising from the dead in a glorified form. He is also Fr. Francis Xavier, who was a sort father figure of Tolkien.
One aspect of the Ring of Power I find interesting is how it symbolizes one of the most perplexing characteristics of power over others - once you have it, it is almost impossible to voluntarily give up. In the LOTR trilogy, the only character we see truly able to resist the grasp of power after having tasted it is Samwise Gamgee. Every other character fails to voluntarily relinquish the Ring of Power without some degree of struggle.
totally right, I love the Sam character, let's remember that Aragon showed some resistance to the ring too, by holding it for a little bit and giving it back to Frodo
What about Tom Bombadil? Does he count?
"the only character we see truly able to resist the grasp of power after having tasted it is Samwise Gamgee."
Bilbo willingly gave the ring to Frodo a few decades before Sam had it.
It’s described in the books that Sam hesitated before giving the ring back to Frodo, which is visually shown in the movies by how many times Frodo has to keep asking for the ring. Sam definitely handles it better than most but he is susceptible just like anyone else. The only person that is shown to be unaffected is Tom Bombadil
@@IdeasBehindStoriesthat’s true but it was early on in his ownership. He failed to destroy the ring which highlights how potent the ring is at corrupting anyone who has it
I also see the inverted hierarchy in the structures of Middle-Earth. The evil uses menacing towers, which is similar to a corrupt hierarchy. Only one person on high above, and everyone else below, who have no hope to get to the top because it is a vertical structure. This is how corrupt systems works with only few people in the upper levels of society, who have ultimate overview on the landscape.
On the otherside, Edoras, Minas Tirith, Caras Galadhon all placed on hills, which are much more like pyramids of normal hierarchical structures, where there is much more connection between the different levels.
Also, the folks who extremely reclused from the world live under hills an mountains, which seem a pathologic level of isolation. This is the case with hobbits, dwarves and Mirkwood elves. And all of them are wilfully blind as JBP would say, which can or will be their doom (the hobbits in the end of the third book, and the dwarves of Moria and the Lonely Mountain).
Tom Bombadil would be cool to talk about since he is not influenced by the ring. Also I wish to hear ur interpretation of the Green Knight which Tolkien said was one of the most difficult characters to interpret. Great video as always!!
amazing! please make a series analysing Lord of the Rings! there is so much!
You're right about technology and supplements making us strong and weak at the same time. They're a paradox.
I'd be fascinated to hear your take on the archetype of a Wizard, or of magic in general, and what it means in the modern world
He basically did in this video
My memory might be hazy but i believr mrbtongues video shed light on this
You make an interesting point about we humans binding, Sauron-like, our power to our technology. 'The Distributist' made a related point recently when he compared the power of emerging technology (especially AI) to the 'Eldritch Abominations' of HP Lovecraft.
I'm thinking of Sartre's idea of the enslavement to practico-inert. This is insight is pretty common to 20th century philosophers of all stripes.
This is one of them videos that I like before I press play. Tolkien blows my mind.
EDIT: And to have Jonathan break down why it blows my mind is epic also.
January 2019-Hey this is a great video
July 2021-OMG It’s all happening
This guy just changed my life... seriously, so many lessons here can be applied to the improvement of the self, its almost incredulous.
I always liked the fact that hobbiton was segregated from middle earth. On the far north west end and they don’t really interact with any of the other species. They’ve never even seen them other than bilbo which is why he’s famous. He is the only one who left the village, went under a mountain to confront a dragon and found the most important thing and brought it back with him to the village. Then to finally right the world it takes his descendent to also go up a mountain into fire and lose himself only to be saved in an inverted way by Gollum who is a monster who has lost his soul, an image of what Frodo will become. And Aragorn has to come out of the wilds, the margin of the forests to finally take his seat in the center of middle earth, Gondor, by accepting his responsibilities and rescuing the spirit of his father to become king. Jordan Peterson would be so proud of Aragorn lol.
Excellent video! It draws my attention to a comparison between the enigmatic Tom Bombadil and Faramir. One who was completely immune to the ring, and the other who must have been inwardly tempted by it, but rejects it without second thought. The outward level of “power” of these two is completely different, but I think their response to the ring shows a similar “inward power.” However, where Bombadil is concerned, I can say nothing for certain.
@Alt- Anders If Faramir is the only true human, then what is Aragorn?
Excellent video. The smart phone is truly the ring of power. See how people covet and rub it and how uncomfortable they get if someone else touches it.
The Lord of the Ring, a master-piece (here seen and exposed with a full intelligence and reflexion !)
Bravo !
Please continue your serie of interpretations on this majestic novels/movies !
With you, my vision gets deeper and deeper.
Very intersting as a writer to see all these new perspectives.
I think Tom Bonbodil would an interesting subject to cover from the LotR.
They (the film makers) would have made a complete cock of it.
From this perspective he is a being that is immune to the power of One Ring which means he is self-sufficient and cannot be tempted. Someone like Budda, who got rid of his desires.
Tom Bombadil is a really mysterious creature full of might. Would be very interesting to hear why he's so powerful and playful at the same time
@undertakersarmpit roving douche nozzle over here, spraying a miasma just like he was taught to.
@@laguzussowilo hes a holy fool.
Brilliant again!
Maybe a video on the symbolism of the different races ( Human, dwarf etc).
Sauron want's to be Eru Illuvatar, just like Satan want's to be God, and pervert the existing hierarchy to fit his vision of power. The pyramide, hierarchy of the 4 rigs echoes, Nebuchadnezzar's dream:
"Daniel interpreted a dream of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. The king saw a gigantic statue made of four metals, from its gold head to its feet of mingled iron and clay; as he watched, a stone "not cut by human hands" destroyed the statue and became a mountain filling the whole world."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_2
The uncut stone destroyed the clay feet. Clay is a simbol of the body. The feet are not just clay, but also iron, ork and evil human. The stone is the divine intervention, perhaps the reincarnation or resurrection of Gandalf and the quest of the Ring-bearer Frodo (Christ).
Iron is the metal of humanity, war. Bronze is the dwarves, silver is the elves and gold is the Ainur.
Melkor is an Ainur, but since he was tossed into the Timeless void, Sauron sort of represents him.
I could listen and learn about these stories’ symbolism forever!
the production value is increased so immensely I'm excited to see what the future holds for your channel. thanks for all you do
I was watching the extended trilogy recently. I was thinking about the symbolism of the ring. I couldnt figure it out and hoped you will make a video about it.
Perfect timing!
Wow, just wow! I’ve always been a huge fan of LOTR due to the mythopoetic nature and its higher meanings, but I’ve never considered how much of the themes affect our modern lives right now. Thank you for the eye opener Jonathan!
P.S. I’ve just started to read your brother’s book as well.
These themes impacted us 2000 years ago, they will continue to influence us 2000 years from now
Genuine love and gratitude for you making these videos - they're having a PROFOUND impact on how i view the world
Tolkien's work never ceases to amaze me. It's like he tells the story that's hidden deep inside our collective unconscious. (The story containing symbols that reveal aspects of an archetypal pattern). When I first saw LOTR in my early teens it was like I was transported into an all-encompassing world that I've always known on a much deeper level then I could articulate.
I would really love a conversation with Dr. Duke Pesta - he has quite an insight into LOTR as well.
I always recognize the ring in smartphones.
We thought they gave us power, that we could have all the knowledge of the world at our fingertips, and always reach anyone we needed to reach, and we loved them for the services they provided us.
But now it's the phone that has power over us, we are constantly looking at it, no longer being free, anyone can get to us at any time and we're basically not allowed to get rid of them.
Somewhere the phones gained more control over our lived than we controlled our phones.
Fascinating discourse.
Many interesting points.
Thank you!
(I'm reading LotR just now)
Thank you for this video Jonathan; I would like to call it an enlightening masterpiece!
This idea of the "binding of the powers" has me contemplating my own artistic practice. I have long used photography and 3D rendering... but perhaps it is time to take up drawing, painting, printmaking, maybe even carving. Thank you
I would love a new video of this. See if any of Jonathan's insights have change in the past 5 years.
Loved this analysis! My suggestion for new videos would be to delve into the lore of the Silmarillion....particularly interesting videos may be on the meaning behind the Fall of Gondolin or the difference and hierarchies of Illuvatar, the Ainur, the Valar, the Maiar, and the Noldor, numenoreans, dwarves, and lesser men and elves. Not just the obvious differences in their races, but the reasonings Tolkien may have gave for such differences in their creation, etc. (getting away from the more superficial aspect of race and more towards their metaphorical and metaphysical purposes and meanings/ideals as they relate to humanity and religion. Other topics might include the Children of Hurin, the Lay of Luthien, or the reasoning behind the barring of certain peoples from Valinor and being among the gods, or why the gods only intervene in the troubles of Middle-Earth "when they feel like it." Cheers!
For much of these, I'm referring to the allegory/metaphors and subliminal themes that may be gleamed from these stories and why tolkien may have crafted them so, as he was careful, precise, and particular in everything that he wrote.
Every word spoken by this man...
Just life changing, all of it!
"We might be right wraiths already" .... SSSOOOOOO cool a concept to reflect upon!
Another concept from Tolkien's letters that is relevant is the difference between magia and goetia. The use of craftsmanship to create new tools and the ability to emphasize different aspects of it. Both can be used for good or evil.
The "dark element of technology" I think helps explain why the Empire in Star Wars was the dark side. I remember Jonathan saying that Star Wars had symbolic confusion with the dark and light sides but it makes sense putting technology in the context constructed by LotR in this video.
Great video, Jonathan!
“Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
Ash nazg thrakutulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne,
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.”
by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
Clicked on this so fast! Made my week!
Great stuff, Jonathan! Think I'll have to watch it again. Wouldn't be surprised to see PVK dig into your ideas.
thanks Jonathan for this video
and thanks guys for this informative comment section
Great video, I think you nailed it. Another idea for future LOTR videos could be: 1) Why does Frodo have to leave at the end and 2) What are the different archetypes of the major protagonists. Why is Aragorn below Frodo on the hierarchy of great characters? Thanks!
Also, which church is that at 13:19?
It is fascinating how art helps explain the world in a way that is just impossible for science to do.
I remember two sisters in a park one day. This is a true story. It had rained and there was a rainbow. The younger sister looked up and said "look! A rainbow! It's beautiful!". The older sister, bragging about her superior knowledge, replied: "you know that it is just an optical illusion caused by the sunlight passing through the droplets of water that are still in the air, right?". To which the younger sister wisely answered: "yeah, I know... but it is still beautiful...".
Upon listening to your exposition, I started to wonder about invisibility as a means of power that in the ends corrupts the person. I think there might be a connection between the look of the others and how by removing their ability to see what we are doing, there are no limits to what can be done, both good and evil. There is certain oppression from the group that watches what we do, and a ring that makes you invisible would free the wearer from that oppression. But that look from others also helps the person stay in check and behave properly in the world. Being free from the look of others would come at a cost of the soul, as you could let go of the constrains and dissolve into the chaos that are the raw impulses that lie in the bottom of every human being... or something along these lines...
Anyway, thank you for the content.
Awesome interpretation. I'm currently writing a high fantasy novel and your view on power and it's affects is very identical to the "magic system" I use in my story. It also in many ways sheds light on things that I subconsciously added as well. Thanks for the upload and I am looking forward to more videos on middle earth!
Your interpretation is amazing! Thank you!
Un vidéo sur le symbolisme derrière la formation et la dissolution de la communauté de l'anneau serait très intéressant!
great vid yet again. I think the analysis of Frodo , how the pure of heart is corruptable and how even he could not complete the mission, but "fate" did. Fredo was the only one to bere it, yet bare it is all he could do, for casting it out was just too much.
So ive been thinking about this a bit. The explanation of the three is that they have some 'hidden' power that keeps those they from the forces of time. The definition of Rivendell and Lorien are some of the best descriptions of Matthieu's concept of 'space' ive ever read. Now the pagan god of Moloch in the bible; he equates to Saturn or Cronos. Known as the Lord of Time....or the Lord of the Rings.
Exactly. The Three Elven rings (not made by Sauron himself, but by his unwitting pupil Celebrimbor), were created to assuage the grief felt by the Noldorian 'exiles' at the fleeting nature of all things in Middle-Earth, by allowing their holders to preserve 'timeless' places, recreating something like the conditions in Valinor. Unfortunately, that power depended on the One Ring...
Interestingly, Tolkien himself criticized their actions as 'embalming'.
@@jamieyoung9392, thank Manwe...someone who knows their Tolkien!
Given your comment on Matthieu's comments on 'Space', I will now go and re-read Matthieu. Thanks for the tip :-)
@@jamieyoung9392 James Young?
That was amazing. Mind blown several times, re-watching right away!
I'd like to see a video about Gollum.
Thank you so much for all your content, Mr. Pageau. It fascinates me and I try to get as much from it as I can.
Would you consider the possibility of making a small introductory series on symbolism for the people who don't have the prerequisite understanding of the insight offered in religious stories?
I was raised in a non-religious family in one of the most secular countries on earth, and I think this is the reason I have such a hard time understanding your videos. I try to grasp with logic what should probably already be an intuitive understanding on my part. I don't have any intuitive understanding of any of the stories in the bible for example. Their meaning has always been lost on me, especially as a child, and my worldview is instead very rationalistic, scientific and materialistic.
For example in the videos on encountering god in stories, the siginificance of the divine is completely lost on me. I try to wrap my head around it, but it just doesn't give in. I hope this makes sense. Thank you.
Try Jordan Peterson as well.
you can talk about how evil corrupts and destroys rather than creates... sauron has to corrupt elves to warp them into orcs.
evil can only parasite already existing original creation
evil "creations" are not original creations, only bad copies and deformations that want to be something they cant be
I would love it if you would talk about the Children of Húrin as it is one of Tolkien's greatest tragedies and i would love to hear your take on the mythological and spiritual aspects of this writing
I really enjoyed this. Great take!
Hello Jonathan, when you spoke about the rings function as an ornament, I remembered that I once realized that the "mark of Kain" must be the crown. A crown has the function which is described as the function of the mark of Kain. Also, the word "king" seems to be derived from Kain's name in many languages ("khan" for example). Also, if Kain was the first to found and build a town, he also must be the first to be a king.
What do you think about it?
"King", of course, is not that old as a word and has a history of transformation. But it still has its old root word in it and this root word may be derived from "Kain".
A confirmed example with another word: the Russian word for "king" is "karolj" and this is derived from the name of Charles / Karl / Carlo the Great (Charlemagne).
Also, look at the name "Tubal Kain". At this point in history, "Kain" may have already become a title just like at "Genghis Khan" and "Ögedei Khan" a. s. o..
I've spent years watching The Matrix trilogy and researching for inumerous insights in forums and youtube, and this is why I found your take on The Matrix - although very interesting - shortsided, specially because you had not clue of what happened in the second and third movie. Now, about LOTR, I haven't researched that much. I'm afraid I might get misinformed with this video. But here we go...
Thank you. It was extremely enlightening and interesting lecture.
Absolutely slaying it, Jonathan! Mind nuked
Great video! Might you interpret more of Tolkien? The elves, the dwarves, the evil in Tolkien?
An additional point about magic itself.
When they are given cloaks,at the beginning of the journey, the hobbits initially ask of the elves, : 'Are they magic?'. It confuses the elves, they answer something like: 'it is a good cloak [...] a great aid in keeping out of the sight of unfriendly eyes.' So in some ways I thought Tolkien actually... repudiates the concept of magic somehow. The elves do seem to speak like how knowledgeable people would speak to laymen.
So true, the rings of power are analogous to a wedding ring. For generations it was sold to men as a way to gain something they want, ie sex, companionship, children, and an assistant who can watch our property while we're out in the world producing wealth and productivity, who can keep our clothes repaired, and turn the food we bring home into nutritious meals and lunches that can give us greater strength in our labors. And women gained command of the man's home and protection while she fulfilled her own reproductive desires. And she inherits the man's property if he died ahead of schedule.
For generations the old alliance between men and women profited both parties. Over the last century however the deal has been getting gradually worse for men, until now it's almost completely without merit for a man. The ring is a binding for the man but the woman can break the binding anytime she wants but she still has the man bound into an agreement that allows her to apply state power against him, take his children, take his home, take his childrent, seize savings and 401k, slam him into massive debt and apply large (pay or go to jail) alimony and (pay or go to jail) child support, with the additional percentage that goes to the family court which gives them a profit motive to increase the size of these payments. The result is that millions of men every year are looking at that ring and we see only slavery rather than anything positive. For a woman to sell the idea of marriage to a man these days, she is facing a serious uphill battle .
As you may guess, I opted out of marriage. It's not all bad though. Without the drag factor of supporting a woman and being impoverished by that horrible deal marriage has become, I've done rather well. Nice house on a half acre (paid off) car and truck (paid off), income from my mechanic job 4600, spending 1400, surplus usually around 3000 a month. I save 2k every month and I'm rapidly approaching an early retirement (although if I were honest with myself I could probably pull the plug on my job tomorrow and be just fine).
Not to mention Aule the Smith (who "created" the dwarves without the consent of Eru Iluvatar, the Creator - great story there) of Tolkien's Legendarium. Aule's story (and the stories of his disciples - Sauron, Saruman, Feanor...) is a beautiful exploration into the potential problems of these technological innovations.
There is some good philisophical stuff here! I really enjoyed the paradox of ornament!
Shame on me for coming down on John so hard one time because he wasn’t embracing true Christian doctrine he was in many ways tearing it down but that has nothing to do with that I just think it’s crazy how one can get so upset over their beliefs but I clearly value johnathans insight and his position. Everything in this video is 100 percent accurate. Well done John
If I were to pick a theme for you to look at, I would choose what I see as his critique of the State, or the centralizing apatite for power of the state in LOTR. I see this work as a warning, and next to the Gulag Archipelago, the best.
Thanks for your outstanding work.
brilliant as usual, Thanks Jonathan
Great video. The ring of "intellect" kept coming to mind as I watched this.
I greatly enjoyed this! Great work!
Love it! I feel like there is a lot of things to look at with Tolkien. Symbolism of the races, locations and breakdown of the characters.
Best line. My friends, you bow to no one. Since they have no king, they don't know how to rule or be ruled. They refused to bow to the Power itself. It's not they don't have to, they just don't...
Can you please do a symbolism video on the Shire and why the simple things in life make it worth living? PLEASSSEEEE
Great video as always, and unsettling too (part of its greatness!)
I love you and the videos and podcasts you make!
Been waiting so long for this
Tolkien has stated many times that the Lord of the Rings is not an allegory, and that the ring represents nothing but an powerful object. But it's your interpretation, so I respect it.
This interpretation is not allegorical though, it's symbolic.
FINALLY SOME LOTR! Thanks Jonathan!
Outstanding, great work .
Great episode. Thanks for the insight.
Sauron had 10 fingers.
Isildur chopped off 1, with the Ring on it.
Sauron now has 9 fingers.
The 9 Ringwraiths thus represent his "hands" the projection of his activity. By regainig the One Ring he would symbolically get the full use of his hands back and once again be "whole" and able to manifest in the world. This theory is supported by Frodo losing his finger to Gollum. Afterwards, he is never quite "whole" again.
Buenisimo! Great topic. Loved the part on the ornament.
Awesome! This is everything I hoped it would be
Awesome explanation. Thank you.
Good video; Tolkien said the ring represented the "Machine" in his letters, so it lines up really nicely with what the author himself thought of his work.
There's a strong ethic in the books of technology being meant to serve its makers and not the other way around. He called WWII and the atom bomb in particular the war of the machines and thought they were the true victors of the conflict (and yes, he brought up the singularity too as the logical endgame of technological development as far back as 1945, though he didn't use that word for it). Shockingly he was even opposed to combat in the air and disapproved of his son Christopher for serving in the RAF...something that we just take for granted today and probably don't know there was ever any debate over.
Hi Jonathan. Nice video. There's the symbolism of Frodo, as a small person, from a small village of peaceful little people (just the kind of people you wouldn't expect to be capable of much) being the one who took the responsibility and managed to destroy the biggest evil leader, or ideal, in Middle Earth.
Metal, wheels, wretchedness, evil, ugliness, malice, tiranny. These are attributes of Sauron and Saruman.
Which the "meek" and easy going Hobbit's managed to rise above and be morally superior, hence their victory.
So, in my point of view, The lord of the rings is also an allegory of how simple people can have the biggest heart (hence Aragorn and the city of Gondor bowing to the hobbits). It wasn't the mighty horse masters of Rohan who ultimately defeated Sauron, sure, they collaborated, it wasn't Gondor, it wasn't the elves, it wasn't Aragorn who ultimately took the ring of power and lead it into Mordor to it's destruction. Only the hobbits, the small hobbits, could have done it. And only through friendship because right at the end the ring corrupted Frodo and he counted on Samwise to help him to the right thing.
do you think the different places and people represent real places and people in the world we live in? if so, who? thanks
Thanks so much Jonathon I appreciate your insight and your ending note. I am perennially stirred by the Two Trees of Valinor in the Silmarillion as symbols of great beauty, and also their descendant lights. I wonder if you would be interested in speaking about them as they are in the Genesis of Tolkien's whole subcreated worlds.
Althoug Tolkien never liked the Idea of alegory. But this video is really cool André bring some insights.
thank you man ! appreciated much !
The constraint of culture?
Or the inevitability of such artefacts to arise out of our vulnerability?
Great video.