Ali the Helering

There is a degree to which this reminds me of - horror warning - Mongoose's method of looking at the mass production of magical blades BUT it might nonetheless make sense. If you want a more interesting approach, I would refer you to Land of Ninja and the ki abilities of crafters.

As Bill observes, youth is a thing of the past - I've inhabited Middle Earth since '73 and Glorantha since '79. Parallelism is not the same thing as allegory. Allegory is used to conceal one idea within another. As you note, Tolkien's parallelisms are as subtle as a kick in the head - and therefore not allegory, since nothing is being concealed. He was a man of his era and upbringing in South Africa, with his fear of sallow, slant eyed orcs, black trolls with staring white eyes and those who overthrow 'rightful' authority. His opinion of industrialisation and communal farming is obvious - his detestation was for burgeoning communism, not fascism. All of this, overlaid with the horror of the trenches as Bill says. I have read LotR perhaps 38 - 40 times, but the implicit racism makes it harder each time. Incidentally, 'The Rings of Power' made an interesting contribution to Tolkien's inner debate over an implicitly evil race, with Galadriel in disagreement with Adar over the origin of the orcs. The two views were both espoused by him at different times, as he found himself torn between the absolute power of Eru Iluvatar and whether Morgoth could corrupt creatures before their birth. JRRT's racial understanding isn't simply Christian, but Roman Catholic in particular, and it was interesting to see theological theory debated on prime-time TV.

As I wrote, it is some of the leaders who have magic - in the First, Second or Third Ages. "The hands of the king are the hands of a healer" et al. This applied to Gondor and Arnor alike. While a lot of the FotR was written during the war years it wasn't edited and published published until 1954. By then fascism had been - at least temporarily - defeated in most nations. The Empire had lost India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Nasser had overthrown the Egyptian government and was starting to threaten British interests in the Suez canal. It was at war in Malaya and Kenya, with many other areas heading for independence. Tolkien himself said that "I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence.", so it would be wise not to regard his writings as in any way allegorical.

There is, of course, the small issue of magic. It is available to the Valar, the Maiar, and major leaders. Besides that it is rare indeed. Even the Houses of Healing in Minas Tirith seem more a herbalism and convalescence home, rather than a place of healing magics.

Dammit man, you surely aren't suggesting that it's anything other than the pure and undiluted murmurings of God straight into the grubby ears of a clerk? As has been said, every word in the Bible is literally true. It's when you start putting them together in sentences the trouble starts.....

Hooray, hooray, it's the first of May, outdoor....

I don't think you should ever play them as dumb, but different. They may not have the same values as you, but that is part of why they are beyond human understanding. In the case of the iron-feathers trade suggested, my question would be "What do they need the feathers FOR?" accompanied by ominous eyebrow waggling.

If you don't get fed the theory, you don't see the divergence in reality. I loved it as light comedy, but interesting as an educative device.

Unfortunately we don't have an equivalent to "The West Wing" with its excellent education in the Constitution and the practise of government. Shame that Trump didn't watch it.....

Cameron described her as 'purring' with pleasure at the referendum's result. It was the 'purring' that caused offence both to all Scots and to the Queen, who jested (to the leader of the Scottish Nationalists) that he deserved physical punishment (six of the best) for lying about her. Few of us doubted that she would be happy with the result, however.

Let me declare an interest in this question - I am a life-long republican (UK variety!), child of similar. It is very hard to answer the question, since a lot of influencing has gone on behind closed doors for centuries. There are at least 160 Royal immunities from laws governing the rest of us, and I am reasonably sure they wouldn't want to lose a single one! Therefore I would think such influence is both limited and circumspect. On the other hand, if it became known (via orchestrated leak to friendly news sources) what the Royal will was, I can't imagine any PM who would want to publicly disagree.

Oddly enough, I didn't say anything mean about Queen Elizabeth II. I am very sorry for her family's loss. It is a mistake to believe all Britain is in mourning, however.

One hears that a lot, from the English. As do the Scots, and the Irish. I was at a dinner where the hostess asked me "Why do the Scots want a referendum on independence? I can't understand why anyone would want to be separate from the English." My reply was "That's why." She didn't understand.😒

We don't even have a presence on the Union Jack/Flag.

At a family wedding they found themselves singing "Lord of all hopelessness". The marriage failed.

I think this is somewhere near Nochet...

I am afraid that 'herd' can also apply to social groupings of wild animals.

I once played the gods as computers in an odd (and utterly unsuccessful) RQ / Ringworld crossover - mistress Uz as Protectors etc etc

While Ragnaglar and Thed just wanna be loved, and don't know why they get the bad press. Fake news🙂

Though if he is one, presumably it is also easy for him to fake not being one too.😉

Nah. Probably 'smack on the nose if you disagree' kinda way

Sorry, buddy. Geasa is the plural in Erse.

The problem is that that description of the Kitori is not common to all the sources, and they all will feed into many different understandings of what the Guide actually means! Trust me, I'm a theologian. Canon ain't all it's cracked up to be. 😇

The problem with this is that ideas of who and what the Kitori are have varied significantly over the years.

I can't agree with this. Kolatings don't, as far as I know, and there will be Maranites who have their own festivals, for whom sowing and harvest may be less important than to farmers. A case could also be made for Odaylans, who are separate from those cycles as well as less connected to the community. For the same reason (separation) Humakti probably don't participate in those festivals.