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Holdawayp
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Post Myths behind the books
on: February 25, 2007 03:16
Help I'm new here. Is there a place to talk about the legends behind Tolkien's writing - i.e Gawain and the Green Knight, The Pearl Beowulf etc? I'm doing the Cardiff course (which is really interesting) but would like some outside ideas too.
cirdaneth
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Post RE: Myths behind the books
on: February 26, 2007 12:28
Welcome Holdawayp. :wave: I don't know if there's already a thread for myth discussion, but I'm happy to talk about them right here. What do you need?
Morwinyoniel
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Post RE: Myths behind the books
on: February 26, 2007 12:53
Actually, there is a discussion about Beowulf on this very forum so, I don't think you go very wrong if you start a discussion about the other legends that inspired Tolkien. Another forum for it would be the Green Dragon Inn.

And, welcome to CoE.
Holdawayp
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Post RE: Myths behind the books
on: February 26, 2007 10:04
The course this week has been discussing elves and the changes from the descendants of Cain, through the variations of dark and light elves and the Victorian flower fairies. They were mentioning Sir Orfeo as one of the sources of Tolkien's elves but I have not got a copy of this story. (I am still trying to get through Gawain in Middle English ) . Have you read it and if you have can you give me a rough outline of the story, in particular the role that the elves play? Have a great day!
cirdaneth
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Post RE: Myths behind the books
on: February 26, 2007 12:15
Sir Orfeo is a reworking of the Orpheus/Eurydice myth but with a happy ending. It's setting is Celtic faerie-land rather than Hades, although there are other myths in which the Celtic faerieland is far darker and menacing. The ballad "Tam Lynn" for instance and the Welsh Mabinogion.

This link will take you to the Auchinleck Manuscript version in middle English. http://www.nls.uk/auchinleck/mss/orfeo.html

Hope this helps.
Holdawayp
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Post RE: Myths behind the books
on: February 27, 2007 03:24
Thats exactly what I needed! Thanks for your help
cirdaneth
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Post Re: Myths behind the books
on: June 14, 2012 01:42
*bump
An area rather neglected in this forum.
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