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Eä Tolkien Society Meeting Notes for April 16th, 2022

by Hawke — published May 15, 2022 11:50 PM, last modified May 21, 2022 11:50 AM
Ea Tolkien Society Smial, an official chapter of the U.K. Tolkien Society. Monthly meeting notes.
Eä Tolkien Society Meeting Notes for April 16th, 2022

April 16, 2022 

Attending: 

Hawke, Brian, Anthony, Sarah, Gary, Chris 

  1. Introduction 

  1. Chaucer and Dante and the wellspring of our modern languages 

  1. Brian read March 19 Notes 

  1. Discussion interleaved with the reading of the notes 

  1. Topic: RPG Community Center update with donations available at https://ww.rpgresearch.com/donate and https://smile.amazon.com and choose charity of choice “rpg research” 

  1. Topic: otherminds magazine (scholarly and gaming interests) https://www.otherminds.net/  

  1. Tension between Northern sources and universal applicability. 

  1. Read Letter 200 of Letters of Tolkien 25 June 1957 

  1. Tolkien’s explanation of the overarching mythology 

  1. Reference to Roots and Branches essays by Shippey 

  1. “Allegory vs. Bounce” essay for future to read 

  1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43308514  

  1. Discussion of Amazon’s Rings of Power 

  1. Tolkien’s Impact: Fritz Leiber (1910-1992) 

  1. Leiber’s background with theatre - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Leiber#Theater

  1. He coined “swords and sorcery” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_and_sorcery

  1. Stories - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Leiber#Writing_career

  1. Two thieves who usually do good: Fafrhd and Grey Mouser - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Leiber#Fafhrd_and_the_Gray_Mouser

  1. Leiber influenced by Lovecraft, Howard Graves (Conan), Joseph Campbell, and William Shakespeare.

  1. Named WorldCon 2nd Gandalf Grand Master (after Tolkien). - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damon_Knight_Memorial_Grand_Master_Award

  1. Swords and Sorcery and Sprague De Camp and Tolkien. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swords_and_Sorcery

  1. Darkworlds blog quote about Leiber and Tolkien. - http://darkworldsquarterly.gwthomas.org/the-purpose-of-fantasy/

  1. Mythlore footnote Fall/Winter 2017 page 103 - https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol36/iss1/

  1. ostenard.com (split between high and low fantasy)… Howard and Leiber were influenced by Eddison, and Dunsany, as Tolkien was. 

  1. Sarah refers to Nature of Middle-Earth (was he interested in their motivations and desires?) 

  1. High, Medium, Low Fantasy. 

  1. Jung and Campbell references keep coming up (psychological philosophy… universal themes overlap with Tolkien). 

  1. Other Authors of Later Generation of Fantasy. 

  1. We should refer to Arthurian literature and Tolkien 

  1. Tolkien’s Northern epic-ness. To change it is to appropriate it, taking away something from it. 

  1. We should tap into Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales as a Medieval source that Tolkien refers to. 

  1. Mythology by Bullfinch etc. to explore 

  1. Does Tolkien talk about Robin Hood? 

  1. Next Meeting May 21, 2022 

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