From: Jonas_Eckerman@iis.bbs.bad.se (Jonas Eckerman)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Elves in Tolkien and Folklore
Date: 12 Dec 92 18:59:42 GMT
Reply-To: Jonas_Eckerman@iis.bbs.bad.se (Jonas Eckerman)


> However, the soft sound of feet in the woods is far from the shining glory
> of Galadriel. In trying to understand how this change came about, we must
> consider the creation of Tolkien's mythology.

I'd say that the glorious elves mentioned above, is much more similar to
the Tuatha De Daanan of the Irish tradition.

In tales regarding Tuatha De Daanan, you'll read that they wrere the
people who inhabited the land before the Humans came. They were a much
more civilized people with a great deal of power. Still, the humans were
mightier in wars, maybe cause they had a greater will to fight.

The elves that still area in the forrests, hills and caves, might be
what's left of the Tuatha De Daanan. They now shy away from people.

Still you have the tradition of the elves land being a land wich lies
very near, but is still hard to find. In this tradition a lot of tales
suggests that the Tuatha De Daanan, who ones lived in all our lands,
pulled back and hid their domains from the humans.

In some old stories it the elves are not portraited as the remains of
the Tuatha De Daanan, but as a separate species. In some tales the great
wizards was in fact remnants of the once so mighty Tuatha De Daanan,
wich makes it look as Gandalf and the other wizards i the Lord of The
Rings might have been of that race.

Then again, if you read younger tales, you might find that elves (and
the Tuatha De Daanan) are in fact demons of different kinds.

The problem is that there are millions of tales made up by a lot of
people, who gladly stole ideas from other tales and made something else
of them (wich, of course doesn't have to be a bad thing). Many of these
tales contradicts each other. To me it seems like Tolkien took hisideas
from older tales, where christianity hadn't ruined the ideas, wich also
happens to the tales I prefere.


Well, now for something not about Tolkiens Fairies.

Someone mentioned the christian belief of fairies as fallen angels.
An amusing thing about this, is that it was ones taken very literaly.

From "Ancient Legends of Ireland" by Lady Wilde (written 1888):

"The islanders, like all the Irish, believe that the fairies are the
fallen angels who were cast down by the Lord God out of heaven for ther
sinful pride. And some fell into the sea, and some on the dry land, and
some fell deep into hell, and the devil gives to these knowledge and
power, and sends them on earth where they work much evil. But the
fairies of the earth and the sea are mostly gentle and beutiful
creatures, who will do no harm if they are let alone, and allowed to
dance on the fairy raths in the moonlight to their own seet music,
undisturbed by the presence of mortals."

(Personally I don't think the books title should contain the word
Ancient, as all tales are christian. One of them I have read in another,
much longer (and older) version. In the older one, mans stubbornes and
un-civilized way of looking at the world, was the bad thing. In the
newer version the Tuatha De Daanan were the ones to be blamed. They had
been changed from a peace loving people who stood by their word, to a
greedy and treacherous race.)

Jonas Eckerman
jonas@iis.bbs.bad.se
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written,soc.history