beren
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- arwenavery
- Woodhelvennin
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beren
beren gets two fingers chopped off in the tale of tinuviel ( tolkien) just wondered if donaldson ever made reference to berek halfhand was in any way was inspired by beren ..halfhand???
Connection
Never got that connection before, but I have little doubt that SRD borrowed that from Tolkien (I mean,look at the names: Beren and Berek). I wonder if SRD borrowed in tribute (a compliment) to Tolkien. Certainly, every author borrows from someone he/she admires. I cannot imagine using a name or device from another author that I didn't like. Good research and thinking, Arwenavery.
"Do you have a wife?"
"At one time."
"What happened to her?"
"She has been dead."
"How long ago did she die?"
"Two thousand years."
"At one time."
"What happened to her?"
"She has been dead."
"How long ago did she die?"
"Two thousand years."
- Hearthcoal
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I think that Berek Halfhand is a tribute (conscious or not) to Beren. Although if I am not mistaken, Beren lost his whole hand. When he recaptured one of the Silmarils, he had it clasped in his right hand and Morgoth's hound, Carcharoth, bit off and swollowed the whole hand. (That tale is a rousing one indeed. You owe it to yourself to read the Tale of Luthien and Beren!)
Beren, by the way, was a vegetarian!
There are scores of similarities between The Chronicles and Tolkien's work. We explored a few of them back on The Land vs. Middle Earth ROUND 1 and on stephen donaldson vs. tolkien (added this link after Bannor's reply, below).
But Tolkien's writing is not the only literature that receive homage of sorts from SRD. We explored the imagery/symbolism found in SRD's writing on
Imagery/Symbolism in CTC & other SDR writing.
But these are rich topics that I don't think have been mined out yet. The all has not been said.
Beren, by the way, was a vegetarian!
There are scores of similarities between The Chronicles and Tolkien's work. We explored a few of them back on The Land vs. Middle Earth ROUND 1 and on stephen donaldson vs. tolkien (added this link after Bannor's reply, below).
But Tolkien's writing is not the only literature that receive homage of sorts from SRD. We explored the imagery/symbolism found in SRD's writing on
Imagery/Symbolism in CTC & other SDR writing.
But these are rich topics that I don't think have been mined out yet. The all has not been said.
Last edited by Hearthcoal on Sun May 05, 2002 1:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
Links
Hearthcoal, I went to both of the links and found them very interesting. Thanks.
"Do you have a wife?"
"At one time."
"What happened to her?"
"She has been dead."
"How long ago did she die?"
"Two thousand years."
"At one time."
"What happened to her?"
"She has been dead."
"How long ago did she die?"
"Two thousand years."
- arwenavery
- Woodhelvennin
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2002 7:11 pm
- Location: ireland
hmmm
your dead right hearthcoal....his whole hand was bitten off , but im sure ( ill readup again ) wasnt there an ammedment made early on in the text referring to Beren as losing two fingers.....it was when he was originally written as an elvish character ...removing 2 fingers in medieval england was to torture archers ...so they could not fight back ( hence the F u , 2 fingered salute)
i could be wrong though!!!
i could be wrong though!!!
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- Skyweir
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mmm .. grrrr .. grumble mumble razzle frazzle ...
there's not an author alive that hasn't borrowed or adapted ideas that originated some where other than them ..
Ideas that have been around for generations .. ie Norse and Greek mythology ..
.. similarities sure but entirely different also ..
.. and yeah I am no Terry Brooks fan either .. Donaldson is an entirely different league ..
.. sorry folks .. just one of my pet hates raising its ugly head ..
there's not an author alive that hasn't borrowed or adapted ideas that originated some where other than them ..
Ideas that have been around for generations .. ie Norse and Greek mythology ..
.. similarities sure but entirely different also ..
.. and yeah I am no Terry Brooks fan either .. Donaldson is an entirely different league ..
.. sorry folks .. just one of my pet hates raising its ugly head ..
keep smiling
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- danlo
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Bad Beren!
Beren I warned u @ Ahira's Hangar never 2 mention Brooks, Eddings or Jordan over here on the Watch! But did u listen 2 me? NOOOOOOOOO
fall far and well Pilots!
- Skyweir
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sad isnt it??
.. there are respectable fellow Watchmen that do enjoy Brooks Jordan and Eddings even ..
I'm just not one of 'em ..
Definitely like GRR Martin though ..
Beren you're clearly a Watchmen with exceptional literary tastes ..
.. there are respectable fellow Watchmen that do enjoy Brooks Jordan and Eddings even ..
I'm just not one of 'em ..
Definitely like GRR Martin though ..
Beren you're clearly a Watchmen with exceptional literary tastes ..
keep smiling
'Smoke me a kipper .. I'll be back for breakfast!'
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- Servant of the Land
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- arwenavery
- Woodhelvennin
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yip it does!!!
i had just begun the book of lost tales at the post i made...it was a hastily put together thought ,spontaneously after reading the sillmarillion....im always doing that..getting carried away....
dont get me wrong..i love donaldson and TC .....its just that sometimes names places events come up in tolkiens work which are unmistakeable!!!!
it bugs me how people who`ve never read both books ( ie. friends of mine ) are hell bent on creating arguments on donaldson copying tolkien, thats not what i believe , i know theres no way after reading tolkien you couldnt be inspired and sub-conciously hold certain facts at the back of your mind, also there could be a chance that donaldson intended to pay tribute in a subtle way to tolkien!!!! well we`ll never know....
dont get me wrong..i love donaldson and TC .....its just that sometimes names places events come up in tolkiens work which are unmistakeable!!!!
it bugs me how people who`ve never read both books ( ie. friends of mine ) are hell bent on creating arguments on donaldson copying tolkien, thats not what i believe , i know theres no way after reading tolkien you couldnt be inspired and sub-conciously hold certain facts at the back of your mind, also there could be a chance that donaldson intended to pay tribute in a subtle way to tolkien!!!! well we`ll never know....
- Skyweir
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Donalson openly admits in one of his forwards .. that Tolkien was a major factor in his choosing to be an author much to his fathers chagrin .. clearly he read his works and was moved and inspired by them ..
as Tolkien himself was with CS Lewis .. his friend and mentor ..
as Tolkien himself was with CS Lewis .. his friend and mentor ..
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well actually...
Well Beren wasn't really a vegetarian...
He still ate the flesh of his slain enemies: orcs, trolls,etc.
Just thought u should know
He still ate the flesh of his slain enemies: orcs, trolls,etc.
Just thought u should know
- Landwaster
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I think it was Berensford .. but i could be wrong
there was only the slightest suggestion of correlation between Beren and Berek .. and that was inside TC's head ..
TC made that correlation .. when he mis-overheard the bar singers refering to him ..
damn .. my memory is still regrettably flakey on this too!!
it may have been a inter-dimensional manipulation tho' ..
there was only the slightest suggestion of correlation between Beren and Berek .. and that was inside TC's head ..
TC made that correlation .. when he mis-overheard the bar singers refering to him ..
damn .. my memory is still regrettably flakey on this too!!
it may have been a inter-dimensional manipulation tho' ..
keep smiling
'Smoke me a kipper .. I'll be back for breakfast!'
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TC believed he heard her say Berek .. but she said no .. she said Beren ..
so whether the connection was simply in TC's mind .. being somewhat obsessed with his experience from 2 stand-points .. wanting to deny the Land .. and seeking for some surety of its existence ..
if TC did simply misunderstand her from this stand point .. then the connection is one of his own making .. as calling a man named Beren in a nightclub .. and mistaking it for Berek .. isnt such a profound connection imho ..
though it could be .. anythings possible ..
if i was SRD i'd play up on this relationship in the 3rd chrons .. just to affirm or play on the uncertainty of the other world relationship to our own ..
just for kicks!
so whether the connection was simply in TC's mind .. being somewhat obsessed with his experience from 2 stand-points .. wanting to deny the Land .. and seeking for some surety of its existence ..
if TC did simply misunderstand her from this stand point .. then the connection is one of his own making .. as calling a man named Beren in a nightclub .. and mistaking it for Berek .. isnt such a profound connection imho ..
though it could be .. anythings possible ..
if i was SRD i'd play up on this relationship in the 3rd chrons .. just to affirm or play on the uncertainty of the other world relationship to our own ..
just for kicks!
keep smiling
'Smoke me a kipper .. I'll be back for breakfast!'
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- Landwaster
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Yeah I was just referring to what is now three things in the TC books which might be drawn to have been inspired by the Beren story of Tolkien :
- Berek (halfhand, as was Beren of Beleriand - Tolkien)
- Beren (the name of the singer's actual friend)
- Berensford - longer bow but still.
- Berek (halfhand, as was Beren of Beleriand - Tolkien)
- Beren (the name of the singer's actual friend)
- Berensford - longer bow but still.
Do you think I like being this dangerous?