I like The Silmarillion because of the mythological feel to it- Eru and the Valar etc, it reads like a Viking or Greek legend.

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(Became a Valar on 16/06/05!)

Yes, but a better legend, in my opinion!

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Hey hey I put them on a par with each other! Though I am more interested in the Tolkien legends these days

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(Became a Valar on 16/06/05!)

I voted Silmarillion even though I am not finished with it yet, largely for the same reason. I love Greek mythology and this has a very mythological feel to it and answers so many questions you have about Middle Earth! I understand the Hobbit and LotR so much more now

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:rain::roll::sorcerer::stab::whistle::guitar:

^^^I love your avatar!

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Yeah I know. In the Hobbit when Elrond is telling them about the swords that they got from the troll cave, when you read it before reading the Sil you don't really get it but then you read it again after and your like "oh that's so cool!" lol that's just one example that I thought of off the top of my head.

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Proud Member of the The Evilishy Nazgûl Alliance for World Domination
{Beri}

I didn't realise what Beleriand was until I read The Sil.. so now it's like... WOW Sting is REALLY old!!

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(Became a Valar on 16/06/05!)

I like the Silmarillion because it has the parralels the bible ALOT and you can see it. All of them parrallel the bible because Tolkien was a strong christian and wrote it accordingly but I think that he meant the valar to represent angels and Eru to represent God etc. I also think elves represent christians and men represent non-believers and I think its cool how he made like Gimli etc. and how they went to heaven (the undying lands) even though they wern't chrisitans to start (in rl you can't be born a christian) but their friends influenced them and they chose it. Anyway it's an interesting aspect. Also I think Gandalf represents Christ in a way.

Fun fact: did you know one reason C.S. Lewis became a chritian was that J.R.R. Tolkien whitnessed to him and they were good friends?

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Shieldmaiden@heart
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I don't think so, somehow...

Tolkien himself said the book was NOT an allegory to ANYTHING, so I really don't think it can be drawn in parallel with the bible.

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(Became a Valar on 16/06/05!)

Nevertheless it does parrallel the bible. Look at the creation story and everything they even make tons of devotion books like "walking with Frodo" representing our walk with God. And the fact that Tolkien was a strong christian is very convincing.

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Shieldmaiden@heart
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Oh also, I'm a writer and I know, everything that you write comes from your head and what you know and believe in. Tolkien wanted to do a creation story well, the only creation story he knew and believed in was in the bible, when God created the world. So obviously he wrote something a bit similar to that because it made sence to him. Now Tolkien was VERY creative so he did change it a bit and add some other things to it but overall it seems alot like God's creation. It's just looking at it in a bit different perspective. I'm curious when did Tolkien say it was NOT an allegory to ANYTHING? And I'm going to ask you a question, do you know the Lord of the Rings well? The answer is probably yes but the bigger question is, do you know The Bible just as well? Because how can you say they arn't close if you don't know lots about them?

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Believe me, I was brought up in a strict Baptist family and I STILL don't see much similiarity between The Silmarillion, LOTR etc and the Bible!!

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(Became a Valar on 16/06/05!)

Well, look at the story of Lucifer the angel and Melkor the valar thats a similarity and also elves are Eru's chosen people and they go to the undying lands well, christians are God's chosen people and they go to heaven. Also valar protect the elves and men, angels protect all humans. And in the Lord of the Rings, everyone has a path of life and the story of Frodo is like the path of a person's life, Sam, I think, represents God for a bit and how God dosn't forsake us and he also has to carry Frodo. God sometimes has to carry us through very tough times. Gandalf now when he dies and rose back to life, sound familiar? Well Jesus died and rose back to life. And those are very few examples. I have taken literature studies lots and I know how to study literature and I have study LotR very closly and it has LOTS in common with the bible, Tolkien did write things that parrallel it.

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Shieldmaiden@heart
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Okay, not going to argue, don't see the point in it, even if my views do differ rather ALOT.

Let's just say I don't WANT Tolkien's work to mirror the bible, as that would take away alot of the originality!!!

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(Became a Valar on 16/06/05!)

Originality? Oh come on Tolkien is one of the most Original, creative people in the world! It mirrors the bible but it's totally a different view. Not most people look at the creation story etc. the way Tolkien did. It's true I don't see the point in arguing too but ya.

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Can't...decide...love...them...all.
It's way 2 hard my Elf friends.