Wondering on Strider's literary inspiration...

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Eledhwen
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Re: Wondering on Strider's literary inspiration...

Post by Eledhwen »

I agree with him being the Law.

As for the hunting...Elrohir and Eladan spent much time hunting in the region so I got the impression it had more to do with Aragon telling them he could supply them, but since they would be moving swiftly it might not be very much. To hunt properly requires patience and time, something they did not have. I don't ever get the impression that Aragorn was an archer of exceptional ability with the bow. The impression I got was that Faramir would have been better as an actual archer. Hunting and archery are not the same pursuit although they obviously overlap. I know great archers who can't hunt to save their lives, and hunters who are just good enough with the bow to take game but suck at archery in general.

I fall somewhere in the middle. I can hunt, and I can do archery, but I am no archer. I can track better than most, read sign, survive in the wilds, etc. I am more Ranger than Archer, more Huntress than Archer. ;)

I aspire to being proficient with spear, axe, and bow..the traditional weapons of the Faithful. :) At one time the Faithful were noted archers, having legions of archers, their steel bows striking fear into the hearts of their enemies. *sigh* ;)

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Re: Wondering on Strider's literary inspiration...

Post by Beornmann »

Andy* wrote:...but no one gave me a snarky reply, as on other forms.
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Re: Wondering on Strider's literary inspiration...

Post by Mirimaran »

Personally I think he best considered himself as a hunter ever of the servants of the Enemy :) I have no doubt he could supply himself fairly well in the Wild, but as he was burdened with 4 hobbits, I could understand his concern about food and movement. Your memory serves you well, Eledhwen :)

'I don't see how our food can be made to last,' said Frodo. 'We have been careful enough in the last few days, and this supper is no feast, but we have used more than we ought, if we have two weeks still to go, and perhaps more.'

'There is food in the wild,' said Strider; 'berry, root, and herbs; and I have some skill a a hunter at need. You need not be afraid of starving before winter comes. but gathering and catching food is long and weary work, and we need haste. So tighten your belts, and think with hope of the table of Elrond's house!'

A Knife in the Dark pg 190.

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Willrett
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Re: Wondering on Strider's literary inspiration...

Post by Willrett »

Andy* wrote:To all who have replied to my thoughts of Robin Hood as a inspiration.....just wanted to say thanks for the well thought out replies.....might not agree to the idea...but no one gave me a snarky reply, as on other forms.
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robinhoodsghost
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Re: Wondering on Strider's literary inspiration...

Post by robinhoodsghost »

I always have thought there was a Robin Hood connection with Strider. Most woodsman/archers on one level or another were inspired by the old ballads and poems. intentional or not. Tolkien cetainly took it to the next level....so did John Flanagan for that matter.
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Re: Wondering on Strider's literary inspiration...

Post by Manveruon »

I think Flanagan definitely took more inspiration from the Robin Hood myths, especially given his emphasis on archery. In many ways I would say Flanagan created a more fleshed-out, realistic take on the "ranger" idea than Tolkien did. But ultimately, that wasn't Tolkien's primary focus, and most information we have on Tolkien's rangers was imparted as passing narrative to further the unfolding of his stories. Something I've always found interesting is that we all tend to think of the bow as being intimately associated with Tolkien's rangers, and yet I think he only mentions archery in association with the Dunedain very rarely, if at all (the only mention I can think of off the top of my head is when Strider says he has some skill as a hunter - and yet I don't think he specifically mentions using a bow, it's just implied). The Ithilien rangers, on the other hand, are of course specifically mentioned as being archers, or at least using bows in their fight against the Enemy. In many ways the Ithilien rangers have a lot more in common with Robin and his Merry Men than the Dunedain of the North ever did.
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Re: Wondering on Strider's literary inspiration...

Post by Stormraven »

I agree on the analogy between Hawkeye and Aragorn - an interesting parallel. I would also think that Tolkien might have gotten some inspiration from Celtic mythology in which a young hero, usually poor or disheveled is found by a woman in the woods and given a riddle or some quest in order to show he has a right to be king. These women are usually Goddesses of Sovereignty in disguise. There is a parallel here between Arwen and a Goddess of Sovereignty, as she is immortal and becomes the king's consort and tie to the land, uniting in a sense the realm of Men and the realm of Elves - in a Celtic sense, the real world and the Otherworld. It is true that Tolkien took much of this inspiration for his world from European culture. One can see parallels with Rohan with Germanic culture and Celtic with the Elves - Westron culture with Britain and Western Europe.
Tolkien may have had been inspired by Native Americans - the idea that was prevalent at the time was the "Noble Savage". Aragorn certainly has this mystique, especially in Bree but has the secret nobility of being the Heir to Gondor. Hawkeye in Last of the Mohicans stands out, much like Aragorn does, so yes, I agree with the analogy.
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Re: Wondering on Strider's literary inspiration...

Post by Rifter »

Interesting, I can't really say if I think Tolkien was inspired by Hawkeye or not. I know he didn't feel England had a proper myth of it's own in terms of history. He felt the Arthurian tales were a little less solid because they were created by the French generally. I think he would have taken bits perhaps of a man he himself would have respected or would have liked to see as a King and put those into a melting pot and perhaps did take something from the oiutlaws heros in the woods ideas and make those into rangers. If one reads the books and watches the animated films or the peter Jackson ones there are differences even there with his character. Not large ones but ones none the less. When creating myth one obviously wants to create as rich and potent stuff as possible and making this rugged man who hides from kingship is in a way very heroic and perhaps that desire to live with the world rather then rule it was just another one of his messages and perhaps not directly linked to any other character he had read about.
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Re: Wondering on Strider's literary inspiration...

Post by Kortoso »

Reflecting on the connection between Aragorn and Robin Hood.
Remember that one of Robin's chief crimes was poaching the king's deer. A Forest Ranger, or Warden (the Sheriff of Nottingham), would be tasked by the crown in finding someone like Robin and persecuting him.
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Re: Wondering on Strider's literary inspiration...

Post by Kortoso »

I'm certain that JRR Tolkien did not have this in mind, but the Yamabushi of Japan, are "Mountain Warriors" literally. They are ascetics who, incidentally, are said to have founded the way of Ninjutsu.
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Re: Wondering on Strider's literary inspiration...

Post by Beornmann »

Near is the hour when the Lost should come forth, And the Grey Company ride from the North.
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Re: Wondering on Strider's literary inspiration...

Post by Kortoso »

Very good, I now recall reading about Oswald when the LOTR movies first came out.

Also, the legend of Alfred the Great, mixing among the common people in disguise, can't have been too far from Tolkien's mind.
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