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Eh, the other Vala don't do much of anything either. Legolas Send a noteboard - 09/04/2010 05:31:42 PM
I agree with you about Varda and Yavanna, but I still don't feel as though they have very strong features in the books. Yes, they're feared, but it is the men doing most of everything. I love Melian, however, she willingly sacrificed so much to be with a petty elf. Though she hasd lived for thousands of years before Thingol's birth, she subordinates herself to him almosty immediately (I mean petty because of Thingol's actions with the Noldor in some of the wars, and how possessive/harsh he becomes; but I generally like Elu). I just cannot stand how there are no powerful women that do not have a male companion guarding over them, as if they are unable to function without one. Even the women that do phenomenal things: Luthien, Eowen, either end up deplorably unhappy, or married with kids to put them in their "rightful" places.

There are no powerful women who remain single (excepting that one female Edain leader somewhere in the Silm), but several of them far outstrip their husbands/lovers: Luthien (though that's sort of a partnership of equals as far as the dynamic goes), Galadriel (who's the one on the White Council? no, it's not Celeborn :P ), Melian (and let's not forget Lobelia Sackville-Baggins :P). Eowyn, Elwing and Arwen get married and do sort of settle down with children, but those too seem more like partnerships of equals. And then there's various women who clearly aren't equal but still find ways to wield their influence, like pretty much all the women in Turin's story.

So really, Tolkien's world IS like real world history - dominated by men, but with more influential and powerful women than you'd think at first sight.
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The greatest King in Fantasy Dannymac - 09/04/2010 05:18:42 AM 1817 Views
King Arthur. Hands down. Ghavrel - 09/04/2010 06:40:15 AM 1211 Views
I would argue with you. Dannymac - 09/04/2010 06:54:53 AM 1163 Views
That's the point, though. Arthur's humanity is what makes him so admirable. Ghavrel - 09/04/2010 06:59:07 AM 1208 Views
I have to agree with Dannymac LadyLorraine - 09/04/2010 02:04:44 PM 1206 Views
But he's not in a modern fantasy novel. Ghavrel - 09/04/2010 07:37:14 PM 1227 Views
when I read the actual book... LadyLorraine - 10/04/2010 12:08:21 AM 1221 Views
"The actual character"? Which of the countless different ones? *NM* Legolas - 10/04/2010 12:21:00 AM 548 Views
i mean the actual character of Arthur in the actual book. LadyLorraine - 10/04/2010 12:51:44 AM 1289 Views
There isn't an "actual book." Le Morte d'Arthur is a relatively early compilation of legends. *NM* Ghavrel - 10/04/2010 03:09:40 AM 589 Views
Re: i mean the actual character of Arthur in the actual book. Camilla - 10/04/2010 08:17:12 AM 1225 Views
I'm going with the most likely historical version of King Arthur RugbyPlayingAshaman - 09/04/2010 06:45:26 PM 1255 Views
My money is still on Aragorn Camilla - 09/04/2010 12:47:43 PM 1326 Views
Aragorn is so awesome... LadyLorraine - 09/04/2010 02:05:42 PM 1174 Views
Arwen's character is just never fleshed out, though. Legolas - 09/04/2010 02:18:30 PM 1147 Views
Re: Arwen's character is just never fleshed out, though. lyringlas - 09/04/2010 02:49:45 PM 1208 Views
Hm nossy - 09/04/2010 03:23:53 PM 1258 Views
Mostly, yes, but there are a few exceptions - Galadriel, Eowyn, and above all Luthien. Legolas - 09/04/2010 03:32:00 PM 1160 Views
Re: Mostly, yes, but there are a few exceptions - Galadriel, Eowyn, and above all Luthien. lyringlas - 09/04/2010 03:45:37 PM 1413 Views
I can't agree about the goddesses. Legolas - 09/04/2010 04:34:15 PM 1288 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses. lyringlas - 09/04/2010 04:55:34 PM 1151 Views
If Tacitus and Graves were accurate imlad - 09/04/2010 05:09:20 PM 1235 Views
Re: If Tacitus and Graves were accurate lyringlas - 09/04/2010 05:26:43 PM 1168 Views
I rather liked her depiction in Rome. Legolas - 09/04/2010 05:34:37 PM 1235 Views
Re: I rather liked her depiction in Rome. lyringlas - 09/04/2010 05:45:06 PM 1302 Views
Re: I rather liked her depiction in Rome. Camilla - 10/04/2010 11:14:26 AM 1322 Views
I don't know if I'd call it bad, per se. Legolas - 10/04/2010 11:37:55 AM 1400 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses. lyringlas - 09/04/2010 05:02:50 PM 1203 Views
Eh, the other Vala don't do much of anything either. Legolas - 09/04/2010 05:31:42 PM 1161 Views
Re: Eh, the other Vala don't do much of anything either. lyringlas - 09/04/2010 05:44:03 PM 1204 Views
Nienna, the Valier of Mercy, was single and a wanderer. She's not the most powerful, but... RugbyPlayingAshaman - 09/04/2010 06:55:23 PM 1207 Views
Re: Nienna, the Valier of Mercy, was single and a wanderer. She's not the most powerful, but... lyringlas - 09/04/2010 07:04:37 PM 1223 Views
thought of a better example: Arien the Maia of the Sun was single and far more powerful than Tilion RugbyPlayingAshaman - 09/04/2010 09:17:34 PM 1459 Views
Re: I can't agree about the goddesses. imlad - 09/04/2010 05:06:49 PM 1319 Views
That was my first assumption too, but evidently not. *NM* Legolas - 09/04/2010 05:22:39 PM 537 Views
I changed it to Livia Augusta Sheesh, you people-- a guy mistypes one time!! *NM* lyringlas - 09/04/2010 05:29:03 PM 586 Views
I call bullshit Camilla - 09/04/2010 08:09:49 PM 1155 Views
Re: I call bullshit lyringlas - 09/04/2010 08:31:16 PM 1174 Views
Re: I call bullshit Camilla - 10/04/2010 08:04:15 AM 1255 Views
I didn't realize it was fashionable to call Tolkien sexist. lyringlas - 10/04/2010 05:12:07 PM 1250 Views
Re: I didn't realize it was fashionable to call Tolkien sexist. Camilla - 12/04/2010 11:00:23 AM 1123 Views
Exactly. Comet Sedai - 13/04/2010 03:08:46 AM 1221 Views
Re: Exactly. Camilla - 13/04/2010 08:54:01 AM 1299 Views
I was going to say something similar. nossy - 09/04/2010 03:21:45 PM 1181 Views
Re: Aragorn is so awesome... Camilla - 09/04/2010 08:00:25 PM 1169 Views
Re: Aragorn is so awesome... lyringlas - 09/04/2010 08:37:12 PM 1176 Views
He's good, but then he just doesn't have to face so many things. Legolas - 09/04/2010 02:22:04 PM 1480 Views
Doesn't have to face many things? Camilla - 09/04/2010 07:59:27 PM 1223 Views
As in, there are many important aspects of being king he doesn't have to face. Legolas - 09/04/2010 08:07:16 PM 1203 Views
well technically speaking he WAS the king when he did all those things. LadyLorraine - 10/04/2010 12:15:26 AM 1209 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? lyringlas - 09/04/2010 08:38:51 PM 1060 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? Camilla - 10/04/2010 08:24:33 AM 1165 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? lyringlas - 10/04/2010 05:08:42 PM 1310 Views
Re: Doesn't have to face many things? Camilla - 12/04/2010 10:55:12 AM 1158 Views
He really wasn't a king in majority of the story though random thoughts - 12/04/2010 05:54:23 PM 1109 Views
I'm sure there are many, but one coming to mind is Prince Josua from Memory, Sorrow and Thorn Legolas - 09/04/2010 02:23:57 PM 1168 Views
Oh yeah I liked him a lot *NM* ironclad - 09/04/2010 04:09:59 PM 553 Views
Josua Lackhand is a great fantasy King! imlad - 09/04/2010 05:14:39 PM 1230 Views
Arutha was never King. *NM* Myrdhyn - 09/04/2010 07:18:30 PM 533 Views
I'm going to go with a tie... Myrdhyn - 09/04/2010 04:22:42 PM 1188 Views
Rohan was a whiny hypocritical bitch who failed at the only real test of rulership he ever faced. Cannoli - 10/04/2010 02:51:34 AM 1230 Views
That actually slipped my mind. I can't believe that. Myrdhyn - 16/04/2010 04:44:46 PM 1265 Views
Joffrey and the Stag! *NM* Kotagg - 09/04/2010 09:53:56 PM 534 Views
ROFL *NM* RugbyPlayingAshaman - 09/04/2010 11:39:36 PM 507 Views
Artur Hawkwing Cannoli - 10/04/2010 03:34:02 AM 1322 Views
Alexander the Great? *NM* Ghavrel - 10/04/2010 05:08:25 AM 561 Views
AH conquered more, did better, & was not a huge d-bag. Alex would have commissioned that big statue *NM* Cannoli - 12/04/2010 03:00:39 PM 540 Views
And both managed to have their so-called "empires" crumble within a year of their death. *NM* Ghavrel - 12/04/2010 06:12:20 PM 546 Views
Which just reinforces how awesome AH was - no one else could do what he did Cannoli - 13/04/2010 11:50:54 AM 1251 Views
??? Sidious - 10/04/2010 10:30:13 AM 1570 Views
Ta'veren is not a power, it is an accomodation with what the Pattern demands of certain people Cannoli - 12/04/2010 02:56:57 PM 1166 Views
Simba *NM* BlackAdder - 10/04/2010 08:40:38 AM 580 Views
Manwe Sidious - 10/04/2010 10:31:54 AM 1473 Views
Bah. He's hardly a character. *NM* AgentOrange - 12/04/2010 01:07:29 AM 661 Views
Arutha, the Prince of Krondor AgentOrange - 12/04/2010 01:06:14 AM 1232 Views
Westley Comet Sedai - 13/04/2010 02:59:36 AM 1159 Views
Leto Atreides II random thoughts - 13/04/2010 05:07:29 AM 1124 Views
I'll agree with that! *NM* imlad - 13/04/2010 11:33:10 AM 534 Views
What's the name of the Lemur-thing that's the King in "the penguins of madagascar"? He gets my vote! *NM* Mjolner - 14/04/2010 04:46:42 AM 589 Views
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