BBC Article on Tolkien and Kullervo

[Rich H]

Appreciate many of you not in the UK may have missed this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34063157

And may want to read and listen to it.

[PaulButler]

Ha! I was just reading this.
The woman who worked on the manuscript is at the University of Maryland, not far from where I live!

[Majestic]

Great article. Thanks for posting it, Rich!

[Riemumieli]

A very nice article. I knew the basics but now I know much more. Good to be a Finn

[cuthalion]

Thanks for this link, I'll have to read it through at some point, but got stopped at:

The dark tale reveals that Tolkien's Middle Earth was inspired not only by England and Wales… but also by Finland.

Really? Thought it pretty common knowledge how much he drew from germanic/Scandinavian myth sagas. In fact, there's a letter somewhere I'm sure where he states that he's writing the myth cycle he WISHED England/Wales had. I'm a Brit, but I don't like the idea that LOTR is completely Anglocentric, and I don't think it would be nearly as meaningful if it was. What is it with people and the lust for allegory.

Anyway, just a rant. I think it just comes down to crummy word choice

[farinal]

This is really cool news as I just started to read Kalevala

[Rich H]

Thought it pretty common knowledge how much he drew from germanic/Scandinavian myth sagas.

Consider who the article is written for; the average news reader and shouldn't be assumed to have any knowledge of Tolkien's work beyond reading the books, or perhaps even just the films. I think many of us would assume it is common knowledge (among Tolkien fans/readers) but I'm not sure it is universally common knowledge and it would be wrong for a news site to assume so, especially the BBC.

[cuthalion]

Yes, you're right. But bugger the BBC for rubbish writing and spreading/legitimizing crappy readings, is essentially what I'm saying. Especially as it's so obviously in an attempt to make the headline more sensational.

Call me touchy I guess, as, since Jackson, I feel like the last thing Tolkien needs is more dumbing down.

(Keep up the good work Cub7!)

[Rich H]

Especially as it's so obviously in an attempt to make the headline more sensational.

I can understand saying it's not well researched and therefore lazy writing, albeit like I said the article needs to consider the readership and audience, but I didn't think they were making attempts to sensationalise at all.

I'm personally more concerned that you say you're a Brit, yet spell legitimising with a 'z'! Shocking.

[Earendil]

I'm personally more concerned that you say you're a Brit, yet spell legitimising with a 'z'! Shocking.

That's not an Americanism, it's the spelling the Oxford English Dictionary favours.