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That Hideous Strength - Middle Earth

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That Hideous Strength - Middle Earth

Postby Solomons Song » August 25th, 2008, 8:40 pm

Lewis mentions Middle-Earth in THS on numerous occasions. Of course, this concurs with his mentioning Numenor, a prominent place in Tolkien's myth. How does this book correspond with Tolkien's Middle-Earth. Is Tolkien's Middle-Earth the same Middle-Earth being spoken about in THS?

I guess I am asking for a good summary of the apparent correlation.
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Postby repectabiggle » August 25th, 2008, 9:19 pm

I think Lewis's use has reference to Tolkien's work, but doesn't Tolkien's Middle Earth come from the Germanic Midgard?
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Postby moogdroog » August 25th, 2008, 11:18 pm

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Postby A#minor » August 25th, 2008, 11:23 pm

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Postby moogdroog » August 25th, 2008, 11:34 pm

Lovely Cynewulf extract, A#Minor!

Midden-geard pops up in lots of Anglo-Saxon/Old English. I'm sure Lewis would have had exposure to Anglo-Saxon/Old English, but from what I have read, he tends to go for High-Late Medieval texts (i.e. things after the 12th century. Could be completely off the mark though...perhaps I am missing out a seminal Old English paper Lewis wrote? :tongue:)

My point is, if Lewis isn't big on using Old English references, he is perhaps using Midden-geard as a reference to Tolkien? Then again, I really can't remember the references in THS, apart from a 'Numinor' in-joke in the introduction.
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Postby repectabiggle » August 25th, 2008, 11:50 pm

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Postby Solomons Song » September 2nd, 2008, 1:28 am

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Postby a_hnau » November 23rd, 2008, 2:07 pm

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Re: That Hideous Strength - Middle Earth

Postby galion » December 12th, 2008, 7:14 pm

Well, I don't think Tolkien ever made any reference in his own work to works by Lewis. Lewis was famously a great supporter of Tolkien, but Tolkien didn't care (for example) for Narnia. But Lewis certainly knew Old English and its literature. In Perelandra at one point (the fight with the Unman) we are told obliquely that Ransom spoke the following verse from "The Battle of Maldon":

Hige sceal the heardra
heorte the cenre
mod sceal the mare
the ure maegen lytlath
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Re: That Hideous Strength - Middle Earth

Postby moogdroog » December 13th, 2008, 9:00 am

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Re: That Hideous Strength - Middle Earth

Postby galion » December 13th, 2008, 9:26 am

Oh joy! Moogdroog, where do you find those chraracters?
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Re: That Hideous Strength - Middle Earth

Postby moogdroog » December 13th, 2008, 10:43 am

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Re: That Hideous Strength - Middle Earth

Postby galion » December 13th, 2008, 10:57 am

Many thanks! I shall be off to those sites post-haste.
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