New book
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23rd May 2022: New book: Law, Government and Society
We are pleased to announce our latest publication, Law, Government, and Society in J.R.R. Tolkien's Works, by José María Miranda Boto.
Law and government are aspects of J.R.R. Tolkien's works that have not received much scholarly attention. However, they are present in many facets of his sub-creation. In describing the various societies that populate it, Tolkien addressed aspects of their legal and governmental systems, such as the succession of kings, rules of inheritance, or the function of the Mayor of Michel Delving. In many cases, he did so to add a further thread to the rich tapestry of his descriptions.
But in other cases, law appears as an important narrative element, functioning as a test of character for the protagonists who encounter it. Thus, the trial of Beregond reveals Aragorn's justice, while Turgon's ordering the execution of Ëol shows his ruthlessness.
Law and philology appear together in several passages of Tolkien's work. It is no coincidence that the most relevant objects of his sub- creation, the One Ring and the Silmarils, are described in archaic legal terms. In parallel, law and the tools of government are used as humorous elements in other fragments.
Law and government are, in short, omnipresent in Tolkien's work. They are not a central element, but, without what is studied in this book, Arda would have been much poorer.
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(to link to this announcement: http://www.walking-tree.org/news_archive.php?item=182 )
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