Smith of Wootton Major: The Culmination and Summary of Tolkien’s Life and Career

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11 ай бұрын

Smith of Wootton Major is one of the most fascinating stories Tolkien ever wrote, which seems to have tremendous depth despite its brevity and simplicity. On a recent reread I noticed that its autobiographical elements were much more pronounced than I previously realized.
Prior video on Smith of Wootton Major: • Smith of Wootton Major
On Fairy Stories: • On Fairy Stories
On Fairy Stories 2: • On Fairy Stories: Euca...
Telcontar Theory: • Is Tolkien Aragorn's "...
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Пікірлер: 27

@joannemoore3976 11 ай бұрын

I live Smith of Wootton Major, it is a wonderful story with so many layers. I think it also has a strong religious/spiritual element, Tolkien seems to have felt a strong spiritual affinity with the idea of enchantment in Faerie and his personal devotion to the Virgin Mary is reflected in his Faerie Queens (Galadriel, the Queen in 'Smith'). The idea that you have to give back the gift, or give up, surrender etc. Is also there and there is a mystical element also: in the scene where he meets the Queen, she lays her hand on his head and he becomes totally still and silent - an experience reported by mystics from diverse traditions, times, and places.

@conormcgee1826 11 ай бұрын

Tolkien Long may he reign

@gandalfolorin-kl3pj 11 ай бұрын

Thou art truly wise, my dear Geek! Thou hast found the "pearl of great price" hidden from the eyes of most of us. I must confess, I read the Smith story about 50 years ago when my brothers and I purchased the Tolkien Reader for a lot less than you'd find it now. I had not yet read Tolkien's life from Humphries, so I didn't get any "allegory" or relation to the Professor's own life. What is most astounding to me is that Tolkien, who detested allegory, resorted to allegory in the latter years of his life. Perhaps that in itself is the most telling feature that gives this work the air of finality. What a beautiful exposition you have given to this work, exposing its simplicity as the great thing it truly is. Geek, you are without equal in my estimation, and my nickname is Gandalf Keep to the path, dear friend. A suggestion that you may not like: I would like to get to know you more. Is there some way you, with perhaps input from Mrs. Geek, could do a video about your life? What led you to be such a wise sage on all things Tolkien? How did you come to the decision to make a KZbin channel dedicated to this work? I think that would be a tale worth hearing. Namarie.

@Andy__A 11 ай бұрын

Awesome, thanks. Touches so many strings as "Smith" was one of the Tolkien's pieces I read in the early childhood and honestly did not understand quite a part, and reading it now tells so much more.

@mariyontil 11 ай бұрын

The points you made are fascinating enough that I have to rewatch this at another time to get all about that, but I do have a video suggestion, and it's actually about William's talking purse, just because I don't think it's considered seriously enough. I have heard the whole "Bilbo lied about that to entertain children" theory, but I don't think that works: first because The Hobbit was published in Tolkien's lifetime so ought to be taken seriously. If Tolkien wanted to change that, he could have in the revision. He did not. Second, it would be out of character for Bilbo to make that up, especially if it pardons his own incompetence in some way (I don't know what the presumed real reason would be that Bilbo was caught, but I suppose whatever it was, he would be less competent in the "real" version). Bilbo making things up to put in his book would be, according to Frodo, out of character, as he says, "I thought the true story much more likely, and I couldn't see the point of altering it at all. It was very unlike Bilbo to do so, anyway." Bilbo was very willing to make himself look incompetent and the book often turns that into a joke. He probably would have done the same here. Third, Bilbo could not have been mistaken about a purse talking to him in the way he may have been about Gandalf being unhappy that Elrond discovered the secret of the map first. Finally, Tolkien very much considered the troll scene "canon" (so far as this term can be used in Middle-Earth). He gives the trolls a cameo in The Fellowship of the Ring and feels the need to explain it in the Appendices by saying: "in the Westlands the Stone-trolls spoke a debased form of the Common Speech." What I think is probable is that the purse was "programmed", as it were, to say certain words, in the language of its owner, leading it to appear cockney. I doubt it was troll-make. Elrond said that Glamdring and Orcrist came from plunder that had ended up in Moria after the Dwarf and Goblin wars. Perhaps the purse was also in Moria and made by Dwarves in the height of their power, created to speak in order that they might better keep track of it-since Dwarves usually like their money. William may well have gotten the purse the same time the trolls got the Elven swords.

@delichonnl7744 10 ай бұрын

I do think also that Smith and Niggle both have autobiographical elements. The last one applicable to all people. Smith (Tolkien) has had the favour to be allowed to see so much of Fearie, but has to hand over that gift to see new things to someone else. Maybe he had someone in his mind that could take over his “star”. A young author? What was left to him was rethink and reorganize, rewrite memories, and no new ones were given as in earlier life. Even when he tried (story in the second age or fourth), it didn’t work out. I love Smith and Niggle, read, and reread. Thanks for giving your thoughts.

@pontifex9285 11 ай бұрын

A video about Tolkien's apparent regret or second-guessing that you mentioned would be interesting

@jonathonfrazier6622 11 ай бұрын

Great to see you back.

@brethilnen 11 ай бұрын

I missed everything that you mentioned about that story when I read it. I also didn't understand "Leaf by Niggle" until I listened to a podcast about it

@anarionelendili8961 11 ай бұрын

Nice to have you back. Here is a topic suggestion: What happened to the populace of Eriador (particularly of Cardolan and Arthedain) after the War against Angmar? We know that the Shire and Bree survived, and Tharbad was not fully abandoned until a century before the War of the Ring. So it stands to reason that there would be people living between Tharbad and Bree, and maybe even Bree and Rivendell, but Tolkien doesn't say too much about it. Save the mention of Angle and the Dunedain living there.

@PleaseNThankYou 11 ай бұрын

How about a segment on Tolkiens art... it was very good, after all.

@kelleyjordan454 11 ай бұрын

Can you do a video on Eldarion and his sisters? I know there isn’t much information out there about the Fourth Age but it could be interesting as a kind of speculative thing.

@pwmiles56 11 ай бұрын

Nitpicky comment, but in most parts of the UK the name Wootton is pronounced with a short "oo", like the vowel in "wood". I had a schoolfriend with this surname, pronounced in this way. Wooton with one "t" also exists and takes the long "oo". In parts of northern England, e.g. Lancashire, and also Scotland, short "oo"s are lengthened. This happens with the name Took, which in most of England rhymes with "book". "Elevensies" is a parallel case. In England it is (or was) "elevenses", eleven-zez, but in Scotland the final "e" is lengthened. I think "elevensies" is an accident which came from Billy Boyd's Scottish accent. Pedantically yours, etc.

@TolkienLorePodcast 11 ай бұрын

Always nice to get tips on British pronunciation 😅

@PleaseNThankYou 11 ай бұрын

I shall re-read it anew.

@francsiscog 10 ай бұрын

I just read this to my daughter (first time for both of us). We were both pretty lost as to the point and direction of the story haha. I did notice the similarity between the giving up of the star and the ring, but I didn't really understand the story.

@RedSeaGull 11 ай бұрын

I'll have to check this one out. I like Leaf by Niggle because it's so relatable for any creative person. For a topic idea for a video if you haven't done it already, what about the main differences between the condensed version of the Silmarillion as edited by Christopher Tolkien, and the lengthier versions in the History of Middle Earth series, and in the standalone Beren and Luthien, Children of Hurin, Fall of Gondolin, and even second age narratives, as well as the description of Arda's 'end times'. I've always been interested in the possibility of an 'expanded Silmarillion' that uses as much available detail as possible, especially since Christopher said that with more time, he might have produced a different version.

@TolkienLorePodcast 11 ай бұрын

I had thought of that but it’ll take a ton of reading lol.

@jeremyabrahamson2872 11 ай бұрын

Curiosities three have I, if this helps your video feed. Firstly: On the progression of Middle Earth, and how LotR serves, wittingly or no, as a thematic and narrative grand finale to the entire timeline started in the Silmarillion, and any further history is meaningless. Secondly: On the reincarnation of myth (one of your most consistent topics and why I follow you,) and how Tolken uses myths that already communicate themes he plans to cover by recreating the ideas in a new setting and cast. (If this isn't clear, I'm referring to how Tolkien's thought process often seems to be 'tale first, idea/theme second, fleshing out the mythological third, and integrating it into the tale last, or as he quipped: "Unconsciously at first, and then consciously in the revision." Thirdly: On Tolkien's insecurities in writing and his pattern of his fear of pride (mentioned in this video), and how his stories give comprehensive answers to many questions he was not comfortable stating directly, such as the evil nature of the orcs (which I think he is very good at handling their relationship to Justification in his released work, but he never felt ready to state it himself.)