Religion in MIddle Earth?

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Arwenishott
Is there any type of religion in Middle Earth. There is not any mention of it in the books.

FreeMason
Well the whole book is sorta a religion, it is myth, and so the religion to the people in that book, is the myth of the Silmarillion...or to the Elves that's real...but heck everything in that book is DEFINATELY created by gods and such and so on...not so grey as in our mundane world smile

Joseph_Kerr
Try the Silmarillion

nemo
was tolkien very religious?
maybe if he's not he didn't really think it's that important to have it?

Exa

Dryden
heck the whole series is pretty much about good vs evil... you'd think it would be about religion and people's culture/beliefs

fini
true true.
lol religion has its associated mythology and what do you think is done in lotr.............if u cant find anything there check out the history of middle earth

Exa

fini
hmmmm there is only one religion that has u go to church...........older religions are based on cermeonies and story telling.
i cant tell u how familiar the history behind of middle earth and the story of the elves and gods is TO hindu mythology.

Joseph_Kerr
Here is a link concerning Tolkien and Lewis
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/134/52.0.html

Arwenishott
thanks ya'll

ilvorlandobloom
Wasn't Tolkien a Christian? then y would he write about them praying to statues and about them believing in more than one God?

Exa

turin
Exa, where did you read that there were cults devoted to sauron in the forth age? in the history of middle earth 12: the peoples of middle earth tolkien wrote a short story that he didnt finish about something similar to that but i was wondering if somewhere there is more that he wrote. just wondering, big grin

Exa
He wrote that in one of the Histories... I dont know which (probably Peoples of M-E)... I think (I'm not sure) it's also in one of his letters.
I don't think there is a lot of material about that sad

Joseph_Kerr
Tolkien was a very devote Christian. He was involved in CS Lewis' conversion to Christianity. Tolkien wrote the concept from the perspective of Mythology (storytelling) in terms of "gods" even though he believed in only one God.

I don't think that it should be considered a conflict since Tolkien was writing from a purely mythological view point of how the people of Middle Earth would view religion much like our Roman and Greek society.

Ushgarak
It;s very difficult to define what is in Middle Earth as religion in the way we see it, when the Elves are paying tribute in the forms of songs and poetry- closest they have to worship- to not vague beings believed in via faith, but beings who some of them have actually met and talked to! It's all a very different thing. Illvutar is the cloest there is to a God, the ones referred to as 'Gods' (the Valar) are really more like Angels. The Elves pay tribute to them, the men are known to worship them, evil guys worship Sauron like a God, but like I say, it's different when these guys pop over for a chat sometimes...

ilvorlandobloom
okay, thanx, im pretty sure i understand now smile
cuz im a Christian and i'd be pretty sad if Tolkien wasnt...

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