Anniversary of sadness

[Arvedui]

On this day, september 2. 30 years ago, Professor JRR Tolkien laid down his pen. The creator of all those places, characters and creatures we have come to love and cherish, died after a brief illness.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was 81 years old when he died.

[Michel Delving]

Thirty Years Dead Today!

Congratulations.

I bet you're glad.


Ahhh, those Undying Lands that we long for...

Alright John? (http://www.thetolkienforum.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=309358)

[Celebthôl]

Very touching in a gross way MD :) i love it. :) Nice pic to

[Talierin]

*has a moment of silence* Hail to the Professor

[Arvedui]

Wonderful picture, MD!

[Talierin]

I like this one too :)

[Michel Delving]

Death is only sad for the living.

[Inderjit S]

It was A very sad day for all Tolkien fans, and the world when J.R.R Tolkien died, he was imo, one of the greatest and most intelligent men of the 20th Century.

[HLGStrider]

The Old Boy was very much a Hobbit. . .

He would've been 111, if I'm doing my math right which is always debateable.

[Helcaraxë]

Mourn not overmuch. Now and for evermore in glory he resides in the Timeless Halls. I'm sure his pen is still up and running there. ALL HAIL TOLKIEN, MASTER OF ARDA, LORD OF MIDDLE-EARTH! FOREVER SHALL HE LIVE ON WITH ILUVATAR AND THE SPRITS OF THE AINUR IN THE TIMELESS HALLS BEYOND THOUGHT OF MORTAL MIND!

Now, let us celebrate his life and not his death....but I dearly wish I could have known the guy:( :(

MB

[Eledhwen]

Tolkien was a devout Christian - a Roman Catholic - and would have truly believed that he was going to a better place, an Undying Land where death has been defeated. Happily, I believe the same thing for myself :) :D

"O grave, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"

Do you think Faerie stories are allowed in heaven? Would it be heaven if they weren't?:rolleyes:

[Gandalf The Grey]

Originally posted by Eledhwen
Do you think Faerie stories are allowed in heaven?

Verily, Eledhwen! :)

... and of the best, most sublime kind.

From an article called "True Myth: The Catholicism of The Lord of the Rings." The article, written by Joseph Pearce, appeared in the December 2001 issue of The Catholic World Report:

"Tolkien argued that, far from being lies, myths were the best way of conveying truths which would otherwise be inexpressible. We have come from God and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Myths may be misguided, but they steer however shakily toward the true harbor, whereas materialistic 'progress' leads only to the abyss and to the power of evil.

"Building on this philosophy of myth, Tolkien and Dyson went on to express their belief that the story of Christ was simply a true myth: a myth that works in the same way as the others, but a myth that really happened. Whereas pagan myths revealed fragments of eternal truth through the words of poets, the True Myth of Christianity revealed the whole truth through the Word himself. The poets of pagan antiquity told their story with words, but God, the omnipotent Poet, told the True Story with facts -- weaving his tale with the actions of real men in actual history.

"Tolkien's arguments had an indelible effect on Lewis. The edifice of his unbelief crumbled and the foundations of his Christianity were laid.

[Eledhwen]

Originally posted by Gandalf The Grey
Verily, Eledhwen! :)

... and of the best, most sublime kind. YIPPEE!

That quote was useful. I knew JRRT convinced CSL, but I didn't know what argument he used. Now I've read that, I wonder why it wasn't obvious to me. But then again, someone once said that the mark of a good teacher is that, when they explain something, you think "well, that's obvious!", and then you realise it wasn't obvious until they said it.

[Gandalf The Grey]

And while not all tears are an evil, and indeed their sadness is noble and touching when shed for one such as the Good Professor ... 'tis well to think of his journeying to a place where all tears shall be wiped away.

* bows *

Glad to be of service to you, Eledhwen.

[Helcaraxë]

Originally posted by Eledhwen


"O grave, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"



I believe that is "O grave, where is thy victory? O death where is thy sting?"

--Alexander Pope, "The Dying Christian to His Soul":p

:D MB

[Eledhwen]

Originally posted by MorgothsBane
I believe that is "O grave, where is thy victory? O death where is thy sting?"

--Alexander Pope, "The Dying Christian to His Soul":p 1 Corinthians 15 verse 55 (depends which version you read).