On Fri, 20 Oct 2000, Jim Sharkey wrote:
> Yes, he did use those kinds of magics in a few spots. But his powers were
> assumed to be *FAR* greater than that, and he used those abilities very
> sparingly. If you want to pick at nits, that's OK. But I don't believe
> that minor exceptions like that invalidate the overall argument.
>
> Consider as well that Frodo attempted on several occassions to give the One
> Ring to folks he felt were better qualified, but they refused to take it
> because its corrupting influence combined with their already powerful magic
> would make them as bad as Sauron. I stick by my assertion that casual use
> of strong magics was a Bad Thing(tm) in Tolkein's universe
I think it's fair to say that casual use of strong anything (nukes, magic
fireballs, cheap cologne) is a bad thing, but understanding magic in
Middle Earth must depend a bit on context. Gandalf and Elves are magical
beings, period, and they exhibit magic as part of their personalities.
Galdalf has a whimsical character, despite his seriousness, and he shows
it in casual deeds as well as his important ones. Elves use some pretty
strong juju, I'm sure, to maintain and order their everyday lives, but on
the other hand I'm sure that these things aren't "casual"--magic is part
of the Elvish (Elven?) infrastructure after all.
I agree that the magical beings of Middle Earth are cautious in their use
of power, however. M-E is basically a post-apocalyptic world, scarred by
a history of magical warfare roughly on a par with global nuclear and
biological warfare. You got yer wastelands, yer dangerous areas, your
evil mutants, yer mad scientists, heck, you even got yer road warriors
(the Rohan). Its inhabitants, therefore, are deeply suspicious of the
use of magical weapons reminiscent of those wielded by the immortals who
used to walk the earth.
On the other hand, lesser magics are OK. When the adventuresome party of
The Hobbit lucks upon a cache of magical Elvish swords & goodies, they're
like Mad Max stumbling upon a crate full of flame throwers and AK-47s.
They can't wait to lay low some Orcs & Goblins. But the Ring---that's
another matter entirely, like finding an undetonated nuclear warhead whose
timer might still be working....
Marvin Long
Austin, Texas
