Lord of the Rings | Symbolism of the Ring of Power

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  • čas přidán 27. 01. 2019
  • We all intuitively feel that the ring of power on LOTR is intuitively right as a magic object, but what binds its aspects together to make it so fascinating? Why is it a ring, why does it make invisible, why does it participate in a dark hierarchy of power?
    The video was edited by Thomas Wijnaendts van Resandt from the Storytellers channel. (CHANNEL LINK: / @storytellers1 )
    My links:
    Support: thesymbolicworld.com/support/
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    website: www.thesymbolicworld.com
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    My website designers, Anomalist Design: www.anomalistdesign.com/
    The music at the opening is Russian Eastern Overture, by Rimsky Korsakov.

Komentáře • 395

  • @travisleddy6887
    @travisleddy6887 Před 3 lety +19

    "Many of us are already ring wraiths." That hits hard.

  • @adomalyon1
    @adomalyon1 Před 5 lety +204

    Also notice how the level of control is increased with the multiplicity of the rings. The Nine he has complete domination over. The Seven he has corrupted to make their owners greedy and selfish, but the Three he cannot see unless he comes into the fullness of his power. Also interesting how three heroes, Gandalf, Aragorn and Frodo, aĺl have a descent into death/trampling down, sequence. One more point worth talking about is how every time evil is fought head-on, in ages past, the victory is laced with sorrow and evil is not fully beaten. Tolkien had a very clever take on how evil can be defeated.

    • @lidu6363
      @lidu6363 Před 5 lety +18

      The last one is a great point. Maybe it has something to do with that when you play by the enemy's rules, they already won.

    • @jamesbyrne8687
      @jamesbyrne8687 Před 5 lety +7

      Please remind me of Tolkien’s take on how to overcome evil

    • @adomalyon1
      @adomalyon1 Před 5 lety +31

      @@jamesbyrne8687 By feeding it back into itself. Dropping the Ring into Mt Doom symbolises this. The good guys still put up a fight in the feild but ultimately it is the incorruptibility of Frodo and Sam that allows them to penetrate the inner sanctum of Mordor (even wearing the clothes of the enemy) and recycle the evil onto itself.

    • @supernal2272
      @supernal2272 Před 5 lety +1

      May I ask what is the link between the multiplicity of rings and level of control? Why should the level of control increase if there are more rings? Thanks

    • @adomalyon1
      @adomalyon1 Před 5 lety +6

      @@supernal2272 To fully understand I would recommend watching all of Jonathons videos (but really its a lifetimes study), but it revolves around the heirarchy of values and principalities which we can imagine as a mountain. At the base of the mountain is many places and states, multiplicity. But as you ascend the mountain you both move upwards and towards the centre, and multiplicities begin to resolve (though not in a unification-of-duality way, this is often an incorrect conception). So for the Nine Kings of the Nazgul, they have been 'bound' by rings that are at the bottom of the mountain, petty and inconstant values and capricious principalities, therefore their fate is to be divorced from their true selves and be as withered formless ghosts, completely enslaved to their rings. Does that make sense?

  • @dr_bullseye
    @dr_bullseye Před 5 lety +78

    I always saw the ring as an allegory for sin and giving in to being your own god. You desire it as it will give your power (invisibility) but by giving into the ring you allow the devil (sauron) complete control over you or to see and destroy you. You believe in the falsehood that the ring will bring you life/power but it really brings death and destroys you as evident by how it transforms gollum into a wretched creature.

    • @eliesh3833
      @eliesh3833 Před 3 lety +5

      That analogy isn't too far fetched. Tolkien himself was a Christian after all. More specifically, Roman Catholic. And many people believe that he actually hid some elements of Christian faith into his works. To an extent, even he admits to having done this.

    • @the11382
      @the11382 Před 2 lety +2

      Not too far-fetched, but its bigger than that. The ring is the material world becoming your god. You can incorporate your symbolism into Pageau's symbolism for an even greater picture.

    • @A3N.A2B
      @A3N.A2B Před 7 měsíci

      I see it as a analogy for addiction

  • @lioness.moon.goddesss2402
    @lioness.moon.goddesss2402 Před 7 měsíci +2

    "it is possible that many of us have already become ringwraiths." i love how this interpretation puts the symbolism intertwined in the LOTR in modern context. i think advancing technology, especially artificial intelligence is, looking at the current developments that are coming at us faster and faster every time, something to definitely have an eye on or two.

  • @JonathanPageau
    @JonathanPageau  Před 5 lety +169

    I made a small mistake in the video, saying 4 rings for the dwarves for some reason. Sorry about that. Give me your opinions on the interpretation, I know people can be LOTR experts, which I am not, so I am curious to know.

    • @stephenpaccone8120
      @stephenpaccone8120 Před 5 lety

      Can't wait÷

    • @PolarBear1192
      @PolarBear1192 Před 5 lety +62

      As a Tolkien apprentice, I really enjoyed your interpretation. One thing I want to praise you for is avoiding drawing one to one parallels to "real life" examples (e.g. The ring represents nuclear arms). Tolkien repeatedly said he disliked allegory and did not write LOTR, The Hobbit, or the Silmarillion to be allegorical. "I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me.” What he instead said that he strived to do was create a Mythology. Because myth, unlike allegory, can have a wide range of valid applications and interpretations. In the Narnia books, if you don't read Aslan as Christ, you are misinterpreting Lewis. However, in LOTR, many of the characters act as "types" of Christ. Frodo bears the weight of the world on his shoulders, Aragorn is the long awaited King returning to his people, Gandalf sacrifices himself to the demon of fire in the underworld and is resurrected. But none of the characters *are* Christ. Frodo fails the quest, Aragorn fails to save Merry, Pippin, and Boromir, and Gandalf fails his first encounter with Saruman (all of them are finite beings). I think your interpretation fit well into the "myth" category.
      If you're taking suggestions, I would love to hear what you have to say about some of the stories in the Silmarillion. They're a lot more dense in terms of meaning and symbolism than his other works about Middle Earth.

    • @beerasaurus
      @beerasaurus Před 5 lety +5

      No problem dawi it's just going in the book of grudges!

    • @sophiem3560
      @sophiem3560 Před 5 lety +7

      Interestingly, 4 was the number of Dwarf rings which were known to have been destroyed by the dragons

    • @DougRobertson
      @DougRobertson Před 5 lety +4

      I'd be fascinated to hear your take on the archetype of a Wizard, or of magic in general, and what it means in the modern world

  • @DerekMoore82
    @DerekMoore82 Před 5 lety +173

    I am a wearer of many rings, the ring of alcohol, of cigarettes, of CZcams. I'm a wraith. Thank you for this interpretation, it may be of some use to me in my struggles.

    • @mustafaakyouz4117
      @mustafaakyouz4117 Před 5 lety +31

      Exactly the demons Im dealing now. Gave up porn tho, granted me some social autonomy.

    • @ElefantPenisJr
      @ElefantPenisJr Před 5 lety +12

      Take heed fellow struggler:
      Struggle, contend, wriggle. That alone is the sword of one who confronts death.

    • @armageddon4831
      @armageddon4831 Před 3 lety +4

      I guess thats why Gandalf uses his considerable power so rarely. And mostly in a reserved manner.

    • @DerekMoore82
      @DerekMoore82 Před 3 lety +4

      @@armageddon4831 I'm reminded of the part of the video where Jonathan describes how the 'word' of the individual is stronger than the 'army' that protects the individual, because it outlasts, it endures. And the ornament of power overtakes and erases the individual in time. The ornament is a cover, a lie. Whereas the word is the truth. Gandalf represents that understanding.

    • @artisteric
      @artisteric Před 2 lety

      @Rachel Henley you see it the way I see it

  • @Freyathrith
    @Freyathrith Před 5 lety +26

    I teach The Lord of the Rings and found this video among the most insightful work on Tolkien I've encountered. Thank you! I will share it with my students.

  • @lGalaxisl
    @lGalaxisl Před 5 lety +66

    Good idea for you to not bind yourself to patreon, it makes you stronger but you also become dependent on it :D

  • @karolinasz.141
    @karolinasz.141 Před 5 lety +19

    also.. the interplay of fate and free will in Lotr. Frodo’s fate to carry the burden but also his responsibility to take that moral choice. all characters are pushed to make difficult moral decisions, but in the end there is the ‘eucatastrophe’ (the Providence ensuring the good’s defeat over evil) no individual character, but the culmination of all small steps lead to victory and in the end saved by grace.

  • @wndGGaRkGBKpXvM6NWHGOeMJv
    @wndGGaRkGBKpXvM6NWHGOeMJv Před 4 lety +17

    One aspect of the Ring of Power I find interesting is how it symbolizes one of the most perplexing characteristics of power over others - once you have it, it is almost impossible to voluntarily give up. In the LOTR trilogy, the only character we see truly able to resist the grasp of power after having tasted it is Samwise Gamgee. Every other character fails to voluntarily relinquish the Ring of Power without some degree of struggle.

    • @YandryPozo
      @YandryPozo Před rokem +5

      totally right, I love the Sam character, let's remember that Aragon showed some resistance to the ring too, by holding it for a little bit and giving it back to Frodo

    • @JayBrownlee
      @JayBrownlee Před rokem

      What about Tom Bombadil? Does he count?

    • @hoorayimhelping3978
      @hoorayimhelping3978 Před 6 měsíci

      "the only character we see truly able to resist the grasp of power after having tasted it is Samwise Gamgee."
      Bilbo willingly gave the ring to Frodo a few decades before Sam had it.

    • @Shadowwarrior996
      @Shadowwarrior996 Před 2 měsíci

      It’s described in the books that Sam hesitated before giving the ring back to Frodo, which is visually shown in the movies by how many times Frodo has to keep asking for the ring. Sam definitely handles it better than most but he is susceptible just like anyone else. The only person that is shown to be unaffected is Tom Bombadil

    • @Shadowwarrior996
      @Shadowwarrior996 Před 2 měsíci

      @@IdeasBehindStoriesthat’s true but it was early on in his ownership. He failed to destroy the ring which highlights how potent the ring is at corrupting anyone who has it

  • @svvv977
    @svvv977 Před 5 lety +45

    I find it interesting how the One Ring 'completes' the other levels - making 4 of the three elven rings, for example. The three elven rings are the ring of Water, Fire and Air (Nenya, Narya and Vilya), the One Ring would complete this series and be the ring of Earth, earth being a symbol for material wealth, but also for fertile ground (or the opposite). Celebrimbor thought Sauron to be a 'giver of gifts' when he crafted the rings, calling him 'Annatar'. He had mistaken or overseen the negative aspects technology, wealth, earth brings with it (a common theme for all Noldor) and was eventually killed by Sauron, 'giver of gifts', because he wouldn't yield the rings back to him.
    It's also interesting how the destruction of the One Ring could be seen as the completion of the world, as the Silmarils (symbols of holy power, something like that) were already in their right place (in the Sky with Eärendil, in the Sea due to Maglor and a 'fiery pit' with Maedhros - note here the similarities between the Silmarils and the 3 Rings), yet the earth element was missing and still about in the world in the form of the One Ring, made by Sauron. From a Jungian perspecitve, where one sees 3 of something, one should look for a 4th (which is oftentimes repressed, or seen as evil). 3 Silmarils on Morgoth's crown, making him the 4th - 3 silmarils and Sauron's ring, sauron being archetypically the same as Morgoth, the 4th element earth as an evil which needs to be incorporated and not seperate or above from the rest. I tried to figure this out for a while now and you helped me along the way, I hope this rambling made sense, thanks!
    Topic suggestion: The Fall of the Noldor, Nargothrond, Doriath and Gondolin and their relation to the biblical fall is a goldmine

    • @ficklebar
      @ficklebar Před 5 lety +1

      Triforce of Wisdom, Power, and Courage: what's the fourth? :^)

    • @wrongfootmcgee
      @wrongfootmcgee Před 4 lety +1

      @@ficklebar The Player.

    • @the11382
      @the11382 Před 2 lety

      "From a Jungian perspecitve, where one sees 3 of something, one should look for a 4th (which is oftentimes repressed, or seen as evil)", where did you find this in Jung?

    • @svvv977
      @svvv977 Před 2 lety

      @@the11382 From the top of my head, i think it is in his mandala symbolism stuff

  • @MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI-1
    @MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI-1 Před 5 lety +25

    “Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
    Ash nazg thrakutulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.
    Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
    Seven for the dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
    Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
    One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne,
    In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
    One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
    One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
    In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.”
    by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

  • @khaledsamaha3412
    @khaledsamaha3412 Před 5 lety +66

    regards from egypt, i follow you since kek episode on jordan peterson channel. keep it up

    • @dandimit5104
      @dandimit5104 Před 5 lety +10

      khaled samaha The metaphysics of Pepe is how I found Pageau as well :-)

    • @khaledsamaha3412
      @khaledsamaha3412 Před 5 lety +6

      @@dandimit5104 all hail kekistan

  • @zachtrix8428
    @zachtrix8428 Před 2 lety +1

    As much as I’m not a fan of Harry Potter, I think that the notion of the horcrux is a really incredible way of understanding technology. The more Voldemort put his soul into different horcruxes, the more fragmented he became, until he ultimately lacked a proper body altogether and took on a weak, vampiric body. After his horcruxes were destroyed, he lacked embodiment and was easily overcome.
    Technology is a horcrux- the more of ourselves that we invest in it and depend upon it, the more fragile we become. How many people would survive if the grid were to collapse? Almost none- the grid is their horcrux, and when it is destroyed, so is the embodiment of their souls.

  • @jamieyoung9392
    @jamieyoung9392 Před 5 lety +78

    Excellent stuff, and particularly the Ringwraith punchline, which ties in with your thoughts on zombies.
    If you want suggestions for subjects in the LotR, how about: symbolism of the feminine (Galadriel, Eowyn, Arwen, Rosie Cotton, the usually-overlooked Ioreth, and Shelob); symbolism of the tower (LotR has lots of them); thoughts on Minas Tirith as Byzantium; an Orthodox Christian take on an explicitly Catholic work. Is that enough for starters? :-)

    • @stephenpaccone8120
      @stephenpaccone8120 Před 5 lety +6

      Yoooooo, this guy gets it

    • @Jacob011
      @Jacob011 Před 5 lety +7

      Yes! I'd love the exploration of the feminine theme in LOTR.

    • @williamcrawford7621
      @williamcrawford7621 Před 5 lety +1

      I thought the elves were a closer representation of the Byzantine, since they were a great people whose time is coming to an end. The men in middle earth seem to make more sense as "the West" which will inherit the world from Byzantium.

    • @jash8270
      @jash8270 Před 5 lety

      Explicitly catholic? Gandalf is Odin.

    • @williamcrawford7621
      @williamcrawford7621 Před 5 lety +4

      Ja Sh
      Meh. Only partially. He is also Jesus, giving his life so that others might live and then rising from the dead in a glorified form. He is also Fr. Francis Xavier, who was a sort father figure of Tolkien.

  • @BaldurWulf
    @BaldurWulf Před 5 lety +9

    Tom Bombadil would be cool to talk about since he is not influenced by the ring. Also I wish to hear ur interpretation of the Green Knight which Tolkien said was one of the most difficult characters to interpret. Great video as always!!

  • @gamessimpson
    @gamessimpson Před 5 lety +21

    Loved it. If you want to stick with Tolkien, I'd recommend the Ainulindale, or The Music of the Ainur. It's from the Silmarillion. It's Tolkien's Creation myth, and is absolutely beautiful. Thank you for what you're doing, I'm hooked. This one spoke to me especially as I come from a communication background that presents a historical worldview that focuses on an idea of technological determinism (Marshall McLuhan type stuff). What you've identified is profound. We are all ringwraiths. More unsettling than us turning into androids. Thank you again! Your presentation of Orthodox iconography has set a fire beneath the development of my faith, I felt I was in a rut, or at least that I had plateaued. The rigidness of protestant systematic theology has been gnawing at me for some time. You're beautiful.

  • @jamieyoung9392
    @jamieyoung9392 Před 5 lety +16

    You make an interesting point about we humans binding, Sauron-like, our power to our technology. 'The Distributist' made a related point recently when he compared the power of emerging technology (especially AI) to the 'Eldritch Abominations' of HP Lovecraft.

    • @manfredarcane9130
      @manfredarcane9130 Před 5 lety +2

      I'm thinking of Sartre's idea of the enslavement to practico-inert. This is insight is pretty common to 20th century philosophers of all stripes.

  • @DKFX1
    @DKFX1 Před 5 lety +5

    The work by this guy continues to fascinate and amaze me.

  • @claudesigma3784
    @claudesigma3784 Před 5 lety +6

    I am not one to be joyful when I see a new video of a creator that I appreciate, I am a bit too stoic and negative for that, and yet I was joyful when I saw that you released a new video on LotR, which as someone raised atheist, was one of my first deep approach on mythology and symbolism.
    Do keep up the good work, your words do not die as soon as they have been heard.

  • @DougRobertson
    @DougRobertson Před 5 lety +36

    I'd be fascinated to hear your take on the archetype of a Wizard, or of magic in general, and what it means in the modern world

    • @stephenpaccone8120
      @stephenpaccone8120 Před 5 lety +3

      He basically did in this video

    • @SillyChobo
      @SillyChobo Před 5 lety

      My memory might be hazy but i believr mrbtongues video shed light on this

  • @LordHPLovecraft
    @LordHPLovecraft Před 2 lety +1

    January 2019-Hey this is a great video
    July 2021-OMG It’s all happening

  • @TheDonovanMcCormick
    @TheDonovanMcCormick Před 4 lety +2

    I always liked the fact that hobbiton was segregated from middle earth. On the far north west end and they don’t really interact with any of the other species. They’ve never even seen them other than bilbo which is why he’s famous. He is the only one who left the village, went under a mountain to confront a dragon and found the most important thing and brought it back with him to the village. Then to finally right the world it takes his descendent to also go up a mountain into fire and lose himself only to be saved in an inverted way by Gollum who is a monster who has lost his soul, an image of what Frodo will become. And Aragorn has to come out of the wilds, the margin of the forests to finally take his seat in the center of middle earth, Gondor, by accepting his responsibilities and rescuing the spirit of his father to become king. Jordan Peterson would be so proud of Aragorn lol.

  • @L4sz10
    @L4sz10 Před 5 lety +10

    I also see the inverted hierarchy in the structures of Middle-Earth. The evil uses menacing towers, which is similar to a corrupt hierarchy. Only one person on high above, and everyone else below, who have no hope to get to the top because it is a vertical structure. This is how corrupt systems works with only few people in the upper levels of society, who have ultimate overview on the landscape.
    On the otherside, Edoras, Minas Tirith, Caras Galadhon all placed on hills, which are much more like pyramids of normal hierarchical structures, where there is much more connection between the different levels.
    Also, the folks who extremely reclused from the world live under hills an mountains, which seem a pathologic level of isolation. This is the case with hobbits, dwarves and Mirkwood elves. And all of them are wilfully blind as JBP would say, which can or will be their doom (the hobbits in the end of the third book, and the dwarves of Moria and the Lonely Mountain).

  • @karolinasz.141
    @karolinasz.141 Před 5 lety +5

    amazing! please make a series analysing Lord of the Rings! there is so much!

  • @seandailey3260
    @seandailey3260 Před 5 lety +28

    I think Tom Bonbodil would an interesting subject to cover from the LotR.

    • @jamieyoung9392
      @jamieyoung9392 Před 5 lety +5

      They (the film makers) would have made a complete cock of it.

    • @TheEldarie
      @TheEldarie Před 5 lety +5

      From this perspective he is a being that is immune to the power of One Ring which means he is self-sufficient and cannot be tempted. Someone like Budda, who got rid of his desires.

    • @laguzussowilo
      @laguzussowilo Před 5 lety +2

      Tom Bombadil is a really mysterious creature full of might. Would be very interesting to hear why he's so powerful and playful at the same time

    • @wrongfootmcgee
      @wrongfootmcgee Před 4 lety

      @undertakersarmpit roving douche nozzle over here, spraying a miasma just like he was taught to.

    • @corvinrick3644
      @corvinrick3644 Před 3 lety

      @@laguzussowilo hes a holy fool.

  • @lloydbrown5248
    @lloydbrown5248 Před 5 lety +3

    This is one of them videos that I like before I press play. Tolkien blows my mind.
    EDIT: And to have Jonathan break down why it blows my mind is epic also.

  • @rebeccarovny8941
    @rebeccarovny8941 Před 5 lety +9

    Excellent video! It draws my attention to a comparison between the enigmatic Tom Bombadil and Faramir. One who was completely immune to the ring, and the other who must have been inwardly tempted by it, but rejects it without second thought. The outward level of “power” of these two is completely different, but I think their response to the ring shows a similar “inward power.” However, where Bombadil is concerned, I can say nothing for certain.

    • @VTdarkangel
      @VTdarkangel Před 5 lety

      @Alt- Anders If Faramir is the only true human, then what is Aragorn?

  • @MrGodfrog333
    @MrGodfrog333 Před 5 lety +43

    Maybe a video on the symbolism of the different races ( Human, dwarf etc).

    • @MDchan
      @MDchan Před 5 lety

      Sauron want's to be Eru Illuvatar, just like Satan want's to be God, and pervert the existing hierarchy to fit his vision of power. The pyramide, hierarchy of the 4 rigs echoes, Nebuchadnezzar's dream:
      "Daniel interpreted a dream of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. The king saw a gigantic statue made of four metals, from its gold head to its feet of mingled iron and clay; as he watched, a stone "not cut by human hands" destroyed the statue and became a mountain filling the whole world."
      en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_2
      The uncut stone destroyed the clay feet. Clay is a simbol of the body. The feet are not just clay, but also iron, ork and evil human. The stone is the divine intervention, perhaps the reincarnation or resurrection of Gandalf and the quest of the Ring-bearer Frodo (Christ).
      Iron is the metal of humanity, war. Bronze is the dwarves, silver is the elves and gold is the Ainur.
      Melkor is an Ainur, but since he was tossed into the Timeless void, Sauron sort of represents him.

  • @jonathancraig
    @jonathancraig Před 5 lety +1

    Great video, Jonathan!

  • @Cirderf88
    @Cirderf88 Před 4 lety +1

    Thank you for this video Jonathan; I would like to call it an enlightening masterpiece!

  • @DracoMatt
    @DracoMatt Před 5 lety +3

    The Lord of the Ring, a master-piece (here seen and exposed with a full intelligence and reflexion !)
    Bravo !
    Please continue your serie of interpretations on this majestic novels/movies !
    With you, my vision gets deeper and deeper.
    Very intersting as a writer to see all these new perspectives.

  • @robertthompsonii6657
    @robertthompsonii6657 Před 4 lety

    I greatly enjoyed this! Great work!

  • @xansomerset1850
    @xansomerset1850 Před 2 lety

    Genuine love and gratitude for you making these videos - they're having a PROFOUND impact on how i view the world

  • @catrionanicthamhais
    @catrionanicthamhais Před 5 lety

    brilliant as usual, Thanks Jonathan

  • @d.h.2145
    @d.h.2145 Před 5 lety +2

    I was watching the extended trilogy recently. I was thinking about the symbolism of the ring. I couldnt figure it out and hoped you will make a video about it.
    Perfect timing!

  • @stumblingstonemusic6519

    Great stuff, Jonathan! Think I'll have to watch it again. Wouldn't be surprised to see PVK dig into your ideas.

  • @jamienelson3470
    @jamienelson3470 Před 5 lety

    That was amazing. Mind blown several times, re-watching right away!

  • @keithjohnston4488
    @keithjohnston4488 Před 5 lety +1

    Excellent video. The smart phone is truly the ring of power. See how people covet and rub it and how uncomfortable they get if someone else touches it.

  • @jonasiemsen7098
    @jonasiemsen7098 Před 5 lety

    Great episode. Thanks for the insight.

  • @tekaaable
    @tekaaable Před 5 lety

    I love you and the videos and podcasts you make!

  • @lucineabarbosabrabo
    @lucineabarbosabrabo Před 3 lety

    Your interpretation is amazing! Thank you!

  • @andrewnelson3714
    @andrewnelson3714 Před 5 lety +9

    the production value is increased so immensely I'm excited to see what the future holds for your channel. thanks for all you do

  • @1derekjoel
    @1derekjoel Před 5 lety

    Buenisimo! Great topic. Loved the part on the ornament.

  • @Krentiles
    @Krentiles Před 5 lety

    Awesome explanation. Thank you.

  • @greatmomentsofopera7170

    Great video as always, and unsettling too (part of its greatness!)

  • @ragnarlothbrook2969
    @ragnarlothbrook2969 Před 5 lety

    Outstanding, great work .

  • @aestass894
    @aestass894 Před 5 lety

    Thank you. It was extremely enlightening and interesting lecture.

  • @jasonaus3551
    @jasonaus3551 Před 5 lety

    Been waiting so long for this

  • @dandimit5104
    @dandimit5104 Před 5 lety +1

    I could listen and learn about these stories’ symbolism forever!

  • @foxxx2744
    @foxxx2744 Před 5 lety

    Great video Jonathan. There is a lot to glean from studying these paradoxes you identify and articulate so well.
    As for suggestions about a future LotR video, have you done one on the flame imperishable?

  • @ant7936
    @ant7936 Před 4 lety +1

    Fascinating discourse.
    Many interesting points.
    Thank you!
    (I'm reading LotR just now)

  • @Isaac-dy8qf
    @Isaac-dy8qf Před 2 lety

    I really enjoyed this. Great take!

  • @lilrat489
    @lilrat489 Před 5 lety

    Awesome interpretation. I'm currently writing a high fantasy novel and your view on power and it's affects is very identical to the "magic system" I use in my story. It also in many ways sheds light on things that I subconsciously added as well. Thanks for the upload and I am looking forward to more videos on middle earth!

  • @Kolajer
    @Kolajer Před 5 lety

    Absolutely slaying it, Jonathan! Mind nuked

  • @DennisCNolasco
    @DennisCNolasco Před 5 lety +5

    Wow, just wow! I’ve always been a huge fan of LOTR due to the mythopoetic nature and its higher meanings, but I’ve never considered how much of the themes affect our modern lives right now. Thank you for the eye opener Jonathan!
    P.S. I’ve just started to read your brother’s book as well.

    • @kingkoi6542
      @kingkoi6542 Před rokem

      These themes impacted us 2000 years ago, they will continue to influence us 2000 years from now

  • @EamonBurke
    @EamonBurke Před 5 lety

    Awesome! This is everything I hoped it would be

  • @pcwebbjr
    @pcwebbjr Před 5 lety

    FINALLY SOME LOTR! Thanks Jonathan!

  • @jimmesmit2604
    @jimmesmit2604 Před 5 lety

    What an amazing video. You got yourself a new subscriber.

  • @maxsiehier
    @maxsiehier Před 5 lety

    thanks Jonathan for this video
    and thanks guys for this informative comment section

  • @greggeverman5578
    @greggeverman5578 Před 3 lety

    Every word spoken by this man...
    Just life changing, all of it!

  • @amirrizk5290
    @amirrizk5290 Před 5 lety

    thank you man ! appreciated much !

  • @tiffanysampson5946
    @tiffanysampson5946 Před 3 lety

    awesome explanation!

  • @superastral1
    @superastral1 Před 5 lety

    Great analysis!

  • @DutchDread
    @DutchDread Před 5 lety +2

    I always recognize the ring in smartphones.
    We thought they gave us power, that we could have all the knowledge of the world at our fingertips, and always reach anyone we needed to reach, and we loved them for the services they provided us.
    But now it's the phone that has power over us, we are constantly looking at it, no longer being free, anyone can get to us at any time and we're basically not allowed to get rid of them.
    Somewhere the phones gained more control over our lived than we controlled our phones.

  • @Jacob011
    @Jacob011 Před 5 lety +1

    Tolkien's work never ceases to amaze me. It's like he tells the story that's hidden deep inside our collective unconscious. (The story containing symbols that reveal aspects of an archetypal pattern). When I first saw LOTR in my early teens it was like I was transported into an all-encompassing world that I've always known on a much deeper level then I could articulate.
    I would really love a conversation with Dr. Duke Pesta - he has quite an insight into LOTR as well.

  • @gareth5528
    @gareth5528 Před 5 lety +1

    This idea of the "binding of the powers" has me contemplating my own artistic practice. I have long used photography and 3D rendering... but perhaps it is time to take up drawing, painting, printmaking, maybe even carving. Thank you

  • @Brad-RB
    @Brad-RB Před 5 lety

    Great video. The ring of "intellect" kept coming to mind as I watched this.

  • @marcusshera1232
    @marcusshera1232 Před 4 lety +1

    Another concept from Tolkien's letters that is relevant is the difference between magia and goetia. The use of craftsmanship to create new tools and the ability to emphasize different aspects of it. Both can be used for good or evil.

  • @connordavey4422
    @connordavey4422 Před 2 lety

    Brilliant again!

  • @paddywan
    @paddywan Před 5 lety

    There is some good philisophical stuff here! I really enjoyed the paradox of ornament!

  • @ctdvargas
    @ctdvargas Před 4 lety

    This guy just changed my life... seriously, so many lessons here can be applied to the improvement of the self, its almost incredulous.

  • @thedoubleop
    @thedoubleop Před 5 lety

    Love it! I feel like there is a lot of things to look at with Tolkien. Symbolism of the races, locations and breakdown of the characters.

  • @wcm5150
    @wcm5150 Před 5 lety

    That was incredible.

  • @WorldOfJD
    @WorldOfJD Před rokem

    Very well explained

  • @robertshogarth
    @robertshogarth Před 5 lety +1

    Great video, I think you nailed it. Another idea for future LOTR videos could be: 1) Why does Frodo have to leave at the end and 2) What are the different archetypes of the major protagonists. Why is Aragorn below Frodo on the hierarchy of great characters? Thanks!
    Also, which church is that at 13:19?

  • @imogen.magenta
    @imogen.magenta Před 5 lety

    Brilliant. Thanks 🙏🏼

  • @bigacend7
    @bigacend7 Před 5 lety

    Thank you sir! I'd love to hear your take on the silmarils/morgoths crown and the related stories like the oath of feanor and beren and luthien

  • @keepclimbing2015
    @keepclimbing2015 Před 5 lety +9

    Clicked on this so fast! Made my week!

  • @getyourgnarlon
    @getyourgnarlon Před 5 lety

    If I were to pick a theme for you to look at, I would choose what I see as his critique of the State, or the centralizing apatite for power of the state in LOTR. I see this work as a warning, and next to the Gulag Archipelago, the best.
    Thanks for your outstanding work.

  • @RSanchez111
    @RSanchez111 Před 5 lety +1

    The "dark element of technology" I think helps explain why the Empire in Star Wars was the dark side. I remember Jonathan saying that Star Wars had symbolic confusion with the dark and light sides but it makes sense putting technology in the context constructed by LotR in this video.

  • @MrJdaly77
    @MrJdaly77 Před 5 lety +1

    Loved this analysis! My suggestion for new videos would be to delve into the lore of the Silmarillion....particularly interesting videos may be on the meaning behind the Fall of Gondolin or the difference and hierarchies of Illuvatar, the Ainur, the Valar, the Maiar, and the Noldor, numenoreans, dwarves, and lesser men and elves. Not just the obvious differences in their races, but the reasonings Tolkien may have gave for such differences in their creation, etc. (getting away from the more superficial aspect of race and more towards their metaphorical and metaphysical purposes and meanings/ideals as they relate to humanity and religion. Other topics might include the Children of Hurin, the Lay of Luthien, or the reasoning behind the barring of certain peoples from Valinor and being among the gods, or why the gods only intervene in the troubles of Middle-Earth "when they feel like it." Cheers!

    • @MrJdaly77
      @MrJdaly77 Před 5 lety

      For much of these, I'm referring to the allegory/metaphors and subliminal themes that may be gleamed from these stories and why tolkien may have crafted them so, as he was careful, precise, and particular in everything that he wrote.

  • @sandragrace4613
    @sandragrace4613 Před 5 lety

    Great, thank you!!

  • @robintropper660
    @robintropper660 Před 4 lety

    "We might be right wraiths already" .... SSSOOOOOO cool a concept to reflect upon!

  • @AntonVeliTajan
    @AntonVeliTajan Před 5 lety +2

    Hello Jonathan, when you spoke about the rings function as an ornament, I remembered that I once realized that the "mark of Kain" must be the crown. A crown has the function which is described as the function of the mark of Kain. Also, the word "king" seems to be derived from Kain's name in many languages ("khan" for example). Also, if Kain was the first to found and build a town, he also must be the first to be a king.
    What do you think about it?
    "King", of course, is not that old as a word and has a history of transformation. But it still has its old root word in it and this root word may be derived from "Kain".
    A confirmed example with another word: the Russian word for "king" is "karolj" and this is derived from the name of Charles / Karl / Carlo the Great (Charlemagne).
    Also, look at the name "Tubal Kain". At this point in history, "Kain" may have already become a title just like at "Genghis Khan" and "Ögedei Khan" a. s. o..

  • @sagezaworski237
    @sagezaworski237 Před 5 lety +2

    I would love it if you would talk about the Children of Húrin as it is one of Tolkien's greatest tragedies and i would love to hear your take on the mythological and spiritual aspects of this writing

  • @Krisenaa
    @Krisenaa Před 5 lety +4

    Thank you so much for all your content, Mr. Pageau. It fascinates me and I try to get as much from it as I can.
    Would you consider the possibility of making a small introductory series on symbolism for the people who don't have the prerequisite understanding of the insight offered in religious stories?
    I was raised in a non-religious family in one of the most secular countries on earth, and I think this is the reason I have such a hard time understanding your videos. I try to grasp with logic what should probably already be an intuitive understanding on my part. I don't have any intuitive understanding of any of the stories in the bible for example. Their meaning has always been lost on me, especially as a child, and my worldview is instead very rationalistic, scientific and materialistic.
    For example in the videos on encountering god in stories, the siginificance of the divine is completely lost on me. I try to wrap my head around it, but it just doesn't give in. I hope this makes sense. Thank you.

    • @the11382
      @the11382 Před 2 lety

      Try Jordan Peterson as well.

  • @nathanjellis9458
    @nathanjellis9458 Před 5 lety +2

    I'd like to see a video about Gollum.

  • @karolinasz.141
    @karolinasz.141 Před 5 lety +21

    you can talk about how evil corrupts and destroys rather than creates... sauron has to corrupt elves to warp them into orcs.

    • @XxMadermanxX
      @XxMadermanxX Před 5 lety +3

      evil can only parasite already existing original creation

    • @XxMadermanxX
      @XxMadermanxX Před 5 lety +3

      evil "creations" are not original creations, only bad copies and deformations that want to be something they cant be

  • @brigidcox2046
    @brigidcox2046 Před 5 lety

    Well done.

  • @NickRedmark
    @NickRedmark Před 5 lety

    Loved it

  • @CraigHinrichs
    @CraigHinrichs Před 5 lety

    Wonderful!

  • @judithway824
    @judithway824 Před 5 lety +1

    Thanks so much Jonathon I appreciate your insight and your ending note. I am perennially stirred by the Two Trees of Valinor in the Silmarillion as symbols of great beauty, and also their descendant lights. I wonder if you would be interested in speaking about them as they are in the Genesis of Tolkien's whole subcreated worlds.

  • @villiestephanov984
    @villiestephanov984 Před 5 lety

    Excellent.

  • @jordanedgeley6601
    @jordanedgeley6601 Před 3 lety

    Cool video

  • @stevenanderson4515
    @stevenanderson4515 Před 5 lety +1

    great vid yet again. I think the analysis of Frodo , how the pure of heart is corruptable and how even he could not complete the mission, but "fate" did. Fredo was the only one to bere it, yet bare it is all he could do, for casting it out was just too much.

  • @MrCRACKINSKULLZ
    @MrCRACKINSKULLZ Před 5 lety

    Whoa, great work. Taking ethics and learned of the ring of gyges in Plato last week, referencing this tommorow :P I think the sword sting is the object that stuck out most to me in the trilogy, but maybe that would be part of a video on swords. So is there a significance to the mission of destroying the ring, is it to bring equilibrium? So when the ring is gone, you see how much was dependent on it vanish and leave only good?

  • @NothingHumanisAlientoMe

    The constraint of culture?
    Or the inevitability of such artefacts to arise out of our vulnerability?
    Great video.

  • @adomalyon1
    @adomalyon1 Před 5 lety +5

    So ive been thinking about this a bit. The explanation of the three is that they have some 'hidden' power that keeps those they from the forces of time. The definition of Rivendell and Lorien are some of the best descriptions of Matthieu's concept of 'space' ive ever read. Now the pagan god of Moloch in the bible; he equates to Saturn or Cronos. Known as the Lord of Time....or the Lord of the Rings.

    • @jamieyoung9392
      @jamieyoung9392 Před 5 lety +4

      Exactly. The Three Elven rings (not made by Sauron himself, but by his unwitting pupil Celebrimbor), were created to assuage the grief felt by the Noldorian 'exiles' at the fleeting nature of all things in Middle-Earth, by allowing their holders to preserve 'timeless' places, recreating something like the conditions in Valinor. Unfortunately, that power depended on the One Ring...
      Interestingly, Tolkien himself criticized their actions as 'embalming'.

    • @yukey2587
      @yukey2587 Před 5 lety +1

      @@jamieyoung9392, thank Manwe...someone who knows their Tolkien!

    • @jamieyoung9392
      @jamieyoung9392 Před 5 lety +1

      Given your comment on Matthieu's comments on 'Space', I will now go and re-read Matthieu. Thanks for the tip :-)

    • @mitchellrutherford1215
      @mitchellrutherford1215 Před 5 lety

      @@jamieyoung9392 James Young?

  • @jamesrossi1910
    @jamesrossi1910 Před 2 lety

    Not to mention Aule the Smith (who "created" the dwarves without the consent of Eru Iluvatar, the Creator - great story there) of Tolkien's Legendarium. Aule's story (and the stories of his disciples - Sauron, Saruman, Feanor...) is a beautiful exploration into the potential problems of these technological innovations.