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TIL there's a reinterpreted history of Lord of the Rings which reveals that Mordor actually has educated people (not Orcs) that are oppressed by magical creatures like the Elves and Gandalf (en.wikipedia.org)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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It interprets Tolkien's text as if it was written from the point of view of the victors (which happen to be the Elves, Gandalf, and Aragorn).

This explanation from the alternative version's author is great!

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Thank you so much for this. My kids had a couple fantasy series they liked read aloud and I remember the cringe of some well-written stories, but very black-and-white, racist stuff (I mean the races aren't supposed to be real but that hardly matters). Understanding the stories as history written by winners makes so much sense -- nation-building myths -- and to read the story again from the other side is the perfect antidote while staying in the Good vs Evil realm of fantasy.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Funnilly enough, you had a similar experience to mine. I was rewatching the movies recently and I felt uncomfortable with the whole black and white and races stuff.

I commented it to my boyfriend. I thought it'd be funny to laud Sauron's technical and logistical prowess. I then made a bet: I could find Sauron fans online. Someone must have disliked the black and white part and must have made an argument in favor of Sauron.

I didn't have to search long to find the reinterpretation I posted here.