Integrating the supplemental material.

[Algamesh]

How do you guys typically add the assorted information from the HoME series, Unfinished Tales, etc. to the fabric of your personal Tolkien universes? Most first time readers seem to attempt to place all this information in one framework to define Tolkien's world ... I know this was my initial approach. The problem is ... the deeper you study, the more conflicting information you will find. So, in order to assist new readers, how should we advise them to assimilate this information? :thumbs:

[Mocha]

.......BIIIIIIIG words........*eyes wide open*

[Catz]

i try not to get too hung up on it to be honest...........getting worked up over whether or not a particular passage , or some tiny factual detail is canon is a waste of time imo.
but if it comes down to it........i guess i just try to fit things into the framework of the Lord of the RIngs firstly, since that really IS the only canonical Middle Earth piece..........closely followed by the Sil, tho that HAS been "edited" by CT..........but some things will always be obscure.......simply because they are either mistakes or revisions........and JRR cant tell us what he meant ;)
but then, isnt that true of most histories?
to be honest......half the time i dont even think that JRR was certain what the real facts were ;) lol
:catz:

[Lalaith]

Well... taking LoTR and The Hobbit as canon is the first step. I tend to adhere to what the Silmarillion says, even though it is repeatedly contradicted in many other books.

My own approach is, if I have a particular character in whom I have an interest, or if there is a particular event that catches my eye, I will read ALL there is about it, whether the different accounts conflict or not. I often check out what the online Encyclopaedia of Arda has to say, but that's really only for a rough outline.

For example: Gil-galad; a favourite character of mine, yet his story has many inconcistencies (not as many as some, but...). Almost all the way through his writings, JRRT states that Gil-galad is the son of Fingon, yet in his latest writings, he is suddenly the son of Orodreth...

As a keen fanfiction writer, with a strong love of canon, I tend to make it my business to sift through all the information before coming to a conclusion.

Sometimes, I will arrive at a conclusion simply because it suits my story.

Sometimes, the romance of a particular version will strike me and I will accept it simply because I like it!

The main message is: When you have learned all you can from LoTR, Silm, and to a lesser extent, UT, you can come to your own conclusions. Perhaps that is part of the beauty of JRRT's writing: we, the readers, can use our own imagination - it has certainly sucked me deeper into his world!

[Voroturiön]

I take what I like and leave the rest!

Actually, I view the Silm as a rough outline and HoME as filling in many of the blanks. Usually, I go with whatever makes the most logical sense and cohesiveness within the story. I am personally biased towards beliveving the parts of his later writings that are uplifting and/or add history that is not available elsewhere.

As far as language study goes. Well, there are a lot of changes that Tolkien made as he went along. I see the Etymologies as essential reading material, but also knowing that Qenya was an ancient precurser to modern Quenya forms.

So, in that respect, I tend to see the Silm as the "corrected outline" and the HoME series as Tolkien writing 1st, 2nd, 3rd drafts of what would have been his final work.

Jus' my 2 cents

-Voro

[Lasgalen]

Mostly I take LotR and Sil as my guides. If HoME adds something, such as the daughters of Finwe (not mentioned in Sil) then I will add it. If something is questionable, I usually try to use the latest writings. But I give the most weight to the published Silmarillion as that is what most people are familiar with.