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Message: <blockquote data-quote="R_Chance" data-source="post: 7727862" data-attributes="member: 55149">A few comments on Tolkien and race...Dwarves were short, stout, rude and... ugly (to Elves anyway). They were not as fair (skinned) as Elves. But, they were good (if sometimes greedy).Some of the main villains were Numenorian like the people of Gondor. The Witch King of Angmar was (before wraith-hood), a white / "European" type. As was the Mouth of Sauron. So were the Black Numenorians who ruled over the Southrons. Black referred to their hearts, not their skins. Given the Elvish blood of Numenorians you could argue they were a race of Half Elves (Elvish blood gave them the longer life span they enjoyed).The undead army Aragorn used were (before death) white; as were the Dunlendings who fought for Saruman against the Rohirrim who had stolen their lands. I'm not sure what the Woses were, other than prehistoric and pre civilized.   Haradrim were, by description, "middle eastern" and other Southrons were apparently black, The Variags of Khand and Easterlings were never that well described. None of these peoples were portrayed as inherently evil; they came from lands dominated / controlled and corrupted by evil (including the Black Numenorian rulers mentioned above). The Numenorian kingdoms, and the Dwarves and Elves of Western Middle Earth were besieged by Evil from all sides (and inside as well). Many of the men serving Evil came from outside the "European" setting of Western Middle Earth and were, probably, intended to be non European. They, when defeated were often taken prisoner and not just slaughtered. There were nationalistic rivalries in play as well (for example between the mounted Rohirrim and the mounted Haradrim cavalry forces and the Dunlendings versus the Rohirrim). The enemies were exotic and fierce but not inherently evil.Orcs were inherently evil. They originated as Elves corrupted by Morgoth and were the polar opposite of Elves. Elves were tall, slim, straight, fair skinned and good. Orcs were short, stocky, bandy legged, swarthy and evil. They did not represent any human race. They were a representation of good corrupted into evil. Tolkiens Elves were rather "angelic" and his Orcs were fallen angels / demons. Morgoths other creations, Trolls, were inherently evil as well. None of these beings did well in sun light which represented "good". they were creatures of Darkness / Evil who hated it even if they could stand it.Tolkien is more complex in his representation of peoples than many give him credit for. The world he created encompasses absolutes of good and evil as well as the petty evil (and nobility / good) of other beings. When you discuss it without recognizing this you are missing the point and misrepresenting the ideas encompassed in the work.</blockquote>

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