Were there clerics in Lord of the Rings?

[Col_Pladoh]

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There is a story that Col. Pladoh's 1st wife wanted a strong Christian charecter in the game, hence the cleric.

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Hi TerraDave

Hate to disabuse you, but the story you mention is absolute balderdash. My former wife hated gaming and gamers, had absolutely no positive influence on or input in the creation of the D&D game.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Stuff that influenced specific aspects of D&D:

http://www.geocities.com/rgfdfaq/sources.html

Caution!

That resource is not one whose cmpiler consulted me, and there is a good deal of misinformation contained in the entries.

For example, the principal inspirations for the thief class were modern cat burglars and Zelazny's novel Jack of Shadows.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Remathilis]

Hi TerraDave

Hate to disabuse you, but the story you mention is absolute balderdash. My former wife hated gaming and gamers, had absolutely no positive influence on or input in the creation of the D&D game.

Cheers,
Gary

Well, nothing like hearing it from the horses mouth to clear that one up!

I'd heard something that the cleric was based off the Song of Roland. Any truths?

As for middle earth, I kinda viewed Elrond as druidic, Arwen in the movie mayhaps?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Well, nothing like hearing it from the horses mouth to clear that one up!

I'd heard something that the cleric was based off the Song of Roland. Any truths?

As for middle earth, I kinda viewed Elrond as druidic, Arwen in the movie mayhaps?

A lot of silly suppositions are floating around in regards the whole D&D matter

The cleric was based primarily on Bishop Odo of history, Friar tuck of folklore, and the priest in horror stories able to turn aside a vampire, and some other creatures of evil, with his holy symbol and faith.

Not being a great fan of the Rings trilogy, although I did enjoy the films and loved The Hobbit, all I'll venture in regards to the question of their being clerics in the books in question is this: IMO there were none, as there were no deities and no places of worship, not even sacred groves for druidical ceremonies, mentioned. Religion entails rites and ceremonies overseen by a cleris--birth, death, confirmation, wedding, etc.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[der_kluge]

Thanks for the clarification on that Gary.

Speaking of Friar Tuck, this is always something I've found curious.

What about Friar Tuck influenced the cleric? Clerics as I know them, beat people upon the head with maces, turn undead, and wear heavy armor. That doesn't jive with Friar Tuck - a tonshur'd fat guy with a stick, and no armor.

 

[Brennin Magalus]

I think someone from these boards ( or maybe not) put it best: Nature is the religion of Middle Earth, and the elves are its priests.

No, Iluvatar/Eru is the object of worship in Tolkien's fiction, not "nature."

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Thanks for the clarification on that Gary.

Speaking of Friar Tuck, this is always something I've found curious.

What about Friar Tuck influenced the cleric? Clerics as I know them, beat people upon the head with maces, turn undead, and wear heavy armor. That doesn't jive with Friar Tuck - a tonshur'd fat guy with a stick, and no armor.

Well...

The fact that a tonsured friar could associate with outlaws, adventure and fight, a partial archetype for the character class. The non-edged weapons prohibition came from Christain clerics who used blunt ones so as to not shed blood, the prosctiption a handy device to keep the D&D classes different and balanced.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Olive]

I think what Gary is saying is that all of the classes were a combination of a range of factors - taking the cool stuff from everywhere, and sticking it in to the game.

I mean Tuck didn't notably cast spells either did he?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

I think what Gary is saying is that all of the classes were a combination of a range of factors - taking the cool stuff from everywhere, and sticking it in to the game.

I mean Tuck didn't notably cast spells either did he?

Right you are. There were no spell-casting clerics of the same stamp as Friar tuck, but plenty of them in yarns like R.E. Howard wrote and from other fantasy sources. the objective was to create classes that were balanced in power, unique in some aspects of their functioning.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Tonguez]

Back to Tolkien I'd posit that there are NO spellcasting classes at all in LOTR. Not Clerics or Druids or even Wizards

All the magic use in LOTR comes from supernatural beings (eg Gandalf) or fey (Galadriel, Tom Bombadil etc) so Gandalf had a maia template which has some spell-like abilities he was NOT a Wizard (as understood in DnD)