One of Tolkien’s letters describes orcs as“squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, with wide mouths and slant eyes: in fact degraded and repulsive versions of the (to Europeans) least lovely Mongol-types.”
And I was thinking about, 1.) Look at the legs on these Mongolian wrestlers all decked out for a major national wrestling festival, and also 2.) how Tolkien’s racist description wasn’t enough, and orcs have been depicted as more and more grotesque over time. Canonically orcs more or less just look like humans, but that’s not “other” enough so they keep getting turned in to more and more bizarre looking monsters.
Either way, this is what i’m thinking about when i’m laid up with the 'rona. If y’all like wrestling or buff men in tiny pants check out Mongolian wrestling. From what I understand it’s a hugely popular sport there and has been for like a thousand years.
I know Tolkien always said his stories werent an allegorical, LotR is still a story about dark forces amassing in the east, coming to destroy the fairskinned blond haired
fascistsgood guysI really struggled watching rings of power because i was instantly rooting for, Adar and his band of merry friends (with chosen names, struggling for national liberation)
I started reading the Russian middle earth story from the orcs perspective (i cant recall the name), and i was really enjoying it until i got distracted
sorry I’m rambling, hope youre feeling better Frank