It is widelyknown that Tolkien hated war, and the death and destruction that it brought. One of the major themes in all of his writings is that of good versus evil, and of nature versus mechanism, and this was largely borne out of the two halves of his life, the first of which was spent in the beautiful woodlands of the English countryside, and the second of which was spent fighting in and dealing with the aftermath of World War One.
There are many battles that take place across the history of Middle Earth, from the fall of the Numenorians in the earlier ages, to the Last Alliance in the second age, right down to the War of the Ring, which is the story that Frodo’s quest takes place in. And across those wars, there is the forging andruin of many kingdoms, including that of Amon Sol, which was overrun and became Weathertop, that of Barad Duhr, which was once a watchtower of the men of Gondor, but is now the tower where goblins scurry around in the filth andthe Silent Watchers stand brooding over the entrance.
RELATED:What Does Sam’s Vision On The Edge Of Mount Doom Foretell?
These places within Middle Earth, are believed by many to be the history of our Earth. Middle Earth is believed to become Europe, and the surrounding areas are believed to have become many countries on the globe. The theory suggests that after the elves and dwarves passed out of the world, the Age of Men began, in which humans and mortals decided the fate of the world.Men hunted hobbits to extinction, and all the magic dissipated until the world was left as it is known today.
In this theory, goblins are believed to be the original evil that was thought to have created the devastating impacts of the World Wars, and the heavy artillery that was used to kill thousands. The original technology of the goblins, found far below the mountains, may have lead to the development in later ages, of machine guns, tanks, fighter planes, and even the atomic bomb.
InThe Hobbitbooks, Tolkien mentions how “It is not unlikely that they invented some of the machines that have since troubled the world, especially the ingenious devices for killing large numbers of people at once, for wheels and engines and explosions always delighted them, and also not working with their own hands more than they could help; but in those days and those wild parts they had not yet advanced (as it is called) so far.” This is one of the few tangible links that can be used as evidence of Tolkien’s plan for Middle Earth to act as a history of the human race and the developments of the human world.
Although this theory is outlandish, and isn’t meant to be taken as an actual, literal history, more as a creative interpretation of how the fantastical stories of those long-ago ages of his writings could be more relatable to a modern-day readership, it is interesting to think on how these small technologies deep in the caves underground could have replaced swords and bows and arrows with mass murder devices.
The scene isportrayed inThe Hobbitfilm adaptations by Peter Jackson in a mixture of danger and comedy, and how the two can so closely intertwined, but even in the on screen versions, it is easy to see the intricate and seemingly progressive the mechanisms of the goblins are, as there are several wheels, pulley systems, mechanical bridges across the vast caverns, and contraptions seen in the background. The Goblin king himself even demands “Bring up the bone breaker” which definitely sounds like a machine that could be produced en masse and used in modern-day warfare. Considering their almost medieval approach to living in dark caves lit by candlelight, the goblins are a remarkably developed and evolved civilization. However, this may not be surprising, as dwarves also live in caves, ruled by aking under the mountain, and their craftsmanship is legendary.
Ultimately, good wins out over evil in all of Tolkien’s stories. After the war of the Ring, the people of Middle Earth are able to reclaim Isengard and return it to the once green and natural land that it was. They are ableto rebuild Minas Tirithdespite the severe damage done by the orcs' trebuchets, and the ultimate weapon of the enemy is destroyed. ManyLord of the Ringsfans have taken this as a symbol of hope for Earth, and a sign that despite current issues of Climate Change, nature will win out over industry and progress after all, and the world may enter into a period of peace for both people and animals, just as it did in the Fourth Age of Middle Earth,when Aragorn became king. But whether this is true remains to be seen.
MORE:Arwen’s Fate Was Never More Strongly Tied To The One Ring
