Posted: December 26, 1999 at 13:34:21: by Magnus
I was at an art-gallery the other day, which was showing Florentin reneissance paintings. One that caught my eye was "Apollo and Marsyas"; this painting pictured (the Greek God) Apollo getting ready to flay the Satyr Marsyas alive, after winning a "contest in songs of power". My mind immediately went to the contest between Sauron and Felagund in the story of Beren and Luthien; not only did they contest their strenght through songs, but after Sauron prevailed, Finrod Felagund, Beren and the ten other elves were indeed stripped (flayed?) of their disguise as orcs.As a man educated in the Classics, I am sure Tolkien was well versed in the Greek myths. Is it possible he had the story of Apollo and Marsyas in mind when he wrote about Sauron and Felagund? Another thing I remember is the medieval Scandinavian legend of Siegfried the Dragonslayer: The mightiest warrior of his day, but with a dark doom upon him that he heedlessly ignored; that in the end overtook him, in spite of all his valor and skill. This reminds me, of course, of Turin - both a dragonslayer and with a dark doom looming above him. Does anyone know any other myths like these, that Tolkien might have incorporated in his works? Or are these just coincidences?
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